How do you make good, Mexican and Guatemalan Tamales?!
Answers: I like cubed pork with red chile or cheese with Jalapeno for the Mexican Tamales and Chicken in the Guatemalan tamales.
Red Chile Pork Tamales
Ingredients
4 lbs. pork shoulder
1 lb. prepared masa harina, or dry masa mix
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsps. ground paprika
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2-1/2 Tbsps. salt
2 Tbsps. ground black pepper
1 cup New Mexican red chile powder
2-1/4 cups beef or vegetable stock
1 cup corn oilor lard
1 bag cornhusks, about 4 dozen
Instructions
Preparing the Tamale Meat:
Cut the pork shoulder into large (2 inch) pieces and simmer in seasoned water for 3 hours or until it is very tender. Remove the cooked pork and set aside to cool. Be sure to reserve the cooking liquid, as this will be used to make the masa (dough) for the tamales. Once cooled, shred the pork.
In a pan, sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat with 2 tablespoons oil. Add the dried red chile, cumin, black pepper, and ? tablespoon salt. Cook for a few minutes to release the fragrances of the dried spices. Add ? cup of stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and then puree the mixture in a blender or food processor.
Add this sauce to your shredded pork and work it through until all of the shredded pork is coated with the sauce.
Soak the corn husks in very hot water for 20-30 minutes to soften.
Making the Masa Dough:
Place the masa harina (masa flour) into a large bowl and add 2 tablespoons of salt, 2 tablespoons paprika and mix thoroughly so that the spices are uniformly mixed through the mixture. Add 1 cup of oil. Take the stock that you were saving from your pork and make sure that it is warm but not hot. A warm broth works well to mix into the masa. Gradually add the broth and with both hands knead the liquid into the masa until you form a dough that is silky and roughly the consistency of peanut butter.
Putting Your Tamales Together:
Take the corn husk that you have been soaking out of the water. This is the stage where a little practice will take you a long way. An assembly line method works very well. Set up a bowl of shredded pork, a bowl of masa, and the corn husks. Take a corn husk and lay out flat. Begin to apply your masa to the husk (wet hands make this easier); making a thin (1/4 inch) uniform layer leaving a bout a 1/4 inch of space on both sides and the bottom (thinner potion) of the corn husk. You will need this space when you begin to fold the corn husk into. Once the masa is applied, add your meat filling to the center of the tamale applying in the middle along the length of the masa. Next, begin to fold your corn husk in half so that both edges are touching. Fold the bottom up toward the body of the tamale and place your first tamale on a plate.
Once you have completed folding you tamales, place them in your steamer pot stacking them on end so that the folded bottom part is down and the open top part is facing upward. Make sure that you have enough tamales in the basket to keep them in place. Use the leftover corn husks and place them in the basket to keep your tamales from falling over.
Steam for 45-60 minutes.
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Tamales Rojos Veracruzanos con Pollo:
Veracruz-Style Tamales with Chicken
Ingredients:
1 package banana leaves, cut into 24 8" x 12" rectangles
1 recipe dough for Basic Tamales,
6 roma tomatoes
4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 medium white onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lard or corn oil
4-5 fresh jalape?o chiles, seeded and chopped, or use canned jalape?os
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
Preparation:
Prepare leaves and dough as instructed in recipe for Basic Tamales.
Roast the tomatoes and garlic on a comal or griddle until the tomato skins blister and the garlic skins turn brown.
Peel the tomatoes and garlic and puree briefly in a blender. Do not overblend, since sauce should have some texture.
Heat the lard or corn oil in a medium skillet, add the onion and cook 5 minutes. Add the tomato mixture and the jalape?os and cook another 5 minutes. Add the chicken, mix well, and remove from heat. Allow filling to cool to room temperature.
Fill, wrap and steam following the directions for Basic Tamales.
Authentic Mexican Tamales
5 lbs lean pork or beef, cooked and shredded
6-7 lbs fresh masa harina flour
1 1/2 lbs lard
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 pints red chili sauce
1 bunch corn husks (oujas)
To make tamales, cook meat by boiling in a large covered pot with enough water to cover completely.
Add salt to taste and slow boil till completely done.
Cool meat and save broth.
When meat has cooled, shred and mix in the chili sauce.
Clean oujas (corn shucks or outer husk) in warm water.
(make masa by hand or with mixer) Mix the masa, lard, salt and enough broth to make a smooth paste.
Beat till a small amount (1 tsp) will float in a cup of cool water.
Spread masa (1/8 to 1/4 inch thick layer, or to preference) on ouja, add a small amount of meat and roll up.
Fold up ends of ouja and place (fold down) on a rack in a pan deep enough to steam.
Add 1 to 2 inches water, cover with a tight fitting lid and steam about 1 1/2 hours.
(a cloth can be used under the lid to make a tighter fit) You can use a combination of beef and pork, use chicken or even fried beans.
One or two olives may be added to the center or try adding a few raisins.
This recipe will make 4 to 5 dozen Mexican tamales.
http://www.recipezaar.com/43424
green chile chicken tamales
IngredientsFilling
1 8-ounce package dried corn husks
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed
4 3-inch-long serrano chiles, stemmed, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 cups (packed) coarsely shredded cooked chicken (about 1 pound; from purchased rotisserie chicken)
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Dough
1 1/3 cups lard or solid vegetable shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (omit if masa mixture contains salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (omit if masa mixture contains baking powder)
4 cups freshly ground masa dough for tamales (34 to 36 ounces), or make masa dough with 31/2 cups masa harina (corn tortilla mix; about 17 ounces) mixed with 2 1/4 cups warm water
2 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth
PreparationFor filling:
Place husks in large pot or large bowl; add water to cover. Place heavy plate on husks to keep submerged. Let stand until husks soften, turning occasionally, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
Preheat broiler. Line heavy baking sheet with foil. Arrange tomatillos on prepared sheet. Broil until tomatillos blacken in spots, turning once, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer tomatillos and any juices on sheet to processor and cool. Add chiles and garlic to processor and blend until smooth puree forms. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomatillo puree and boil 5 minutes, stirring often. Add broth. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until sauce coats spoon thickly and is reduced to 1 cup, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Season with salt. Mix in chicken and cilantro. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
For dough:
Using electric mixer, beat lard (with salt and baking powder, if using) in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in fresh masa or masa harina mixture in 4 additions. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups broth, forming tender dough. If dough seems firm, beat in enough broth, 2 tablespoons at a time, to soften.
Fill bottom of pot with steamer insert with enough water (about 2 inches) to reach bottom of insert. Line bottom of insert with some softened corn husks. Tear 3 large husks into 1/4-inch-wide strips to use as ties and set aside. Open 2 large husks on work surface. Spread 1/4 cup dough in 4-inch square in center of each, leaving 2- to 3-inch plain border at narrow end of husk. Spoon heaping tablespoon filling in strip down center of each dough square. Fold long sides of husk and dough over filling to cover. Fold up narrow end of husk. Tie folded portion with strip of husk to secure, leaving wide end of tamale open. Stand tamales in steamer basket. Repeat with more husks, dough, and filling until all filling has been used. If necessary to keep tamales upright in steamer, insert pieces of crumpled foil between them.
Bring water in pot to boil. Cover pot and steam tamales until dough is firm to touch and separates easily from husk, adding more water to pot as necessary, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool 1 hour. Cover and chill. Before serving, re-steam tamales until hot, about 35 minutes.)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/v...
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