Post by raven on Nov 22, 2022 5:54:51 GMT -5
I would love to pick up a few new recipes.😁
We picked up a family tradition of tamales on Christmas eve when we were in Lawton, Oklahoma (hubby was stationed at fort sill). This authentic recipe is courtesy of my very good friend who lives a little south of Mexico city.❤️
INGREDIENTS
– 2 lbs of white masa for tortillas (you can make this with Maseca brand corn flour masa mix, it's the one in the white paper bag with the yellow and green letters. Other brands suck donkey balls. Just pour the mix into a large bowl, add water and start kneading until you get a nice consistency, not too hard or too wet, just manageable. enough to not stick)
– 2 cups of the broth in which you cooked the meat for the filling
– 1-1/2 cups + 3 tbsps of pork lard
– 1-1/2 tsps of baking powder
– 1 tbsp of salt (or just a pinch if you are making sweet tamales
– 50 corn husks, washed, soaked in warm to hot water for half an hour and dried.
Using an electric mixer, or by hand, mix the masa with the broth until fully incorporated. In another bowl, mix the lard until it is fluffy and then add it to the masa and broth mix. Continue beating at vigorously until you drop a bit of your mixture into a glass of cold water and it floats. Then add the baking powder and the salt and mix well. Grab a corn husk and distribute a spoonful (or more, depends on how big you want your tamales) and distribute it evenly (it doesn't have to go all the way to the tip, just 3/4 of the way up, so you can fold the tip to wrap without making a horrific mess). Add the filling, fold the husk to wrap and place in a steamer or double boiler. Let cook for about 45 minutes or until the tamale comes off the husk easily. Pro tip: when using a double boiler you should place a few corn husks to cover the divider and then, when full of tamales, cover with a plastic bag and then the lid. This helps distribute the steam more evenly for better cooking. Also, mixing the masa, lard, etc. by hand is harder, but the results are better, just make sure to use a wooden spoon. Otherwise an electric mixer should do.
Alright, bean filling. Basically you need refried beans that are not super watery, they should be dry enough to not make a mess. Check tem by grabbing a spoonful and flipping it over. If they drip off they are too wet, if the stick mostly to the spoon, they're just right. Fry some chorizo and add it to the beans (grease and all) and mix it well. Once you've spread the masa on the corn husk add a spoonful of beans to the mid section of the masa and wrap the tamale. If you don't want to use chorizo, get a few dried avocado leaves, grind them to a powder and mix a spoonful with your beans. You will thank me for it. For cheese, goat cheese or queso fresco or ranchero work best because it won't get too melty. I think Target carries it, I'm sure Walmart does too. Cut your cheese in thin-ish strips,(like pencil wide), place one strip of cheese on the masa in the husk and add a leaf of fresh epazote (I think it's also called Jerusalem oak). Wrap the tamale. Yes, that's really it, but if you're feeling extra creative add a spoonful of red salsa (non-spicy) to the cheese before you wrap it. These are super simple to make, there are more difficult ones, but this is like beginner type stuff. It will seriously ruin the flavor.
Most delicious recipe ever!
We picked up a family tradition of tamales on Christmas eve when we were in Lawton, Oklahoma (hubby was stationed at fort sill). This authentic recipe is courtesy of my very good friend who lives a little south of Mexico city.❤️
INGREDIENTS
– 2 lbs of white masa for tortillas (you can make this with Maseca brand corn flour masa mix, it's the one in the white paper bag with the yellow and green letters. Other brands suck donkey balls. Just pour the mix into a large bowl, add water and start kneading until you get a nice consistency, not too hard or too wet, just manageable. enough to not stick)
– 2 cups of the broth in which you cooked the meat for the filling
– 1-1/2 cups + 3 tbsps of pork lard
– 1-1/2 tsps of baking powder
– 1 tbsp of salt (or just a pinch if you are making sweet tamales
– 50 corn husks, washed, soaked in warm to hot water for half an hour and dried.
Using an electric mixer, or by hand, mix the masa with the broth until fully incorporated. In another bowl, mix the lard until it is fluffy and then add it to the masa and broth mix. Continue beating at vigorously until you drop a bit of your mixture into a glass of cold water and it floats. Then add the baking powder and the salt and mix well. Grab a corn husk and distribute a spoonful (or more, depends on how big you want your tamales) and distribute it evenly (it doesn't have to go all the way to the tip, just 3/4 of the way up, so you can fold the tip to wrap without making a horrific mess). Add the filling, fold the husk to wrap and place in a steamer or double boiler. Let cook for about 45 minutes or until the tamale comes off the husk easily. Pro tip: when using a double boiler you should place a few corn husks to cover the divider and then, when full of tamales, cover with a plastic bag and then the lid. This helps distribute the steam more evenly for better cooking. Also, mixing the masa, lard, etc. by hand is harder, but the results are better, just make sure to use a wooden spoon. Otherwise an electric mixer should do.
Alright, bean filling. Basically you need refried beans that are not super watery, they should be dry enough to not make a mess. Check tem by grabbing a spoonful and flipping it over. If they drip off they are too wet, if the stick mostly to the spoon, they're just right. Fry some chorizo and add it to the beans (grease and all) and mix it well. Once you've spread the masa on the corn husk add a spoonful of beans to the mid section of the masa and wrap the tamale. If you don't want to use chorizo, get a few dried avocado leaves, grind them to a powder and mix a spoonful with your beans. You will thank me for it. For cheese, goat cheese or queso fresco or ranchero work best because it won't get too melty. I think Target carries it, I'm sure Walmart does too. Cut your cheese in thin-ish strips,(like pencil wide), place one strip of cheese on the masa in the husk and add a leaf of fresh epazote (I think it's also called Jerusalem oak). Wrap the tamale. Yes, that's really it, but if you're feeling extra creative add a spoonful of red salsa (non-spicy) to the cheese before you wrap it. These are super simple to make, there are more difficult ones, but this is like beginner type stuff. It will seriously ruin the flavor.
Most delicious recipe ever!
