Re: Let the Tamale war begin!

[Guest guest]

Sounds perfect....

Just missing two things from my recipe...

Where is the lard in the Masa? Do you get it prepared for you?

yikes...gotta have lard! Laughing

Oh, and a jar of jalapenos. We put one thin strip of jalapeno in

every tamale. we keep it whole so that you can pull it out if you

can't take the chili, but at least it flavors the tamale!

Hugs,

Theresa

> Here is my receipe for tamales, this receipe is a guild to making

them

> and this is not an exact science. Pinch of this, dash of that is

the

> rule of thumb here. There are many variations so make a batch and

see.

>

>

> Tamales

>

>

> One large pork roast about 5 pounds (this can be a cheap cut of

meat)

> 5 pound bag of Masa Harina

> 1 lg onion finely chopped

> 1 8 oz bag of red chili pods

> 3-4 cloves garlic

> salt

> 2 bags of dried corn husks

>

> Night before: Take the bags of corn husks and place them in a large

pot

> or bowl and cover completely with hot water, soak the husks until

soft

> and pliable and seperate. Drain the husks but keep them soft.

Take

> some of the smallest husk peal off strips lenghtwise to make ties/

> strings for the tamales, they should look like short shoestrings.

>

>

> Step 1: cooking the meat. Put the roast in large covered pot with

a

> little water at the bottom, 2-3 chopped garlic cloves, onions, salt

and

> pepper and cook slowly in an oven until completely done, (you can

do

> the same thing in your crock pot). The meat should be moist and

> falling apart tender. Pour off meat juice and save it for step 3.

> Shred the meat completely (should be stringy).

>

> Step 2: Red Chili. Take the dried red chili pods and pull the stem

off

> at the top, opening up the pods and de-seed. Put the pods into a

bowl

> and fill with hot water and soak the pods for about 30 mins. When

the

> pods are soft and pliable fill a blender about half way full with

the

> pods gently packed into the blender (about half of the chilis), put

in

> 1 teaspoon salt and one clove of garlic and hot water to cover the

pods

> (I use the water the chilies were soaking in). Blend until the

pods

> are completely liquid. Repeat. Pour some of the chili into the

pork

> meat and mix to coat the meat, the pork should be well coated but

not

> swimming in the chili. Set aside.

>

> Step 3: Preparing the dough. Put the masa in a mixing bowl and

adding

> the meat juice (fat and all) blending mixing adding more meat juice

> until you have a slightly firm paste, you can add water if you need

> more liquid. I use a kitchen aid and whip the dough to a fluffy

> consistency similar to mashed potatoes.

>

>

> Step 4: Assembly: You will need space and time! Take a large

husk or

> two smaller husks (wipe off any excess water on the husk with a

towel

> or paper towel). With a spatula or a table knife spread about a

1/4

> cup of dough and spread it on the husk (do not spread the dough to

the

> ends). You should have a coating of dough 3-4 inches wide, 4-5

inches

> tall and about a 1/8 inch thick. With a tablespoon, scoop up a

heaping

> spoon of meat filling and make a line of meat (3-4 inches high and

1

> inch wide) in the middle of the dough/husk (will look long and

> skinny), be careful not to displace the dough. Gently fold the

husk

> closed wrapping the dough around the meat filling.

>

> Do one or the other: Take a corn husk shoestring and tie one on

the

> top of the tamale and tie another at the bottom. Now what I do is

> instead of strings is to take wax paper and cut pieces about 9

inches

> long and wrap the tamale up like a burrito.

>

> Repeat until ingredients are gone.

>

> Step 5: Steaming. Put water in the bottom of the steamer and

raise

> the rack to sit above the water make sure to have several inches of

> water in the pot because you will need to steam for 2 or more

hours.

> Put down the first row of tamales covering the rack then put

another

> row of tamales layering the tamales flat as you fill the pan.

Handle

> gently so you don't smash them. You can put 7 or 8 layers of

tamales

> in the steamer. Cover the pot tightly and bring pot to a boil and

> then lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for at least two hours

and

> longer if necessary. * Hint the bigger the pot and the more

tamales to

> steam the longer it takes. If you think they are done, pull out

one

> tamale, let it cool, open it up and see if the dough is set. It

should

> be moist but firm and you will be able to peel the husk away from

the

> dough. If the dough sticks to the husk, wrap it back up and, keep

> steaming for another hour and try again.

>

> You can freeze tamales and heat them in the microwave for a

minute.

> Remove the wax paper or strings and husk before eating.