Let the Tamale war begin!

[Guest guest]

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.