Help an Amigo Out Please

[Frantasmic]

My daughter really likes tamales. We have some store-bought ones that she likes, but they aren't always available. I have never tried making them however. I know that making tamales is a tradition in many Hispanic families, especially around Christmas time.

Does anyone have a relatively simple tamale recipe that I hopefully can't mess up too much?

 

[PixieDust32]

Hi, Tamales are very hard work to make, but I loveeee them.

Here...

Authentic Mexican Tamales

Ingredients

5 lbs. lean pork or beef, cooked and shredded

6 to 7 lbs. fresh masa

1 1/2 lbs lard (vegetable or pork)

1 tbls. salt

1 1/2 pts. red chili sauce

1 bundle hojas (corn shucks)

Directions

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 hojas (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)

Many variations of ingredients can be used in making tamales. 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 tamales.

 

[PixieDust32]

I don't have the direction on how to make the masa in english, only in spanish, but here is a website, hope this helps.

http://mexgrocer.com/452-chicken-tamales.html

 

[Aimee K]

Yummy!
At 8:15 am you have me wanting tamales for breakfast!

 

[PixieDust32]

Yummy!
At 8:15 am you have me wanting tamales for breakfast!

Me too

 

[Frantasmic]

Thanks. Which cut of beef do you suggest?

 

[PixieDust32]

Well, we normaly use pork, but you can do beef also or chicken. The cut you can
shred, I don't know the exact term or name for it.

 

[denisenh]

I love tamales!! YUM!!

I just wanted to add that I made them once (also at christmas time) and they were a HUGE hit. I had purchased a tamale making kit while i was in Texas for a funeral a few years ago.

Anyway, I Know that i still have that recipe because i saw it while looking for another recipe about a week ago, but now I can't find it (of course).

The kit came with the spices and husks. I think the authentic recipe calls for boiling a pig head, or maybe thats what my dear uncle told me to see what i'd do, but i used a pork roast.
I do see the kits available locally and they must include a recipe. The above recipe sounds very close to it, the method anyway.
Good luck! It is a bit of work but worth it!!

edited to add that i think I added dried chile peppers to the boiling pork and shredded it together as well. I look some more for the recipe that i have.

 

[denisenh]

ok i found my recipe.

The chili anchos, stems and seeds removed, were prepared first (in boiling water and then left to soak) and were not boiled with the meat.

Peeled garlic, salt and the spices (that were already in my kit) were added in with the boiling meat though.

The ground, skinned chili (the pod pulp) was added to the meat when grinding the meat.

One cup of the reserved liquid from the chili (the water used to prepare them) as well as one cup of liquid from the meat were added to the masa, along with 2 tablespoons of salt and the melted lard (I am sure that I must have used crisco shortening)
I think that I will make some tamales soon too.

 

[Straitlover]

I have never tried making tamales because I can't figure out how you roll them without getting the husk rolled up in it. What's the trick? Do you spread the masa all the way to the edge or what???

 

[PixieDust32]

Oh yes, in Texas ya'll can go to the Mexican stores and buy the masa alredy made for tamales. I don't have that here in Georgia.
Even the Fiesta stores have masa and everything else.

 

[PixieDust32]

I have never tried making tamales because I can't figure out how you roll them without getting the husk rolled up in it. What's the trick? Do you spread the masa all the way to the edge or what???

The masa needs to be sticky and yes you put the husk on your palm and with a spoon you spread the masa all over the husk, then the meat goes in the middle and you kind of wrap the husk like an envelope, one side then the other.

 

[noodleknitter]

Sacriligious, I know, but we steam ours in aluminum foil. Cheap, easy, and nice for freezing.

 

[denisenh]

I have never tried making tamales because I can't figure out how you roll them without getting the husk rolled up in it. What's the trick? Do you spread the masa all the way to the edge or what???

Making the tamales:

spread about 2 tablespoons of the masa on the wide bottom 3/4 of the corn shuck within one inch of the edge. put 2 heaping teaspoons of meat down the middle of the masa.
Fold the tamale, masa edge to masa edge and roll up. Fold the tails, narrow end, at the end of the masa/meat filling.
Stand the tamales on the rack in the steaming pot folded tails down.
steam them for 1 hour