Basic Tamales Food

REAL HOMEMADE TAMALES

Steps:

• Place pork into a Dutch oven with onion and garlic, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 2 hours.
• Use rubber gloves to remove stems and seeds from the chile pods. Place chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. Transfer the chiles and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture, stir in salt, and set aside. Shred the cooked meat and mix in one cup of the chile sauce.
• Soak the corn husks in a bowl of warm water. In a large bowl, beat the lard with a tablespoon of the broth until fluffy. Combine the masa harina, baking powder and salt; stir into the lard mixture, adding more broth as necessary to form a spongy dough.
• Spread the dough out over the corn husks to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Place one tablespoon of the meat filling into the center. Fold the sides of the husks in toward the center and place in a steamer. Steam for 1 hour.
• Remove tamales from husks and drizzle remaining chile sauce over. Top with sour cream. For a creamy sauce, mix sour cream into the chile sauce.

PORK TAMALES

Steps:

• Make the filling: Put the pork in a deep saucepan and cover with cold water (about 6 cups). Add 2 teaspoons salt, the onion, thyme, oregano, bay leaves and peppercorns; cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the pork is tender, 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours. Transfer the pork to a plate and shred. Strain and reserve the cooking liquid; keep warm.
• Meanwhile, soak the corn husks in a bowl of hot water, using a plate to keep them submerged, until pliable, 1 hour.
• Combine the pork, cumin, 1/3 cup chili powder, the garlic, flour, sugar, vegetable oil and 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid in a large skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the dough: Mix the masa harina, lard, 2 teaspoons salt, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and 2 2/3 cups of the reserved cooking liquid in a bowl until combined.
• Drain the husks and pat dry. Starting 1/2 inch from the wide end, spread about 3 tablespoons of the dough down a husk, leaving a 1-inch border on the sides. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the pork filling down the center of the dough, then fold in the sides of the husk, wrapping the dough around the filling. Fold up the narrow end of the husk. Repeat with the remaining husks, dough and filling.
• Set a steamer basket in a large pot filled with 1 to 2 inches of water. Arrange the tamales standing up in the steamer, folded-side down. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, cover and steam until the dough is firm, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the steamer and let cool slightly before unwrapping.

TAMALES MADE EASY

Steps:

• First, prepare the filling. Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the tomato and continue cooking until a sauce has formed, about 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Add the beef to the mixture and cook, breaking it into smaller pieces, until the meat loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chicken broth and continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool.
• Make the dough. Put the hominy in a food processor and pulse it until it's smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 1-1/2 minutes. Add the cheese and butter and pulse until well blended, about 30 seconds more. Add the eggs and the yolk and pulse again. Add the mustard, baking powder, salt, and hot sauce and process until a light, fluffy dough has formed. Transfer the dough to a cake pan, spread it over the bottom, and divide it into 10 portions.
• To assemble each tamale, place half a portion of dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper. Flatten the dough into a 3- by 5-inch rectangle, then spread 1/4 cup of filling onto the center of the rectangle. Cover the filling with the other half of the dough and pat it down. Tightly fold the parchment paper around the tamale and secure it with twine (http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/how-to-wrap-a-tamale-877507/).
• Fit each of two large pots with a steaming basket or colander. Add water to each pot, filling it to just below the bottom of the basket. Remove the baskets and bring the pots of water to a boil.
• Loosely arrange five tamales in each basket, leaving space for steam to circulate as the tamales cook. When the water is boiling in each pot, set a basket inside and cover the pot with a clean kitchen towel. Top the towel with a tightly fitting lid and steam the tamales, replacing water as needed until they are firm to the touch, about 30 to 40 minutes. Use tongs to remove the tamales from the baskets (a parent's job). Let the tamales cool slightly before serving with your favorite salsa. Makes 10 tamales.

BASIC TAMALES

Steps:

• To make the dough, place the masa harina in a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon to beat in just enough chicken broth to make a smooth, soft dough, like a medium-pliable bread dough.
• Beat the lard in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until very fluffy and fully aerated, about 3 minutes. Still mixing on medium speed, begin adding the masa a handful at a time, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. If the mixture becomes too stiff, add up to 1 cup of broth a little at a time. When all the masa has been incorporated, the mixture should be very light and delicate, the texture of buttercream frosting. Beat in the salt.
• To fill and steam the tamales, drain the corn husks and select as many as you can of the larger pieces, being careful not to open the crinkled leaves of the core that are full of corn silk. If necessary, select some of the better-looking middle-size or narrow pieces and paste them together with a little of the tamale dough. Pat the husks dry. Place a husk on a work surface. Spread 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the dough across the wide end of the husk, covering it from side to side and extending about halfway up toward the narrow tip. Place 1 heaping tablespoon (smaller husks will take less) of filling in the center of the dough. Make a cone shape by folding the 2 long edges over the filling so that they overlap slightly. Fold in half crosswise. Repeat with the remaining husks and filling. As they are finished, place the tamales on a baking sheet (they can be refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, up to 1 day, or frozen for 1 month).
• Have a steamer and insert ready, with about 1 inch of boiling water in the bottom of the pot. Place the tamales in the insert, in layers as necessary. Place some of the unused corn husks over the tamales to help absorb the steam. Cover tightly and bring quickly to a full boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Cook for 1 hour, adding boiling water as necessary. Remove the steamer basket and let the tamales stand 10 minutes before serving.

BASIC TAMAL DOUGH

Steps:

• If using fresh masa, skip to next step. If using masa harina, place it in a large bowl and reconstitute by adding 4 cups warm stock. Beat with a wooden spoon or mix with your hands until you have a stiff, smooth dough like a medium-pliable bread dough. Use a little more stock if necessary, but mixture should not be loose.
• Beat lard in the large bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until very fluffy and fully aerated, about 3 minutes. It may take longer if your mixer is not of the most powerful. (A heavy-duty machine such as a KitchenAid is best.) The best alternative to a mixer is not a spoon but your bare hand: Whip and beat the lard with a rapid folding motion until you feel it lightening and continue to whip until it is fluffy and full of air. It should be as light as butter creamed for the lightest butter cake.
• Keeping mixer on medium speed, begin adding masa or reconstituted masa harina to lard a handful at a time. Stop to scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. If mixture becomes too stiff to beat, add up to 1 cup tepid chicken stock a little at a time. Alternatively, beat in masa or reconstituted masa harina using your bare hand as a whipping and folding tool, adding up to 1 cup chicken stock as necessary. When all masa or reconstituted masa harina has been incorporated the mixture should be very light and delicate, the texture of buttercream frosting. Beat in salt.
• The mixture is now ready to be filled or spread onto corn husks, banana leaves, or other wrappers, and steamed.