Red Chile Tamales Food

RED CHICKEN TAMALES (TAMALES ROJOS DE POLLO)

Steps:

• Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for a few hours. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel.
• Place chicken in a pot, season with salt, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain chicken and shred with 2 forks.
• Heat a griddle over medium heat and toast ancho and mulato chiles until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak until soft, about 25 minutes. Combine ancho and mulato chiles, garlic, cumin seeds, and about 1/2 cup of the soaking water in a blender; blend until a thick, smooth, mole-like sauce forms, adding more water if necessary.
• Heat 1 tablespoon lard in a saucepan over medium heat and add the sauce; cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add shredded chicken and cook until flavors are combined and chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Place remaining lard in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add masa harina, chicken broth, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and beat until all ingredients are well combined. Test if the masa is ready by dropping a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water; if it floats, it's ready, if not, keep working the dough a little longer.
• Select 1 wide corn husk. Spread about 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of the chicken filling in the center of the masa mixture. Fold sides of husk together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the husk over the seam of the 2 folded sides. Repeat with remaining husks.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

PORK RED-CHILE TAMALES

Steps:

• Make the pork: Combine the pork with the garlic, 1 tablespoon salt and 3 quarts cold water in a large pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil, partially cover, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the pork is tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning the pork halfway through and adding more water as needed to keep the pork submerged. Remove the pork to a plate, reserving the broth. Let the pork cool slightly, then shred.
• Make the salsa: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the chiles and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving the saucepan; transfer the softened chiles to a blender along with the granulated garlic, oregano, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add 1 1/2 cups of the pork broth and puree until smooth.
• Wipe out the reserved saucepan. Heat the canola oil in the pan over medium heat. Add all but 3/4 cup salsa to the pan and cook, stirring, until it thickens and darkens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded pork and 1 cup pork broth. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes. Season with salt.
• Make the masa: Mix the masa harina, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Using clean hands, gradually mix in 3 1/2 cups warm pork broth, the reserved 3/4 cup salsa and the melted lard until smooth and fully combined; the mixture should be fluffy, almost like frosting. Season with salt.
• Assemble the tamales: Place a softened corn husk on a work surface. Spread 1/4 cup masa across the wider end of the corn husk. Add 2 tablespoons pork mixture in a line down the center. Fold in the sides of the husk to encase the filling, then fold in the narrower end so the goodness doesn't come out. Repeat with the remaining husks, dough and filling.
• Cook the tamales: Fill a tamale steamer or large pot with a steamer insert with 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stand the tamales up in the steamer basket with the open end up. Steam, covered, until the tamales are softly set, about 1 1/2 hours, checking halfway through and adding more water if needed. Remove the tamales and let cool 10 to 15 minutes to firm up. Serve with salsa, cheese and sour cream.

TAMALES DE PUERCO (RED PORK TAMALES)

Steps:

• Cut pork into 3 chunks and place in a large saucepan. Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, and salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil; skim foam from surface. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove pork and let cool. Strain broth and reserve.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil while pork is cooking. Add tomatoes, arbol chiles, and guajillo chiles, and boil until chiles are soft, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving cooking water, and allow to cool.
• Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel.
• Combine tomatoes, 1/2 cup cooking water, chiles de arbol, guajillo chiles, and cornstarch in a blender; blend until smooth. Strain tomato sauce through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Beat lard with an electric mixer in a large bowl until fluffy. Combine masa, 1 cup reserved pork broth, 1 tablespoon salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl and mix until smooth. Add masa mixture to lard and mix until it has a smooth cookie dough consistency. Test if the masa is ready by dropping a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water; if it floats, it's ready, if not, keep beating for a little longer.
• Shred cooled pork with 2 forks.
• Select 1 wide corn husk or 2 small ones. Spread about 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of the tomato sauce and pork down the center of the masa mixture. Fold sides of husk together, 1 over the other. Fold the bottom of the husk over the seam of the 2 folded sides. Repeat with remaining husks.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN RED CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove the stem of each dried chile. Shake out as many of the seeds as possible. (Make sure you are wearing gloves, and avoid touching your eyes/face).
• Heat your skillet on medium heat. Place your dried chiles on the skillet, pressing them down to toast them slightly on each side (10-15 seconds). You don't want to burn them or it will result in bitter sauce.
• Add your chiles to a small saucepan, add water (just enough to cover). Bring to a boil, turn off the heat. Allow them to sit for up to 10 minutes to rehydrate.
• Remove the chiles from the soaking water and place them in a blender. Add just under two cups of the soaking liquid. (If your soaking liquid is bitter then discard and add regular water).
• Puree for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a skillet with the olive oil. Bring the sauce to a low simmer, add your salt, and any additional optional ingredients.
• Brown sugar will tone down the spice, while cocoa/cacao will compliment the spicy sauce. Consider adding a pinch of any of the optional ingredients or more based on your preference.
• Skim off the foam as the sauce simmers, then remove from the heat and store in a glass jar. Refrigerate and use within one week.

RED CHILI SAUCE (TO BE USED WITH TRADITIONAL TAMALES)

Steps:

• Remove stems and seeds from dried chili peppers.
• Place peppers in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Roast in 350°F oven for 2 to 5 minutes or until you smell a sweet roasted aroma, checking often to avoid burning.
• Remove from oven and soak in enough hot water to cover for about 30 minutes or until cool.
• Put peppers and 2 1/2 cups of the soaking water into a blender (save the remaining soaking water).
• Add garlic, cumin and salt.
• Cover and blend until smooth.
• In a 2-quart sauce pan, stir flour into oil or melted shortening over med heat until browned.
• Carefully stir in blended chili mixture.
• Simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. (If sauce gets too thick, stir in up to 1 cup of the remaining soaking water until you reach the desired thickness) Use this sauce for traditional tamales, recipe #15286.
• Note: When working with chilies, use rubber gloves to protect your skin, and avoid contact with your eyes. Wash hands throughly with soap and water to remove all of the chili oils.

MOM'S TRADITIONAL MEXICAN TAMALES RECIPE

Steps:

• Tamale Meat
• Cook meat, garlic and salt in a slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours on high. Place in refrigerator and chill. Remove meat from refrigerator and remove solidified fat from top. Drain off liquid, reserving one cup to use in masa. Shred meat with a fork.
• Tamale Sauce
• Lightly brown the flour in the oil in a stockpot over medium high heat. Stir in tomato sauce, red chile sauce and salt, cook until thickened. Cool to room temperature before using. Stir sauce into meat.
• Tamale Masa
• Beat lard with a stand mixer to the consistency of whipped cream (takes about 15 minutes on highest setting). Add masa a little at a time in small, golfball sized pieces. Sprinkle salt and baking powder over the masa and mix well while adding more masa. Slowly add the beef broth into whipped lard and masa mixture. Continue whipping the mixture until a small spoonful of masa floats in cold water.
• Tamale Assembly and Cooking
• Spread ¼ to ⅓ cup masa on corn husks, a little thicker than ¼ inch thick. Spread a rectangle that covers husks except 2 inches at bottom and 1 inch at top. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in center and add one ripe black olive. Roll together so that masa completely encircles filling. Fold bottom end up and place upright in a steamer, folded side down. Steam for about 40 minutes when fresh, or 90 minutes when frozen.

HOMEMADE RED CHILE SAUCE FOR TAMALES

Steps:

• Remove the tops of the chiles and shake out as much of the seeds as possible. In a large pot, add chiles, Mexican pickling spices, onion and garlic cloves Add enough water to cover. Cover and cook on low for about an hour.
• Once the chiles have cooled some, and are soft, in batches transfer to a food processor. Use a slotted spoon to make sure you get the spices and the garlic. Puree until smooth adding some of the chicken broth and the chle water to each batch.
• Place a strainer over a large bowl. Pour the pureed chile sauce into the strainer and with the back of a wooden spoon, push the mixture through the strainer to remove skins, remaining seeds and any remaining chunks of spices.
• Once the chile mixture is strained, adjust seasonings. I'm a cumin fan, so I always add ground cumin and salt. I like to add in 1/8 cup cider vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar to balance flavors.
• In place of the New Mexico Dried Chile, you can use an assortment. Nora peppers are nice, and I've used Mulata dried peppers. Each combo will add a different nuance of flavor to your sauce.

RED CHILE TAMALES

Steps:

• In a mixer or by hand, combine masa, lard, salt and baking powder until well blended.
• Deseed the chile pods, then soak the pods in hot water until soft.
• Puree the soft chile pods.
• Boil roast with salt, pepper and garlic until beef is cooked through.
• Remove beef; shred.
• Reserve the beef broth.
• Mix red chile puree with shredded beef.
• Add reserved beef broth until moist.
• Spread masa in a corn husk.
• Place about 1 1/2 ounces beef in the center of the masa.
• Fold over sides of tamale, then wrap tamale in wax paper.
• Place tamales in steamer pot, cover and cook 45 minutes or until the tamales are firm.

RED CHILE BEEF TAMALES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, submerge the corn husks in cold water for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, use a handheld mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment to beat the lard on medium-high speed until very fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix together the tamale flour, water, and salt with your hands to form a uniform dough. Add half of the dough to the lard and beat to combine. Add the oil and the remaining dough to the lard mixture and beat on medium-high speed until it has the texture of a fluffy frosting, about 10 minutes.
• Drain the corn husks. Then, put a heaping tablespoon of masa on the corn husk, spreading to flatten it slightly and evenly, so it roughly forms a rectangle. Put a couple tablespoons of filling in the middle of the batter. Enclose the filling in the batter as you fold the husk, folding the pointed end over the bottom half. The rounded end will remain open.
• Place a steamer insert inside of a deep pot and fill with about 2 inches of water. Fit the tamales on top of the steamer insert, stacking them if necessary. To prevent moisture loss and ensure the tamales steam properly, place a damp cloth across the opening of the pot and then secure the lid on top.
• Bring the water to a high simmer (medium heat) and steam the tamales for 1 hour. At this point, check to see if the masa mixture easily separates from the husk when unwrapped. If it appears overly wet or sticky, add additional water to the pot and continue to steam 45 minutes longer. As the tamales cool, the masa will firm up a bit. Serve warm.Tamales keep stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a sealed bag. If freezing the tamales, defrost in the refrigerator overnight before cooking. Frozen tamales will last up to 1 month in a sealed plastic bag.

RED TAMALE SAUCE RECIPE (+VIDEO)

Steps:

• Carefully split the peppers and remove seeds and membranes. Cut peppers into 1-2 inch pieces. Arbol peppers are small so no need to cut those.
• Using a firm bristle brush, wash peppers.
• Place peppers, tomatoes and garlic in pan with 2 cups chicken stock (or enough to cover). Heat on medium and bring to boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until soft.
• Remove all vegetables and remaining spices to blender and blend until smooth. Note: If water has turned too dark, you may want to strain the vegetables to the blender then discard the liquid and replace with fresh chicken stock. Return all to the same pan.
• Simmer for 15 minutes to thicken slightly. Add more spices or salt to taste, if desired.

RED CHILE PORK TAMALES

Steps:

• For the braised pork: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds black pepper and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and guajillo, ancho and pasilla chiles and bring to a boil. Cover, turn off the heat and let sit until the chiles have softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender with the cumin, oregano, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds black pepper and puree until very smooth.
• Pour the sauce back into the Dutch oven, then add the pork and bay leaves. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low to maintain a steady simmer and cook until the pork is very tender and the sauce is brick red, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, soak the corn husks in a bowl of hot water, using a plate to keep them submerged, until pliable, about 1 hour.
• Discard the bay leaves from the pork, then shred the pork with 2 forks. Stir in the apple cider vinegar; taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper. Set aside to cool slightly.
• For the masa dough: Beat the lard, baking powder, chile powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and light in texture, about 2 minutes. (Alternatively, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.) Reduce the speed to low and add the masa harina. Once just incorporated, slowly add 2 1/2 cups of the chicken broth and mix until combined, 2 to 4 minutes. Test the dough by placing a 1/2-teaspoon dollop in a cup of cold water--it should float. If not, add the remaining 1/2 cup broth and mix until combined, about 2 minutes more. This will ensure that the masa dough is light and fluffy.
• Drain the husks and pat dry. Starting 1/2 inch from the wide end of a husk, spread about 3 tablespoons of the masa dough down the length of the husk, leaving a 1-inch border on the sides. Spoon 2 heaping 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 open-end up in the steamer. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and steam until the dough is firm, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the steamer and cool slightly before unwrapping. Serve with lime wedges if desired.