Spicy Cajun Tamales Food

SPICY CAJUN TAMALES

Steps:

• Start off by sautéing the ground beef and onions until the beef browns and the onions become tender.
• At this point, strain the meat and drain off all but a couple tablespoons of the beef drippings.
• But keep it in reserve-you'll need it later.
• Then combine into the meat the Rotel tomatoes, the chili mix, the peeled tomatoes, the chili powder, the cumin, the water, and your salt and cayenne pepper.
• Now… bring the mixture to a slow boil… but as soon as the boil begins, reduce the heat to low and simmer everything together (with the cover on the pot) for about 45 minutes to an hour.
• Next, strain the meat again from the juices (but save the juices).
• Then put the meat back into the pot and stir in the cornbread mix and one cup of meat drippings you saved from the sautéing process.
• At this point, you can adjust the"spicyness" of the tamales by adding either more chili powder or cayenne pepper.
• Then mix everything together extremely well once more… and note- you want the tamale mixture to be moist and pasty, but not"wet".
• Finally, place about a tablespoon of the meat stuffing into the center of a moistened tamale paper, roll the paper around the tamale, and put the rolled tamales into a deep steamer pot.
• Then ladle over the tamales all the juices and drippings you reserved during the preparation process… and simmer everything on low for about 45 minutes.
• When you're ready to eat, serve them piping hot.

CAJUN HOT TAMALES

Steps:

• place all vegetable in a food processor until througly mixed.
• add mixture with meat.
• take your meal and place on paper or corn husks.
• add a good portion of meat mixture on meal and wrap oblong way.
• continue over and over place in steamer and steam for 2 hours.
• put chillie power/water/pepper/garlic power/1 can of tomato sauce of tamales.
• tamales can be frozen or canned.

SPICY SHRIMP TAMALES WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO SAUCE AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and green chiles in a roasting pan and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor along with any juices that are at the bottom of the pan. Add the cumin, salt, and cilantro. Pulse the mixture until combined but still chunky. You may add a bit of water or broth if the mixture is too thick. Reserve half the sauce to serve with the tamales.
• In a deep bowl, combine the masa and remaining half of the tomatillo sauce. Beat until fully incorporated and the dough is green. Fold in the softened goat cheese.
• Set the cornhusks on a sheet pan covered by a damp towel. Lay the husk flat on a plate with the smooth side up and the narrow end facing you. Spread a thin, even layer of the masa mixture over the surface of the husk with a tablespoon that is dipped in water. Fold the narrow end up to the center then fold both sides together to enclose the filling. The sticky masa will form a seal. Pinch the wide top closed.
• Stand the tamales up in a large steamer or colander with the pinched end up. Load the steamer into a large pot filled with 2-inches of water. The water should not touch the tamales. Lay a damp cloth over the tamales and cover with lid. Keep the water at a low boil, checking periodically to make sure the water doesn't boil away. Steam the tamales for 2 hours.
• Coat the shrimp with cumin, chili powder, cayenne, coriander, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in a saute pan, cook the shrimp for 5 minutes until pink. To serve, unfold the tamales, top with the spicy shrimp and spoon the reserved tomatillo sauce over the top.

SPICY BEEF TAMALES

Steps:

• Husk corn, discarding the silk. Place corn husks in a large pot and pour boiling water over them, and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry, leaving moist but not wet.
• Cut the kernels from the corn to equal about 1 1/2 cups. Of this amount, puree 1 cup of the kernels in a food processor and leave the other kernels whole. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil and saute onion until translucent. Add ground beef, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, celery salt, and salt and pepper, and cook until browned. Drain off extra fat and divide into even amounts per the number of tamales you will be making.
• Combine cornmeal, salt, and 1 cup water in a mixing bowl. Bring another 1 cup of water to a boil and stir in cornmeal mixture, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, baking powder, pureed corn, whole corn kernels, and jalapeno.
• The tamales are eaten directly from the corn husk casings in which they are steamed. To make tamale casings for steaming: Tear corn husks into strips. Some of these will be woven together and should be at least an inch wide. You will also need about 16 narrower strips (1/4 to 1/2 inch wide) to secure the ends of the tamales. Lay 4 strips or so side by side, and then weave another 4 or so through in a perpendicular fashion to make 8 rectangles about 8 inches square. Each tamale will be filled with even amounts of the corn mixture, beef mixture and cheese. Spoon some of the corn mixture (between 2 and 4 tablespoons) into the center of each tamale case and spread to make a layer. Then spoon an even amount of the ground beef mixture into the center of corn mixture on each tamale. Top beef mixture with even amounts of cheese on each tamale. At this point, begin 1 or 2 pans of boiling water, each fitted with a steaming rack (You will need enough steaming space over the pans to accommodate the tamales.) Fold the corn husks so the corn filling encases the meat filling and cheese. Secure the ends of the tamales casings by tying shut with pieces of corn husk. Place tamales on racks and steam - covered - for about 20 minutes to a half hour, replenishing water in pan(s) as needed. Let rest briefly before serving.

MEXICAN RED PORK TAMALES AS MADE BY EDNA PEREDIA RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Place the dry corn husks in a baking dish. Pour hot water over the husks to cover. Weigh the husks down so they are completely submerged and let soak for 2 hours, or until pliable.
• Add the tomatoes, onion, guajillos, pasillas, garlic, and 4 cups (960 ml) of water to a small pot. Cover, bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
• Transfer the vegetables to a blender, Add salt and pepper to taste, the cumin, and about ½ cup (60 ml) of the cooking liquid. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and season with salt and pepper. Fry the pork until well-browned and most of the fat has evaporated. Drain any excess fat, if necessary.
• Add the sauce to the pan with the pork, bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a small bowl, combine the baking soda, baking powder, and 1 tablespoon water. Stir to dissolve, then set aside.
• Add the lard to a large bowl. With an electric hand mixer, whip the lard until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Add the masa and baking soda mixture and mix with your hands until smooth, about 5 minutes. It should be spreadable but still hold its shape.
• Drain the soaked corn husks.
• Place 1 husk on a clean surface and add 1-2 tablespoons of masa to the center of the husk. Spread with the back of the spoon to about ¼ inch (¾ cm) from the edges.
• Place 1 tablespoon of meat in the center. Roll the corn husk over the filling from left to right and fold the top down to create a little pocket. Set aside. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Place the tamales, open ends up, in a steamer basket set over a large pot of boiling water. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and the lid. Let steam for 1 hour, then turn off the heat and let the tamales rest for 1 hour more.
• Unwrap the tamales and serve with salsa verde.
• Enjoy!

SWEET SPICED TAMALES

Steps:

• Soak the dried corn husks in hot water until soft, 30-60 minutes.
• Beat the shortening and salt with an electric mixer in a bowl until light and fluffy, and slowly beat in the masa harina 1/4 cup at a time, alternating with 1/4 cup water per addition, until the masa mixture is very light and fluffy. Beat in 1/2 cup brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla until the mixture forms a soft, fluffy dough, about 5 minutes.
• To assemble the tamales, drain the corn husks and pat them dry. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the masa dough onto a corn husk, forming a rectangle of dough 1/4 inch thick and about 2x3 inches in size. Spread the dough all the way to the right edge of the corn husk, and about 1/2 inch from the left edge. Spoon about 1 teaspoon pecans in a line down the center of the masa dough, and sprinkle the nuts with about 1 teaspoon of brown sugar.
• Roll the right edge of the corn husk over the filling to the center of the tamale. Fold the left edge towards the center, rolling the filling into the dough, so the plain edge overlaps the rolled tamale. Fold the top end down and the bottom end up, making a tidy package, and tie securely with a piece of kitchen twine.
• Fill a large saucepan with water, and place a steamer rack in the pan so the top of the rack is about 2 inches above the water. Place the filled tamales into the steamer with seam sides down. Bring to a boil, cover, and steam the tamales until firm and the dough releases easily from the corn husk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

TRADITIONAL TAMALES (PORK)

Steps:

• In a 5 qt Dutch oven, bring pork, water, onion, garlic and 1 1/2 salt to boil.
• Simmer covered, about 2 1/2 hours or until meat is very tender.
• Remove meat from broth and allow both meat and broth to cool. (Chilling the broth will allow you to easily remove the fat if you desire to do so).
• Shred the meat using 2 forks, discarding fat.
• Strain the broth and reserve 6 cups.
• In a large sauce pan, heat the red chili sauce and add meat; simmer, covered for 10 minutes.
• To make masa beat shortening on medium speed in a large bowl for 1 minute.
• In a separate bowl, stir together masa harina, baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt.
• Alternately add masa harina mixture and broth to shortening, beating well after each addition. (Add just enough broth to make a thick, creamy paste).
• In the mean time, soak corn husks in warm water for at least 20 minutes; rinse to remove any corn silk and drain well.
• To assemble each tamale, spread 2 tablespoons of the masa mixture on the center of the corn husk (each husk should be 8 inches long and 6 inches wide at the top. If husks are small, overlap 2 small ones to form one. If it is large, tear a strip from the side).
• Place about 1 tablespoon meat and sauce mixture in the middle of the masa.
• Fold in sides of husk and fold up the bottom.
• Place a mound of extra husks or a foil ball in the center of a steamer basket placed in a Dutch oven.
• Lean the tamales in the basket, open side up.
• Add water to Dutch oven just below the basket.
• Bring water to boil and reduce heat.
• Cover and steam 40 minutes, adding water when necessary.
• To freeze these for future meals, leave them in the husks and place them in freezer bags. To reheat, thaw and wrap in a wet paper towel and reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes for one or two or re-steam them just until hot.

HOT TAMALES (LOUISIANA STYLE)

Steps:

• Run onions, celery, garlic, and bell pepper through your food processor until they are finely minced.
• In a very large bowl, combine ground meat, minced veggies, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt. Mix together thoroughly using your hands. Add in the rotel, 1 cup of corn meal, and 1 can of tomato sauce; mix again. (You need to mix the wet ingredients in separately from the spices so that the spices don't all clump together in one spot.)
• Lay out your papers beside two baking sheets or trays. Add 1 cup of cornmeal to one baking sheet, to roll the tamales in (the other one is to stack completed tamales on.)
• Pinch off some of the meat mixture, and form into a ping pong sized ball. Roll it in the cornmeal, coating it as thick as you can. Place in the center of a tamale paper on one side, and roll. The ball should squish into a log, leaving an inch of the wrapper empty on either end. Press down the top of both empty ends, and fold the two sides of the ends in before folding them under the tamale.
• Repeat with the remainder of the meat mixture. After a few, you get the feel of how much meat it will take to fill the wrapper up enough. We got 75 tamales out of one batch, it depends on how big you make them.
• In a large dutch oven, pour in the 1/2 cup oil and 1 can tomato sauce. Cover with a layer of tamales, then a can of sauce, and a sprinkle of chili powder, repeating until you run out of tamales. Fill the pan with water until the tamales are just covered.
• Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer 2 - 2 1/2 hours till done, adding water if necessary.