Turkey Tamales With Mole Negro Food

TURKEY MOLE

Steps:

• Make the turkey: Put the turkey, onion, celery, cilantro sprigs, cloves, allspice, star anise, peppercorns and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot; add cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until very tender, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Remove the turkey with tongs and transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl. You should have about 8 cups broth; if you have more, simmer until reduced to 8 cups. Skim the fat off the surface. Remove the turkey skin; refrigerate the meat until ready to use. (The turkey and broth can be made 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Make the mole: Preheat the broiler. Put the tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic and onion on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning, until charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Remove the skins from the tomatoes and garlic.
• Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the ancho and pasilla chiles in batches, turning, until softened, 30 to 45 seconds; transfer to a bowl. Fry the tortilla in the hot oil, turning, until browned, 4 minutes; add to the bowl with the chiles. Cover with water and soak 30 minutes, then drain. Add the chiles and tortilla to the bowl with the tomatillo mixture and set aside.
• Meanwhile, discard the oil in the skillet and wipe clean. Heat another 1/4 cup vegetable oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and fry, stirring, until golden, 3 minutes. Add the raisins and stir until plump, 30 seconds; transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Add the pepitas and fry, stirring, until they begin to pop, 2 minutes; transfer to the bowl with the almonds.
• Discard the oil in the skillet and wipe clean. Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and toast, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes; transfer to a clean bowl to cool. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of the ancho chile seeds, the allspice, peppercorns, cloves, star anise and cinnamon stick to the skillet and toast, stirring, 2 minutes; transfer to the bowl with the sesame seeds and let cool. Grind the sesame-spice mixture in a spice grinder to make a fine powder.
• Put the fried almonds, raisins, pepitas, sesame-spice powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 cups of the reserved turkey broth in a blender and blend until smooth; transfer to a bowl. Working in batches, blend the broiled vegetables, fried chiles and tortilla, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups turkey broth until smooth.
• Heat the remaining 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pureed chile mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes (be careful-the mixture will spatter). Stir in the ground almond mixture and 2 cups turkey broth; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir in the chocolate until melted. Add the turkey thighs and simmer until heated through, about 30 minutes. The mole should be the consistency of gravy; thin with more broth, if necessary. Season with salt. Serve with rice and tortillas.

TURKEY TAMALES

Steps:

• To make the tamales, spread 1 large or 2 small softened corn husks on a counter, with the narrow end pointing away from you. Leaving 2-inches bare at the top, spread about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the mesa mixture over a 2 by 3-inch area of the husk and top with a spoonful of the shredded turkey. Fold the side covered with masa over to enclose the filling and wrap with the bare portion of the husk. Fold the top down and place the tamale on a square of aluminum foil. Wrap to enclose. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Line a steamer with corn husks and cook tamales over simmering water 1 1/2 hours or until husks pull away from masa without sticking. Serve hot with a tablespoon of the reserved mole sauce and one teaspoon of cranberry relish atop each unwrapped tamale. To reheat, place cold tamales in a steamer over simmering water for 20-30 minutes.
• Mix all the ingredients and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate. Perfect with turkey and gravy!!

TURKEY TAMALES WITH MOLE NEGRO

Steps:

• Have ready a steamer arrangement.
• Remove the banana leaves from the package; gently unfold and wipe clean with a clean damp cloth. With kitchen scissors, cut out eight 12 X 10-inch rectangles. Tear off long thin strips from the remaining leaves to serve as "string" ties for the packets. Set aside.
• Place the turkey pieces in a medium-size saucepan with the onion, garlic, peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste). Add enough water to cover (about 4 cups) and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, partly covered, until the meat is falling off the bones, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the turkey pieces from the broth (which can be strained and saved for another purpose); when cool enough to handle, remove the skin and tear the meat into long shreds. You should have about 2 cups. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat the mole to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded turkey. Set aside.
• Place the lard in a mixing bowl or the large bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed. With a wooden spoon or the mixer blades, beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until somewhat aerated. Begin beating in the masa a handful at a time, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. At this point you must make a judgment call - whether or not to add a little liquid. The consistency should be that of a very thick, pasty porridge. When working with masa made from masa harina I sometimes find that I need to add 5 to 6 tablespoons of water or chicken stock to achieve this consistency. With other batches, I don't need to add any liquid. When the desired consistency is reached, beat in the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
• Prepare the banana-leaf packets. Briefly hold each of the cut rectangles over an open flame to make them more pliable, or place for a few seconds on a hot griddle. Stack them by the work surface. Place a heaping 1/2-cup dollop of the masa mixture on each. With the back of a spoon, flatten out the masa slightly into an oval shape. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the turkey mole-filling over the masa.
• Fold over the right and left edges of one rectangle toward each other, overlapping slightly. Fold the top and bottom edges toward each other. You should have a neat flat packet (usually about 5 X 4 inches if you start with a 14 X 11-inch rectangle). Tie securely with leaf "string" ties.
• Place in the steamer. Banana-leaf tamales should lie on a flat platform such as a wire rack raised well above the level of the boiling water. Arrange them in layers as necessary, seam side up. Place some extra banana-leaf pieces on top to help absorb steam. Pour boiling water into the bottom of the pan to a depth of 1 to 2 inches, cover tightly, and steam over medium heat for 1 hour. Keep a kettle of water hot on another burner; occasionally check the water level in the steamer and replenish as necessary, always shielding your face from the steam. When they are done, remove the lid and let the tamales stand for 10 minutes before serving. Each guest unwraps his own.

TURKEY MOLE

Steps:

• Core, and devein the chiles. Toast chiles in a heavy skillet over medium heat until the skin begins to blister and the aromas are released. Cover with 5 cups boiling water and set aside to cool. When cool puree with liquid until smooth and set aside. Season turkey legs and thighs with salt and pepper.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy bottomed casserole over moderate heat and brown turkey on all sides, lift out and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and saute 10-12 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and saute a minute longer, then add peanuts and raisins for 1 minute, add chopped tomatillos and tortilla and cook 5 minutes or until soft.
• In a small dry saute pan over medium heat, toast anise seeds and coriander seeds. Pulverize in grinder or mortar along with the clove and peppercorns. In the same small dry saute pan over medium heat, toast sesame seeds until golden then add 1/2 to blender and reserve 1/2 for garnish.
• Place Sauteed vegetables in blender (no need to wash the blender from pureeing the chiles) and add spices, sesame seeds and stock. Puree until smooth.
• Cook pureed chiles in the same casserole over low heat using the residual fat for 8-10 minute stirring often. Add blender ingredients, chocolate and salt to taste. Add turkey pieces and simmer slowly, covered for 45 minutes or until tender. When cooled remove the skin and meat from the bones. Shred and reserve the turkey meat for the tamales.

TURKEY MOLE NEGRO

Steps:

• One to three days before serving: Slit the chiles lengthwise and remove the seeds and veins. Tear them into flat pieces. Heat a heavy skillet or griddle pan over medium heat and add 1/4 cup of the lard. Toast the chiles for 1 or 2 minutes on each side, until toasty and slightly charred but not burned. Be very careful not to burn them. Transfer the chiles to a bowl with a slotted spoon and cover them with warm water. Soak overnight.
• In a large bowl, combine the roasted tomatoes, breaking them up, and the chocolate, also broken up. In a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder reserved for grinding spices, pulverize the peppercorns, cloves, allspice berries, and cinnamon. Add them to the tomato mixture and set aside.
• In a large heavy skillet, dry-toast the sesame seeds to a deep golden color, just 10 or 15 seconds. Add to the tomato mixture and repeat with the coriander seeds. Wipe the skillet which you used to toast the chiles and add the remaining 1/4 cup lard. Toast the almonds for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned through. Transfer them to the tomato mixture with a slotted spoon and repeat with the raisins, and then with the onions and garlic, pressing down on the ingredients with the back of the spoon to rid them of excess fat before transferring them to the bowl. If necessary, add a little more lard or oil to the pan and fry the tortillas until golden. Break them up and add them to the bowl, then brown the bread on both sides, tear into large pieces and add to the bowl. Stir the mixture together thoroughly, then place 1/4 of it in a blender jar with 1/2 cup of broth. Blend as smooth as possible, scraping down the blender jar. It is best not to add any additional liquid to the mixture; try to get it to move through the blades by pulsing on and off and scraping down the sides. Repeat with the remaining mixture, 1/4 at a time, adding 1/2 cup of broth to each batch. Strain the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and set aside. Now puree the drained chiles in the blender with about 1/2 cup of their soaking water, in 3 batches. Add a little more water if needed, and add the chipotle chile to the last batch. Strain the chile puree through the same sieve into a separate bowl.
• In a very large (at least 8 quarts), heavy covered casserole, heat 1/4 cup of the lard over medium-high heat. Add the turkey pieces and brown, in several batches, for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove to a roasting pan and set aside. Pour off the excess fat from the casserole, leaving just a little on the bottom, and return to the heat for a moment to heat up. Add the chile puree to the casserole and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally, for about 5 minutes. The mixture should be quite dark and thick. Add the other puree and cook for a few more minutes, until it thickens once again. Add 5 cups of the broth, partially cover the pan and cook for 45 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and the sugar and, if the sauce is thicker than heavy cream, thin it with a little more broth.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pour the sauce over the turkey. Cover the pan and roast until the pieces are tender with no trace of pink remaining, about 2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and spoon the fat off the top or, if serving the following day, ideally let the dish cool to room temperature and refrigerate so the fat will congeal, making it easier to remove. Skin the turkey and cut the meat from the bones, or serve the turkey in large pieces, as desired.
• Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes if needed, spooning some sauce over the top of the turkey pieces to give them a nice glaze. Scatter some sesame seeds over the top just before serving.

TURKEY TAMALES

Steps:

• For the meat filling:
• Place chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, salt, black pepper and turkey legs into a 6-quart pot and add enough water to completely cover the meat, approximately 2 1/2 quarts. Cover, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meat is very tender and falling apart, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the meat from the water to a cutting board, and set aside to cool. Leave the cooking liquid in the pot. Once the turkey legs are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone and shred, discarding any skin or cartilage. Place a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Once shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are semi-translucent, approximately 2 minutes. Add the garlic and chili and continue to cook for another minute. Add the meat and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and cook until heated through and the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside until ready to assemble.
• While the meat is cooking, place the husks in a large bowl or container and submerge completely in hot water. Soak the husks until they are soft and pliable, at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours. If you have an electric kettle, place the husks in the kettle, fill with water and turn on. Once the kettle turns off, allow the husks to sit for 1 hour in the hot water.
• Place the masa, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and combine. Add the lard and using your hands, knead together until the lard is well incorporated into the dry mixture. Gradually add enough of the reserved cooking liquid, 2 to 4 cups to create a dough that is like thick mashed potatoes. The dough should be moist but not wet. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside until ready to use.
• To assemble the tamales:
• Remove a corn husk from the water and pat to remove excess water. Working in batches of 6, lay the husks on a towel and spread about 2 tablespoons of the dough in an even layer across the wide end of the husk to within 1/2-inch of the edges. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the meat mixture in a line down the center of the dough. Roll the husk so the dough surrounds the meat and fold the bottom under to finish creating the tamale. Repeat until all the husks, dough and filling are used. Tie the tamales, around the center, individually or in groups of 3, with kitchen twine.
• To steam the tamales:
• Place a steamer basket in the bottom of an 11-quart pot and add enough water to come to the bottom of the basket. Stand the tamales close together on their folded ends and lean them in towards the center, away from the sides of the pot. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Check the water level every 15 to 20 minutes, and add boiling water by pouring down the side of the pot, if necessary. Steam until the dough is firm and pulls away from the husk easily, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Serve warm. Store leftover tamales, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, in the freezer, for up to a month. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap and steam until heated through.

TAMALES WITH TURKEY IN BLACK CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• For the Filling:.
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 475°. Roast chiles on a rimmed baking sheet until completely black, slightly puffed and charcoal like in texture, 1 hour. Your kitchen will get very smoky so keep the vent on and windows open. The smoke will subside after the first 15 minutes. Let cool. Transfer to a large pot, lightly crush will a potato masher. Fill pot with cold water, stir vigorously strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard water. Transfer chiles back to pot and fill with cold water cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 48.
• Meanwhile, spread tomatoes, fresnos, onion and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Roast until vegetables are soft and black in spots, 30-40 minutes. Let cool slightly. Peel garlic cloves. Cover and chill until ready to use.
• Toast peppercorn, cloves and allspice in a dry small skillet over medium heat, swirling often and adding oregano and cumin seeds during the last 30 seconds, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Cover and let sit at room temperature until ready to use.
• Strain blackened chiles through a fine mesh sieve and discard water. Transfer chiles, tomatoes, fresnos, onion, garlic, peppercorn, cloves, allspice, oregano, cumin, achiote paste, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt to a blender. Purée until completely smooth.
• Preheat oven to 250°. Heat 1 tablespoon schmaltz in a large heavy pot over medium-high and cook turkey thighs, starting skin-side down, turning once, until deep golden browned, 4-5 minutes per side. Carefully transfer chile purée to pot; bring to a boil, cover and transfer to oven. Braise turkey until very tender and shreds easily, 2-2½ hours. Let cool. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and shred meat and skin; reserve chile sauce and discard bones. Roughly chop into bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl and toss 2 ½ cups of reserved sauce until completely combined; season with salt. Transfer filling to an airtight container and chill until turkey is cold and firm, at least 3 hours.
• Do Ahead: Filling can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• For the Masa and Assembly:.
• Mix masa, schmaltz, stock and salt in a large bowl with your hands until well incorporated and mixture looks shiny and smooth, about 4 minutes. (Alternatively, you can also do this in a stand mixer) Masa will seem wet but should not stick to your hands. Slap the top of masa with the palm of your hand, immediately pulling your hand back. If masa doesn't stick and your hand looks shiny, the dough is ready. If masa sticks, add another 2 tablespoons schmaltz and knead until incorporated; repeat slap test. If masa still sticks to your hand, repeat process until you get there (another 2 tablespoons schmaltz should do it).
• Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat and preheat oven to 350°. Set a rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and position it so that one of the long sides is facing you. Cover the sheet tray with two leaves, lengthwise from top to bottom, slightly overlapped, with ribs in the center. Repeat with another two leaves covering the first two. Brush banana leaves with schmaltz and top with half of the masa. Press into the banana leaves in an even layer covering most of the leaves, leaving a 1" border around the rim of the baking sheet. Gently spread the filling, lengthwise down the center, making a 6" wide strip across the masa.
• Using overhanging leaves to help you, fold the side closest to you over the filling, carefully separating the leaf from the masa so that it rests over the filling. Pull back the leaf completely so that it is resting on the sheet tray. Fold the second side over so that the masa and leaf completely covers the filling and slightly overlaps the other masa flap. Fold the first leaf over and tuck under the tamal on the other side. Tuck the leaves on the two ends under the tamal. Cover the tamal in wet, clean kitchen towels. Place baking sheet in oven and pour very hot water into pan until it just below the level of the rack and cover with heavy duty foil. Bake until set, 60-75 minutes. Let sit covered for 30 minutes. Carefully unwrap and slice and serve with reserved sauce and pickled red onions.