Tamales

This recipe yields a ton of tamales, but in my mind, that's a good thing. I make some with shredded, seasoned pork or chicken and some with pineapple for dessert. This is a big enough batch to feed a family of 4, with some leftover for lunch the next day. How many you make exactly will depend on how big your tamales are.

My family goes crazy for these. They are a little labor intensive, but not at all difficult, and BONUS - they are a very economical (read cheap) meal.


Pork Filling:

2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
Pinch cayenne, optional
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 C. salsa
1 1/2 C. cooked, shredded pork (substitute chicken, if desired)

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in spices and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute to develop their flavors. Add in salsa and pork, stir to combine, and remove pan from the heat.

Masa (the dough):

4 C. masa para tamales
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/3 C. shortening
4 C. water

Stir together the masa, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the shortening  (just like you would when making biscuits). When the shortening is mixed in and roughly pea-sized, stir in the water. At first, it will look like way too much water, but just keep stirring and the masa will soak it all up. Set aside. 

Note: Masa para tamales can be found in your regular grocery store in the Mexican food section.


Pineapple Filling:

1 can crushed pineapple, thoroughly drained
2 Tbsp. honey, plus more for serving
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all in a small bowl and set aside.


Corn Husks :

About 40 corn husks

Place corn husks in a large bowl and cover completely with hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes, removing them as you use them.

Note: Corn husks can be found in your regular grocery store either in the produce section or in the Mexican foods section.


Assembly:

I won't lie, tamales are a little fussy. This is not a chop & drop kind of meal, but the results are so worth it!

First, figure out your steamer. My veggie steamer isn't big enough for tamales, so I improvise. I take a roasting pan and fill it with a couple of inches of water (2-3). Then, I place a wire cooling rack over the top of the pan, stack the tamales on the rack, and then wrap it up in aluminum foil to keep the steam in. You could also place a smaller baking dish filled with tamales inside a larger pan filled with 1 - 2 inches of water and then cover it with foil. Just make sure not to get water on the tamales - we just want the steam, not the water.

Once you figure out the steamer, you can assemble the tamales. Remove a corn husk from the water and shake the excess water off.  Take a large spoonful of masa smear it in the center of the corn husk. You want an indentation in the center of the masa, with the most masa on the left and right edges.

Fill the indentation with about 2 Tbsp. of filling, a little more for bigger tamales. Fold the corn husk over so that the left side of the masa joins with the right side with the filling enclosed in the middle and then roll over to enclose the tamale in the husk. Fold the ends under the tamale and place it on your steamer. Repeat with remaining masa and pack folded tamales closely together on the steamer.

 

 

 

When you have finished making the tamales, cover your pan with foil so that no steam escapes in the oven. Bake at 375 for about 1 hour, or until the dough has steamed through. A finished tamale, when unwrapped, will look dry and fluffy.

Serve meat tamales with sour cream or salsa. Serve pineapple tamales drizzled with warm honey.