Pork Tamales
In the midst of this pandemic, there is one statement that rings true for everyone: "All we have is time and hunger." For this reason, I dedicated my first cooking experiment of this indefinite staycation to the ever satisfying comfort food - The Tamale. This recipe requires a few specialty items such as the Masa Harina and dried peppers that are commonly found at Mexican markets. We decided to make our tamales with pork, but you can easily swap out the filling for shredded chicken, ground beef, bean and cheese, spinach and mushrooms, etc. Be sure to set aside a good portion of your day to make this recipe, and consider enlisting a friend to help with the assembly!
INGREDIENTS
1 Package Dried Corn Husks
4 cups Masa Harina
Dried Peppers: Ancho, Pasilla, Guajillo
1.5 lb Pork Shoulder + Pork Belly
2 Cups Lard
6 Cups Chicken Stock
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
4 tbsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Spanish Onion
4 Garlic Cloves
2 Bay Leaves
2 tbsp Oregano
1 tbsp Cumin
Special Equipment:
Steamer Pot or Steamer Basket
Cake spatula, Butter Knife or Putty Knife
1. CORN HUSKS
Soak corn husks in hot water for 2+ hours until soft. The husks will float, so use an object like a heavy bowl to weigh them down and keep submerged in the water. Keep some husks to the side to shred and use to tie your tamales together at the end!
2. CHILI PASTE
We used dried Ancho, Pasilla and Guajillo peppers, but any combination of these will work. On your stove-top, sauté a diced onion with a spoonful of lard. Add 1.5 cups chicken stock, dried chili skins (seeds removed), 2 tbsp oregano, 4 whole garlic cloves. Sautee this mixture for 30 minutes at medium heat. Add contents of the sauté pan into a blender, and begin to blend to form your chili paste. Add chicken stock if needed to blend to a smooth paste. Set a small bowl of chili paste aside for later, and preheat your oven to 250.
3. MASA
Hand-mix masa dough by adding 1.25 cups of melted lard, ¼ cup chicken stock, 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1 tbsp Cumin, the side bowl of your mixed chili puree and a generous amount of salt. Begin to pour this mixture into the 4 cups Masa Harina (adding additional chicken stock to moisten, or additional melted lard when it is sticking to your hands). The goal is to make the masa completely smooth – and the test is to slap your hand on top without any sticking to you! Once ready, cover with tamp towel and place in refrigerator.
4. FILLING
Our recipe is for pork, but you can substitute for any combination of chicken, beef, mixed vegetables, bean + cheese, etc. if you prefer! Place the uncooked pork shoulder and pork belly into an oven proof pan with your remaining chili paste and 2 bay leaves. Heat at 250 for 2.5 hours. Once the meat is cooked, shred with knife and fork, add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and let harden in refrigerator.
5. ASSEMBLE TAMALES
Lay a soaked corn husk out on a flat surface (smooth side up), and spread ¼ cup of masa evenly towards the top of the husk. Next, spoon 2 tablespoons of your filling on top of the masa.
A cake spatula, butter knife or putty knife will work great to spread the masa. An ice cream scoop is also a great tool to keep portions of masa and meat consistent.
Fold the corn husk in half, vertically, and fold remaining husk into a burrito shape. Fold the top end of the husk down, so that one end of the tamale is open, and one is closed.
Tie tamale together with cooking twine or cut corn husk.
6. COOK
To steam the tamales, add water to the bottom of your large pot and begin to boil. Add a steamer basket filled with tamales and steam on high heat for 30 minutes, until tamale separates easily from husks.
The extra tamales can be frozen and stored for up to 3 months!
TO REHEAT
STOVE- Re-steam for 10-15 minutes
MICROWAVE- for 1 – 3 minutes on plate, covered in damp towel
OVEN- wrap in foil and place in oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes
