Originally posted October 25, 2011

tamales

tamales by joanie

I went there. I had to. I was already dipping into the masa harina so why wouldn't I just take it to the next level? Plus, I had lard on hand. Yes, I did. I stocked up for just such an opportunity. And I had a second set of hands. (Thanks, Sandi!)

So here's the thing with tamales. That dough dries out fast. You'd better be prepared to make them when you start. That said, the work isn't as terrible as I heard. I mean, you're wrapping each one so it's on the level of making something like egg rolls or sushi. But you don't need a tamale making PARTY. It's not THAT much work. (If you need a friend, then how about Margarita? She can help. She always does.)

Here's what you DO need: a folding technique that works for you. Once you get that down, it's assembly line work. My technique is pressing the dough out across the husk all the way from the left to the right but leaving 1 1/2" at the top and bottom to achieve a fold. That means my tamales may be long or short depending on the size of the corn husk. (We're all equal before G-d, though, right?)

I'd also like to stress the difference between masa brands. Bob's Red Mill masa harina is yellow and has a cornier taste than Maseca, which is white and blander in flavor. I haven't tried other brands and would love to hear other people's opinions. So far, I'm all about Bob's.

Finally, I have to give props to Terra Verde's Green Chile Salsa. It goes great with tamales!
http://terraverdefarms.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=26

Ingredients

  • corn husks
  • 1/2 cup lard*
  • 2 cups Bob's Red Mill masa harina
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 cups stock
  • filling**
  • * I imagine that if you don't have lard you can use vegetable shortening. I haven't tried it but I bet it works.
  • ** You can use just about anything as a filling: leftover chile verde, fresh corn and cheese, refried beans and cheese. Because masa is dry, I've found that the best fillings are moist.
9 tamales

Directions

Wash your corn husks. Pour boiling water over them and let soak for 1 hour. (I found a 9x13" baking dish is ideal for this task.)

In the bowl of a standing mixer, whip the lard. Whip it good! Add masa and salt. Mix. When the dough looks crumbly, pour in your broth as the mixer is running. The dough should now resemble cookie dough. Remove the bowl and bring it to your workstation.

Your workstation is something like a large cutting board, a big bowl of water to rinse your hands (thanks for the tip, Darcy!), a pair of shears, and pre-cut kitchen twine (about 8") if you're not planning to use strips of corn husk to keep your tamales closed. You'll also need filling and your dough.

Working one at a time, clip the tip of the corn husk and flatten. Place a 1/4 cup of dough in the center of the husk and press it down so that an even layer of dough goes from the left side to the right. Leave 1 1/2" inches at the top and bottom.

Place filling down the center from the top of the dough to bottom. Fold each side over the filling, slightly overlapping the ends so that the filling is now enclosed in dough.

Open the corn husk back up. Fold the top and bottom in, and then fold the sides over once again. Secure by tying a strip of corn husk or kitchen twine around the center.

Repeat until you're out of masa.

Steam for 15 minutes. Serve right away. (Seriously. If tamales are not steaming, they're drying out so eat them immediately.)

2 hours

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