What is Tamale ?

 

First off, what kind of tamales are we talking about exactly?  Well, tamales are actually a traditional dish in dozens of countries around Central and South America. But today, we are specifically talking about Mexican tamales, which feature a corn-based masa (dough) wrapped around a filling and steamed in a corn husk.  They are traditionally filled with either chicken, pork, beef, cheese and/or beans.  But as we said, you can totally fill them with just about anything you’d like.

 

 

Tamale Ingredients:

 

To make tamales, you will need the following ingredients (affiliate links included):

·         Dried Corn Husks: These may be available in the Mexican or produce section of your grocery store.  In general, you want to look for tamale husks that are wide enough to wrap around the entire tamale filling.  But if you happen to get a bag of husks that are fairly narrow, hakuna matata, you can just overlap two on top of each other.  We will also shred a few husks into lots of long skinny pieces to tie the tamales together.

·         Masa (Dough) Ingredients: For the masa dough itself, you will need:

o    Masa Harina: Finely-ground nixtamalized corn flour.  (“Maseca” is the most popular brand.)

o    Corn Oil or Avocado Oil: We prefer these two, but any mild-flavored oil will do.

o    Stock: Chicken, beef or vegetable stock will work — you pick!

o    Baking Powder, Salt and Ground Cumin: To season the masa.

·         Filling: As we said, you can literally fill these tamales with just about anything!  They are a fantastic way to use up leftover taco fillings, meat, veggies, cheese, you name it.  Or, you can totally cook up a new batch of filling from scratch to go in these.  You will need about 2-3 cups of filling this recipe, so feel free to mix and match whatever sounds good.  Ideas could include:

o    Chicken: Any kind of cooked, shredded chicken will do.  Shredding a large rotisserie chicken would be the quick and easiest route here.  Or, you could make (and shred).

o    Beef: Any kind of cooked and shredded (or ground) beef will do.  You could brown some ground beef, or use some leftover steak or roast beef.  Or we would highly recommend making a batch of this Barbacoa Beef in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.

o    Pork: Any kind of cooked and shredded/pulled pork will do.

o    Refried Beans: Refried pinto or black beans are a delicious (and super-easy!) vegetarian option, which you can either use on their own, or mix with cheese and/or roasted veggies.

o    Cheese: Cheese is another delicious vegetarian option that you can use on its own, or pair with any other fillings.  We would highly recommend Oaxaca cheese (sort of a Mexican mozzarella), but any cheese will do.

o    Veggies: And of course, you can always use any kind of veggies, either on their own as a vegetarian option or paired with any other fillings.  The veggies will need to be cooked ahead of time however you prefer (<– We highly recommend roasting them up), and finely-chopped.  Some tasty options could include peppers (poblano, bell, or jalapeño peppers), potatoes (Yukon gold or sweet), cauliflower, mushrooms, squash, onions, carrots…you name it.

·         Sauce: If your filling recipe includes quite a bit of sauce (such as if you make the barbacoa or carnitas recipes), you may not need to add any extra.  But in general, I highly recommend adding some extra sauce to your meat or vegetarian fillings.  Store-bought salsa will definitely save you a big step, but feel free to go the extra mile and make homemade salsa if you’d like!  You will need about 1-ish cups of sauce for this recipe — enough to add a light coating to the filling, without making it too juicy/watery.  And then We would also recommend having lots of extra salsa on hand for serving once the tamales have cooked.  You can choose just about any kind you love.  We would recommend either:

o    Red Salsa: Either homemade or store-bought, and as mild or spicy as you prefer.

o    Green Salsa (Salsa Verde): Either homemade or store-bought, and as mild or spicy as you prefer

o    Enchilada Sauce: This enchilada sauce recipe is my all-time fave.

o    Mole: I still don’t have a recipe for mole here on the blog, but mole tamales would be incredible.

·         Toppings: Once the tamales are cooked. They are totally optional, but I would recommend any combination of:

o    Salsa: Red, green, or pico de gallo

o    Chopped Cilantro: always a winner

o    Avocado: always always a winner

o    Sour Cream (or Crema) or Crumbled Cotija Cheese: Delicious!

 

Ingredients

 

·         1 package dried corn husks

·         6 cups masa harina

·         2 teaspoons Kosher salt

·         2 teaspoons ground cumin

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

·         3/4 cup corn oil (or avocado oil, olive oil, or any mild-flavored oil)

·         2–3 cups filling (see ideas below)

·         1 cup salsa (see ideas below)

Instruction:

1.     Soak the corn husks.  Place the corn husks in a large stockpot or pan and cover completely with warm water.  Soak for 30 minutes or so until softened.

2.     Mix the masa (dough).  Meanwhile, in the bowl of a large stand mixer, add masa marina, salt, and baking powder, and whisk to combine.  Add the oil, then beat on low speed until combined.  Then gradually add the stock, and beat on low speed until combined.  Once the stock is incorporated, increase speed to medium, and beat for 10 minutes until fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.  Cover the mixing bowl with a damp paper towel and refrigerate until ready to use.

3.     Prepare your filling: Toss together your desired filling(s) and sauce until combined.  In general, you want enough sauce to coat and flavor the filling, but not so much that the filling is really juicy/watery.

4.     Assemble the tamales: To assemble the tamales, follow these simple steps (visual included in the blog post above):

1.     Lay the soaked corn husk on a flat surface.  A simple plate or cutting board will do.

2.     Spread your masa on the corn husk.  About 1/4 cup (or a little more) will do.  I highly recommend using a large cookie scoop to measure out the masa.  Use a spoon or your fingers to spread it out into a rectangle large enough to enclose your filling.  (We keep a little bowl of water nearby to dip my fingers regularly, which helps the masa from sticking to them.)

3.     Add your filling/sauce to the center of the masa.  Tamales use surprisingly little filling — just a tablespoon or two will do.  Add it to the center of your masa.

4.     Fold the corn husk in half vertically.  Then very carefully, fold the corn husk in half so that the masa wraps completely around the filling, maybe using your fingers to pinch it together just a little bit.

5.     Wrap the corn husk into a little burrito.  Continue folding the corn husk completely over to one side so that it is a burrito/cylinder shape.

6.     Fold the top (skinny) end down to enclose one end of the tamale.  One end of the tamale will be exposed, and the other will be folded over.  (I like to fold my tamales to cover the side with the seam.

7.     Tie the tamale together.  We  like to shred a few corn husks into long skinny strips to tie the tamales together (this is a perfect use for the husks that are too skinny!).  But you can also use baking string.

5.     Steam the tamales: Add water to the bottom of a stockpot or Instant Pot.  Then add a steamer basket, fill it with your tamales, and steam until the tamales are hot and cooked through and the masa separates easily from the corn husks, about 30 minutes on the stovetop or 20 minutes (high pressure, natural release) in the Instant Pot.

6.     Serve tamales: Remove from the steamer and serve immediately.  Or refrigerate in a tightly-sealed ziplock bag for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.


MAKE IT, EAT IT, ENJOY IT.