Holiday Tamales 🎄
Several years ago, I had the pleasure of learning to make Homemade Tamales from my nephew’s girlfriend Alex and her mom, Talina. They ever-so-patiently, taught my sister and I, from masa to filling, to wrapping and steaming. We were naturals and made it look so easy. This year, we’re having a little remedial training. I know……I’m a giver, but someone’s got to make these, right?
I’m pretty certain that eating tamales is one of my very favorite holiday treats. Making them with people that you enjoy spending time with is a gift all unto itself. An ever-so-much-fun-day of cooking togetherness.
In my early 20’s, through friends, I discovered my love of tamales! I learned about the tradition of making tamales for Christmas Eve and also just what it takes to make them. There’s a lot of time and effort put into each batch. To be gifted a few is pretty special. Living in Southern California, there are a lot of places you can buy incredibly delicious tamales as well. And I mean, really good tamales, always handmade. It just takes a little effort and searching, to find the best places. They are always a bit different too. Like so many traditional dishes, each family has its own special recipes.
If you’d like to give Homemade Tamales a try, here’s a step by step. Just jump in and make your own tradition. Oh my, it’s a tasty treat, for sure! This year, these were absolutely the very best Homemade Tamales I’ve ever tasted!😉❤️
Preparing the Husks For The Masa 🌽
Soak husks for 24 hours. Keep them soaking until it’s time to fill.
The Masa for Homemade Tamales
We’re making about 100 to 120 tamales. You can use store-bought masa and add a bit of broth to make it the right consistency and add flavor or, make it from scratch. There are some very good varieties.
Place 10 lbs of masa into a large plastic mixing bowl. Into a measuring cup add 1/4 cup pork, chicken, or vegetable stock and 3 heaping tablespoons of baking powder and stir, letting it fizz. Pour the mixture evenly over the dry masa. Add 1/4 cup salt, 1 teaspoon each of onion powder, and cumin. Next, melt the shortening or lard over a medium flame, then allow it to cool a bit so that you can mix it with your hands. Pour over the masa and mix with a hand mixer, or knead by hand.
The masa should be soft and about the consistency of mashed potatoes. To test your masa to see if it’s ready – just put a dollop into a cup of water. If it floats, it’s ready. If it doesn’t, beat a bit longer.
The masa should be thin enough to spread easily over the soaked corn husks.
In case you’re looking for a great picture, I am going to confess that I didn’t get any. By this time, we were up to our elbows in masa and the production line was in full gear. I also think this is about the time we start to relax and yes, we might have had a cocktail!
Red Chile Pork 🌶
Trim and chop 1 7 1/2 lb pork shoulder/butt into cubes. (Save the fat for chicharrones…..that’s a whole other delicious blog!) Add to a large pot and fill with water to cover. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, 5 whole cloves of garlic, and 2 tablespoons of cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for at least 2 hours. When fork tender, drain, then shred. (Alex taught me that you can actually shred the pork easily by putting it in your stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment and it just takes minutes to shred.)
Save some of the broth to keep the pork moist. Set aside.
For the red chili sauce, use 16 ounces of dried California chilis and 8 ounces of dried New Mexico chilis, and 4 ounces of dried Guajillo chili peppers.
Pull the stems out, and remove the seeds. Add to a large pot of boiling water, with 10 cloves of garlic. Let the chilis cook for about 30 minutes, until tender. Puree with some of the cooking liquid to thin, add salt to taste.
Puree the chili mixture in a blender, using enough liquid to keep a rather thick consistency. Then strain to remove the seeds and skins through a fine sieve. Discard the seeds, keeping only the chili paste. Add to the pork, simmer for about 20 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon cumin and salt to taste. Set aside.
Green Chile and Cheese Homemade Tamales
Place 16 Anaheim chilis onto a baking sheet and broil on low for about 10 minutes, letting the skin blister. Remove and let cool. Put the chilis into a bowl, top with plastic, and let them cool and they will steam helping the skins to loosen. Remove the skins.
Cut off the stems, remove the seeds, set aside.
Into a large pot, add 1 1/4 lbs washed and skinned tomatillos with 1-3 jalapeños, and 6 cloves of garlic. Add water to about 1/2 full and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes until very tender.
Remove the jalapeño peppers and blend with some of the liquid. Depending on the heat, add 1/4 to all of the blended jalapeños. Next, in a blender add the garlic and the tomatillos and blend until smooth, adding liquid as needed. It should be a loose chili sauce.
Slice 1 1/2 lbs of Monterrey jack cheese, about 1/4 inch thick, set aside.
Saute 1 onion, sliced with 2 cloves of chopped garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil. Saute until tender. Add the blended tomatillo mixture and heat on medium-high until it comes to a boil, then remove from the heat.
Filling The Husks with Masa
Trim the soaked corn husk to about a size wider than your palm. Using the back of a spoon add about 1/4 cup masa to each husk and spread from about 1/4 of the away from the pointed side all the way down to the wider part of the bottom of the husk. You should spread the masa evenly to about 1/8th inch thick.
Filling the Homemade Tamales
For the red chili pork, hold the masa covered husk in your hand. Add about 3 tablespoons of chili, depending on the size of the husk. We also add one pitted black olive to each one. (It’s a religious tradition, representing the birth of Jesus.)
Then, fold one side over to completely cover the filling, then fold the other side over. Pinch the end of the bottom, fold, then flip the pointed bottom up, keeping the insides from coming out. Place into the pot, with the top still open. They will close as they steam and as they are stacked inside the pot.
For the green chili tamales, fill with the green chili, top with a slice of cheese. Fold as above.
Time for another break? We do lots of Puppy Kissing!
Steaming Homemade Tamales
Prepare the pot. Fill with water until it gets to the first line of the tamale pot. Place a bowl in the center, upside down. It will act as a support for stacking the tamales. Add the tamales in a circle, building out and up, to about 4 layers of tamales.
Cover with extra corn husks and a few clean, light kitchen cloths. This keeps the steam in.
Heat the pot to steaming. Then let them steam for about 80-90 minutes. Turn off the heat and let them sit, covered for about 20 minutes.
Now it’s time to relax and Enjoy!
Merry Christmas! 🎄
Tamales with Red Chile Pork and Green Chile and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 lbs dried, shelled corn husks
For the Masa
- 10 lbs masa harina
- 1/4 cup (or more) pork stock, chicken or vegetable stock or water
- 1/4 cup baking powder
- 1/4 cup salt
- 4 cups lard or vegetable shortening (melted, then cooled to the touch)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
For the Red Chile Pork
- 7 1/2 lb boneless pork butt or shoulder
- 1 tablespoon salt plus 1 teaspoon (divided)
- 15 cloves garlic (divided)
- 3 tablespoons cumin (divided)
- 16 ounces dried California chili peppers
- 8 ounces dried New Mexico chili peppers
- 4 ounces dried Guajillo chili peppers
- 2 cans pitted black olives (optional)
Green Chili and Cheese
- 16 Anaheim chilis
- 1 1/4 lbs tomatillos, washed and skinned
- 3 jalapeno peppers
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 lbs Monterey Jack cheese (sliced into 1/4 " thick by 6 “ long pieces
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
Instructions
Preparing the Husks For The Masa
- Soak husks for 24 hours. Keep them soaking until it's time to fill.
For The Masa
- You can substitute for store bought and add a bit of broth to make it the right consistency or, make it from scratch. There are some very good varieties.
- Place 10 lbs of masa into a large plastic mixing bowl. Into a measuring cup add 1/4 cup pork, chicken or vegetable stock and 1/4 cup of baking powder and stir, letting it fizz. Pour the mixture evenly over the dry masa. Add 1/4 cup salt, 1 teaspoon each of onion powder and cumin. Next melt the shortening or lard over a medium flame, then allow it to cool a bit so that you can mix it with your hands. Pour over the masa and mix with a hand mixer, or knead by hand.
- The masa should be soft and about the consistency of mashed potatoes. To test your masa to see if it's ready - just put a dollop into a cup of water. If it floats, it's ready. If it doesn't, beat a bit longer.
- The masa should be thin enough to spread easily over the soaked corn husks.
For The Red Chile Pork
- Trim and chop one 7 1/2 lb pork shoulder/butt into cubes.
- Add to a large pot and fill with water to cover.
- Add 1 tablespoon of salt, 5 whole cloves of garlic and 2 tablespoons of cumin.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 2 hours.
- When fork tender, drain, then shred. (note: You can actually shred the pork easily by putting it in your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment and it just takes minutes to shred.)
- Save some of the broth to keep the pork moist. Set aside.
For the red chili sauce
- Use 16 ounces of dried California chilies and 8 ounces of dried New Mexico chilies and 4 ounces of dried Guajillo chili peppers.
- Pull the stems out, and remove the seeds.
- Add to a large pot of boiling water, with 10 cloves of garlic.
- Let the chilies cook about 30 minutes, until tender.
- Puree with with the a little of the cooking liquid to thin, add salt to taste.
- Puree the chili mixture in a blender, using enough liquid to keep a rather thick consistency. Then strain to remove the seeds and skins through a fine sieve.
- Discard the seeds, keeping only the chili paste.
- Add to the pork, simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon cumin and salt to taste. Adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside.
For The Green Chile and Cheese
- Place 16 Anaheim chilies onto a baking sheet and broil on low about 10 minutes, letting the skin blister.
- Remove From the oven.
- Put the chilies into a bowl, top with plastic and let them cool and they will steam, loosening the skin.
- Remove the skin, cut off the stems, remove the seeds, set aside.
- Into a large pot, add 1 1/4 lb washed and skinned tomatillos with 1-3 jalapeños, and 6 cloves of garlic.
- Add water to about 1/2 full and bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover.
- Cook for about 30 minutes until very tender.
- Remove the jalapeño peppers and blend with some of the liquid.
- Depending on the heat of the peppers, use 1/4 to all of the blended jalapeños.
- Next, in a blender add the garlic and the tomatillos and blend until smooth, adding liquid as needed. It should be a loose chili sauce. Add the jalapenos to taste.
- Slice 1 1/2 lbs of monterey jack cheese, about 1/4 inch thick, 3-6 inches long.
- Saute 1 onion, sliced with 2 cloves of chopped garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil.
- Saute until tender.
- Add the blended tomatillo mixture and heat on medium high until it comes to a boil, then remove from the heat.
Filling The Husks with Masa
- Trim the soaked corn husk to about a size wider than your palm.
- Using the back of a spoon add about 1/4 cup masa to each husk and spread from about 1/4 away from the pointed side all the way down to the wider part of the bottom of the husk.
- You should spread the masa evenly to about 1/8th inch thick.
Filling the Tamales
- For the chili - hold the masa covered husk in your hand. Add about 3 tablespoons of chili, depending on the size of the husk. Then, fold one side over to completely cover the filling, then fold the other side over.
- Pinch the end of the bottom, fold, then flip up, keeping the insides from coming out.
- Place into the pot, with the top still open.
- They will close as they steam and as they are stacked inside the pot.
For the green chili tamales, fill with the green chili, top with a slice of cheese. Fold as above.
Steaming
- Prepare the pot. Fill with water until it gets to the first line of the tamale pot.
- Place a bowl in the center, upside down. It will act as a support for stacking the tamales.
- Add the tamales in a circle, building out and up, to about 4 layers of tamales.
- Cover with extra corn husks and a few moist, clean and light kitchen cloths. This keeps the steam in.
- Heat the pot to steaming. Then let them steam about 80-90 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let them sit, covered for about 20 minutes.
- Share with your family and friends and have a very Merry Christmas.
- Enjoy!
Karen Harris https://www.bittersaltysoursweet.com
