Tamales

Tamales are a Mexican Delicacy; and loved by any who has ever tried one.  If you are familiar with them, you will know that no alterations need to be made to fit in with a Gluten and Dairy free diet.  They are also pretty easy to make, though very time consuming (I am assuming this is why they are only made for special occasions in Mexico).  

I helped my mother-in-law make Tamales for the first time the first Christmas after getting married.  After making them this one time, I was good to go.  It was a very easy process to pick up.  All I needed was a basic recipe and I would make it on my own.  In Mexico they don't record recipes or use measuring cups or spoons, so I could not just ask for the recipe.  The first recipe I started out with came from the cookbook Authentic Mexican by Rick and Deann Bayless, though over the years I have tweaked it to what I felt was ideal, based off of what I have learned from my immersion in the Mexican Culture. In actuality it really had nothing to do with how I felt but how my husbands native taste-buds reacted.  So I really took notes on every comment or furrowed brow and made alterations as necessary.  This recipe makes about 25.

In order to dull the time consuming effort making tamales takes, I make them in two shifts.  The first shift is the night before when I make the filling.  The second shift consists of making the corn masa and putting the Tamales together.  Be sure to wear an apron or clothes you do not care about.

Filing Ingredients:

3 chicken thighs

3 large dried ancho chiles

2 large dried California or New Mexico Chiles

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 clove of garlic (or scant teaspoon garlic powder)

1-2 TBSP oil

1 tsp sugar

   salt to taste

1) Remove stems from dried peppers and dump out the seeds. Place them on bottom of large pot and place chicken thighs over the top of them (this is so the peppers don't float when water is added).  Fill pot with just enough water to cover chicken and peppers. Boil covered until the chicken is cooked through.

2) Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the broth. Shred chicken. Remove the skins from the peppers.  (The easiest way to do this is to take the boiled pepper by the pointy end and using both hands pinch the tip gradually moving downward until the meat slides free.)  You must remove the skin; skin will ruin your Tamales.

3) For the sauce combine 3/4 cup of the reserved chicken broth, all the chile meats, black pepper, and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth.  Put tablespoon oil in a large skillet and heat until a drop of the blender sauce will sizzle upon hitting the oil.  Then pour sauce in all at once.  Boil stirring constantly for 5 minutes to thicken.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup of reserved broth, turn stove down, to medium heat, and simmer stirring occasionally, while you work on shredding the chicken. When there is approximately 1 cup of sauce remaining, season with salt, add sugar, turn off the stove, and add the shredded chicken.

Before starting the Masa, place 8 oz of corn husks in a pot of water and boil for 10 minutes.  When done boiling leave them in the water and let set for 2 hours.

The Masa - Corn Dough

1 3/4 cup Masa Harina Corn Flour (not to be confused with corn meal)

3/4 cup crisco

1 1/4 cup warm chicken broth or water (to start)

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt, then salt to taste

The Masa dough is going to be the challenging part.  Do not just plan on following the recipe.  Be prepared to make alterations.  Climate makes a huge difference.  A dry climate like New Mexico will require more liquids.  A climate like Chicago will require less liquids.  I made these in the summer time one year and only needed 1 cup of water, but in the winter time this year i needed 1 1/4 cups of water.  So the trick is going to be checking the consistency.  If it spreads on the corn husk as easy as peanut butter and stays put, then the dough is right.  You should not be fighting the dough in forming the Tamale.

Start by cutting the Crisco into the corn flour as if you were making a pie crust. Then add the warm water, baking powder and salt.  Be sure to taste the mix and make sure there is sufficient salt.  If there is not enough salt the Tamales will not taste very good; it is better to have a little too much than not enough.  If you struggle with getting the masa dough to stick to the corn husk, then the dough needs more water.  If you need more water add water 2 Tbsp at a time until the consistency is right.

Forming the Tamales:

(you will need Baking Twine)

1) It is easiest to form the Tamales with corn husks that are about 6 inches wide. If you need to, you can over lap 2 husks to make them wide enough. 

2) On the corn husk form a 4 x 4 inch square of masa dough less than a 1/4 inch thick. Then place about 1 TBSP of the filling down the middle.  

3) Bring the sides of the corn husk together so that the sides of the masa square touch each other.  Then roll the excess of the corn husk semi-tightly to one side. Fold up tail and tie with the baking twine.

Steaming the Tamales:

I use a large pot with a strainer insert. 

1) Before forming the Tamales fill the pot with enough water so that the straining basket is on the water, but water does not come into the basket and take note how high up the water goes on the side of the pot (you will likely need to add water to the pot during the cooking process and won't be able to tell if there is water in the basket). 

2) Line the sides and bottom of the straining basket with some of the corn husks. 

3) As you finish forming the Tamales, set them upright in the basket.

4) When all the Tamales are formed and in the pot, fill empty spaces with leftover corn husks and lightly crumpled aluminum foil until the pot is full.  Do not pack tightly.  

5) Put lid on pot and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium. 

Cooking time will be approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.  Check water about every 20 minutes to make sure there is enough by removing the basket from the pan; add water as necessary. Check the tamales by removing one from the bunch and sampling the masa.  The masa should be firm and husk removable with little masa residue on wrapping. If not, cook another 15-20 minutes and recheck.