Search This Blog

Friday, March 4, 2011

Mexican Tamales

This is my favorite tamale recipe.  You can essentially put any filling in it that you want, but this filling happens to be very good I must say.  The masa is low fat, which my hubby & in laws love. 

Mexican Tamales

Masa:
24 dried corn husks
1/4 Cup fresh or frozen & thawed corn kernels
2 Cups masa harina
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 Cup HOT water
1 Cup broth
3 Tablespoons lard or shortening (I personally use butter)

Filling:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2-3 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded & minced (wear gloves)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 oz finely chopped boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breast
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 Cup dry white wine
Salt to taste

Masa:
*Place corn husks in large bowl & cover with cold water; let soak for at least 2 hours
*puree the corn
*combine masa harina, salt, & baking powder; gradually add hot water, broth, pureed corn, & fat
*combine until consistency resembles play-doh (I use a stand mixer, I beat it for 15 minutes, but you can do it in a bowl or food processor also--the longer you beat it the more air will be incorporated into dough, making it lighter tasting)

Filling:
*heat oil, add onions, peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano, & cinnamon; cook for 3 minutes
*stir in chicken or turkey & cilantro; cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until meat is cooked through
*add wine & cook for 5 minutes, season with salt to taste

Assemble:
*place 1 corn husk flat on a work surface, tapered end toward you
*mound 3 heaping Tablespoons of masa mixture in the center of the top half of the corn husk
*make a shallow groove the length of the corn mixture; place a spoonful of the filling in the groove; pinch the sides of the groove together to encase the filling
*fold tapered half of the corn husk over the top to enclose the filling
*lay another corn husk flat on the work surface, tapered end away from you
*place the first husk in the center of the bottom half of the second husk
*fold tapered end over the bottom to encase the tamale
*tie the bundle into a neat rectangle, using strips of corn husk or string (I use dental floss, LOL)
*repeat to use the remaining corn husks & filling
*insert a steamer basket into a lare pot; add 1" water & bring to a simmer over medium heat; stack the tamales to the basket, cover, & simmer for 90 minutes, or until the dough is set & comes away easily from the corn husks when tested
*remove the string before serving

No comments: