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Tamales 02

A home-style Tamales 02 made with Lukewarm Water, Wyler S Granulated Chicken Boullion, Baking Powder, Salt, and Pork Shoulder Or Beef Shoulder Roast. Add it to your meal plan and shop the whole list in one go.

Illustrative photo

Ingredients

• 4 cup
• 4 tsp
• 2 tsp
• 2 tsp
• 1 1/2 lb
• 5 clove
• 2 tsp

Method (preview)

1. 1

   1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder or beef shoulder roast 1/2 large onion, sliced

2. 2

   Place the separated husks in a large pot and cover with hot water.

3. 3

   Leave them to soak for about one hour.

4. 4

   You can put a plate with a heavy object on it on top of the tamales to keep them submerged.

5. 5

   When soft, rinse the husks well and put back into a pot of clean water.

6. 6

   When cool, remove the seeds and stems and crumble into small pieces.

7. 7

   Put the pieces into a coffee mill or spice grinder and grind into a fine powder.

8. 8

   Store the ground chile mix in a jar to use for seasoning other Mexican dishes.

9. 9

   Cut the meat into 1" to 2" chunks.

10. 10

    Heat the lard or shortening in a heavy bottomed pot and brown the meat.

11. 11

    When brown, add enough water to cover the meat and add the onions and garlic.

12. 12

    Simmer until the meat is fork tender and flakes apart.

13. 13

    For beef shoulder roast this will take about 2 - 3 hours.

14. 14

    Heat 2 tablespoons of lard or shortening in a heavy pan, preferably cast iron.

15. 15

    Add the chile seasoning and cumin and stir for a few seconds.

16. 16

    Add the meat and fry for two or three minutes.

17. 17

    Add the reserved broth and simmer until the liquid level is reduced.

18. 18

    The mixture should be soupy.

19. 19

    Set aside to cool while you make the masa.

20. 20

    Combine masa, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

21. 21

    Dissolve the boullion in the lukewarm water to make a broth.

22. 22

    Mix the broth into the masa a little at a time, working with your fingers to make a moist dough.

23. 23

    In a small bowl, beat lard or shortening until fluffy, add to masa and beat until masa has a spongy texture.

24. 24

    Remove a soaked corn husk from the water and shake to remove excess water.

25. 25

    Start with the largest husks because they will be easier to roll.

26. 26

    If you end up with a lot of small husks, you can lay two together, overlapping about 1/2" but this is a little trickier and may take some practice.

27. 27

    Lay the husk flat on a plate and spread about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons (depending on the size of the husk) of masa in the center.

28. 28

    Don't use too much!

29. 29

    The easiest way to spread the masa is to spoon it onto the husk and spread it with your fingers.

30. 30

    If the masa is sticky, wet your hands.

31. 31

    Add about 1 tablespoon of meat filling on top of the masa. Again, don't use too much.

32. 32

    Now comes the tricky part.

33. 33

    Roll the corn husk so that the filling is enclosed in the masa.

34. 34

    Don't worry if the filling is not completely surrounded with masa.

35. 35

    Fold over each end.

36. 36

    If the husks are very thick, you may find it difficult to fold the large end and get it to stay.

37. 37

    If this is the case, don't worry about folding the large end and put that end up when you put the tamales into the steamer.

38. 38

    During steaming it is very important to keep the water at a low boil. Also, DO NOT let the steamer boil out of water.

39. 39

    TIP: Place a coin, a penny works good, in the bottom of the steamer with the water.

40. 40

    If the coin stops rattling, the water has boiled away and you should add more.