Homemade Tamales, (MASA) & (FILLINGS)
Make sure that you have all the ingredients and equipment needed for the recipe before you start preparing.
I like to prepare the masa in the morning but I will not be using it right away I let it sit for at least two hours, at least while you prepare everything.
š«First: Soak cornhusks
Place the dried cornhusks in a pan, bucket, dish or sink and cover with hot water, allowing husks to soak until soft and pliable husk, Softening cornhusks can take up to 2 hours, but the best thing will be to soak overnight drain and add fresh water in the morning, only pull out the husk you will be using at the time you are spreading the masa the rest leave soaking in water.
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š«Chile SAUCE
For the sauce:
š«4 Chile ancho cleaned, seeded
š«8 guajillo peppers cleaned, seeded, open flat, and deveined
š«1 tsp. Garlic powder
š«1 tsp. Salt
In a pot add chiles bring to a boil turn off and let it soak for 30 minutes, or until soft, once soften place chiles and the water from it into the blender, and the rest of the ingridents blend until very smooth, strain the sauce using a sieve, discard the skins that is left in the sieve, set aside.
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š«Masa for tamales
š«1 bag 4.4 lbs. of masa harina for tamales
š«4 cups lard (2lbs.)(melted) (more if needed after the water test)
š«1 gallon (WARM) or 16 cups of broth (pork broth) or water add a little bit more if to dry.
š«1 cup of the Chile sauce you just made, more or less depending on how dark colored you like it.
š« 2 tbsp. Baking powder
š« 2 tbsp. Ground Garlic no salt
š« 2 tbsp. Chile powder
š« 2 tbsp. salt
Mix all dry ingredients first then add the liquids, mix well, refrigerate unused masa.
Make the masa (dough) by hand or an electric mixer, mix all ingredients in one bowl, mix well, the dough should be thick, yet creamy that is easy enough to spread with a spoon without to much pressure.
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š«Fillings
Pork Filling or Beef Filling
š«1 large pork butt or 6 lbs. brisket or beef roast
š«3 bay leaves
š«1/2 medium onion diced
š«1/2 bell pepper diced
š«1 tbsp. ground ajo (Garlic powder)
š«1 tbsp. ground Comino (Cumin)
š«1 tbsp. Knorr pollo
š«1 cup Chile sauce more or less depending on how dark colored you want the meat.
š«3 tbsp. oil
In a large pot add pork or beef & water just right above the meat, also add bay leaf cook for about 1 hour to 2 hours or until tender, drain and reserving broth.
Shred meat and place meat into a large pan or pot with the hot oil, to this pot also add the onion, bell pepper, and cook until onion is translucent, once onion is cooked add all the dry spices and the Chile sauce, add 1/2 cup of broth/water, mix and taste, at this point you can add more spices to your liking make sure the meat is moist but not overly watered.
š«Chicken filling
š«5 lbs. Thighs boil and shred
š«1/2 medium onion diced
š«1/2 bell pepper diced
š«3 tbsp. oil
š«1 tbsp. ground ajo (Garlic powder)
š«1 tbsp. ground Comino (Cumin)
š«1 tbsp. Knorr pollo
š«2 / 8 oz. can of diced green Chile
In a large pot add chicken, water just enough to cover right above the meat, bay leaf, and cook for about 35 - 45 minutes or until tender and cooked through, drain and reserving broth.
Shred chicken meat and place meat into a large pan or pot, to this pot add oil heat up then add onion, bell pepper and cook until onion is translucent, once onion is cooked add all the dry spices and the diced green Chile, also add 1 cup of the chicken broth from where you just boiled the chicken, mix and taste, at this point you can add more spices to your liking you want to add broth just to keep it very moist but not overly watered.
š«Bean Filling
First, cook a pot of beans
Homemade Beans
š«2 lbs. beans
š«10 c water + 2 more c.
š«1 TBSP Garlic powder no salt
š«1 TBSP. Salt
š«1 tsp. Chili powder
š«1 pack bacon cut and cooked
Clean and Rinse the beans really good then place the pinto beans into a large pot and add the water and let them soak overnight, they will expand, rinse one more time and discard the water. You don't have to soak overnight you can cook them right away, also if using old beans they will take forever to cook and you still will have some hard ones in the mix so always use fresh beans to cook with.
Now place the clean beans in your pot with water, add the grease from the cooked bacon and also add the rest of the ingredients bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high, and continue cooking stirring occasionally, until beans are tender add water as needed to keep the beans moist I used a total of 12 cups of water but I like my beans juicy.
These are plain homemade beans to give it more flavor add bacon strips from the beginning of the cooking, I've even added sausage, hotdog weiner, chicharrones(pork skins) the plain ones, Want to make them Charro Beans add Pico de Gallo to it at the end when they are done cooking or my favorite Borracho Beans in a medium pan add 1 tsp. oil add Pico de Gallo to the oil sautƩ about 2 minutes add 1/12oz can of your favorite beer cook for a minute then add it to your cooked beans.
Cooking time 1 to 2 hours depending if the beans are fresh or old, mine where fresh the older the bean the longer they take to cook. Cook until tender
š«Ok now the beans are done you are ready to smash the beans for your tamales.
š«In a pot on medium heat add as much bean that you want to mash also add the bean juices a little at a time so it won't be to runny.
š«Ok now get your potato smasher and start smashing your beans if you see the beans getting to dry add some of the bean broth until you get the consistency you want on your beans.
That's it you now have beans for your tamales or to just eat in a taco plain or with cheese and of course with salsa.
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Fill the tamales with the meat of your choice, I prefer pork, beans, chicken, cheese, or turkey, but the possibilities are endless.
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Now remove husks from the water, drain in a colander pat dry.
Top each husk with 2 tablespoons of the masa or more, spreading dough into the bottom line half almost 3/4s full, you can use the back of the spoon to spread it or like me, I use a tortilla presser, spread it close to one of the long sides of the husk.
Using the tortilla presser is so much easier and you get a more uniform spreading of the masa. Spread about 1 pinky away from the other side.
Now once you have spread the masa on the husk fill it with meat or any filling you like ( you can also add slices of jalapenos or a thick salsa), now fold the filled tamales by rolling it up to overlap then fold the tail in, place the wrapped (uncooked) tamales on a tray stacking them, once you get a few dozens you can steam cook them or you freeze them, cut out a sheet of foil place one dozen of tamales and wrap them, you can then put the foil wrapped tamales in a resealable freezer bags or airtight freezer containers and freeze them for up to 6 months.
But if you want to cook the tamales right away this is what you do.
Steam them from anywhere from one hour to two hours, time very depending on how many you are cooking at once.
Once the tamales are cooked let them rest for 30 minutes before eating giving them time to set.
Prep the steamer which I use a pot with a metal plate with holes at the bottom Tamales are cooked in a steamer, or create your own steamer by using a Dutch oven fitted with a vegetable steamer basket or a metal rack inside.
Ok now first Pour at least 1-1/2 inches water in the bottom of the steamer set something in the center like a ball of foil shaped like more like a rounded tall cone arrange the tamales standing them upright in the pot around this foil cone shape foil, filling the space but not packing them tightly, once you have done this grab some of the softened husk and place them on top of the tamales or you can use a wet a kitchen towel (use a towel you don't like because it will get stained), moist not soaked, cover the tamales on top loosely with this towel, or you can throw in the leftover husk on top then cover with the pot lid, halfway through add more water but add the water to the side of the pot you DO NOT want to pour it directly on the tamales this will ruin the tamales.
Keep a pot of water warm at all times when steaming the tamales, because when you add cold water to the pot it will have to come to a boiling point again making the tamales take longer to cook, adding warm to hot water will help shorten the cooking time.
Check the water in the pot occasionally, replenishing it as needed. This will ensure the steamer won't boil dry and scorch. I place a coin at the bottom of the pot when you don't hear the dancing of the coin the rattling then it's time to add water.
Steam the tamales until the dough pulls away from the cornhusks and is spongy and cooked through.
Note, you can freeze cooked tamales as well.
Wrap with foil and place in a ziplocked bag I use my vacuum seal machine.
When ready to cook them take tamales out of the freezer unwrap and place tamales to steam this will take about an hour half or more, following the same instructions as before, or you can warm them up in your microwave (if cooked already) by placing a few tamales on a microwave-safe dish and heating the tamales until it is no longer frozen.
Enjoy
A little taste of South Texas Comfort Food from yours truly
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