Side Pannel
Tamales Nortenos (Part 2)
Tamales Nortenos (Part 2)
- Recipe Submitted by ADMIN on 09/26/2007
Category: Mexican, Meat
Ingredients List
- See part 1
Directions
While the meat is cooking, toast the cumin seeds on a cast iron griddle and
then grind into a fine powder using a coffee mill or spice grinder and set
aside.
When the meat is cooked tender, set aside to cool. Separate the meat chunks
from the broth, reserving the broth. Shred the meat into small strands.
Heat 2 tablespoons of lard or shortening in a heavy pan, preferably cast
iron. Add the chile seasoning and cumin and stir for a few seconds. Add
the meat and fry for two or three minutes. Add the reserved broth and
simmer until the liquid level is reduced. The mixture should be soupy. Set
aside to cool while you make the masa.
The Masa: The tamale dough, or masa, is made from masa harina, a corn flour
that is also used for making tortillas. Masa mix can be purchased in Latin
American markets or supermarkets that carry Latin American products. It can
also be purchased by mail order if not available locally. It is NOT the
same as corn meal.
I recently found a new version of Maseca brand masa that is specifically
formulated for tamales. It is a little coarser than the tortilla masa and
gives the tamales a better texture. If you are lucky enough to live in an
area with a large Hispanic population, you can buy prepared masa and save
yourself the trouble of having to mix it from scratch.
Combine masa, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Dissolve the boullion in
the lukewarm water to make a broth. Mix the broth into the masa a little at
a time, working with your fingers to make a moist dough.
In a small bowl, beat lard or shortening until fluffy, add to masa and beat
until masa has a spongy texture.
The Tamales: Remove a soaked corn husk from the water and shake to remove
excess water. Start with the largest husks because they will be easier to
roll. 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. 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.
Don't use too much! The easiest way to spread the masa is to spoon it onto
the husk and spread it with your fingers. If the masa is sticky, wet your
hands.
Add about 1 tablespoon of meat filling on top of the masa. Again, don't use
too much.
Now comes the tricky part. Roll the corn husk so that the filling is
enclosed in the masa. Don't worry if the filling is not completely
surrounded with masa. When the masa cooks it will become firm and the
tamale will be fine. Fold over each end. If the husks are very thick, you
may find it difficult to fold the large end and get it to stay. 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.
Load the tamales into a steamer standing them up vertically. I use a large
pot with a steamer basket in the bottom. When all the tamales are rolled,
and the steamer is full, cover with a damp cloth and steam until the
tamales are done, about 2 to 3 hours. During steaming it is very important
to keep the water at a low boil. Also, DO NOT let the steamer boil out of
water.
TIP: Place a coin, a penny works good, in the bottom of the steamer with
the water. You can tell when the water is boiling because you can hear the
coin rattling around. If the coin stops rattling, the water has boiled away
and you should add more.
After about 2 hours, you may want to pull out a tamale and sample it. Let
it cool for a few minutes and then unroll the husk. The tamale should be
soft and firm and not mushy.
Now you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Bite into one of these
delicacies and you will know the answer to the question "Why am I doing
this?" that you kept asking yourself while you were making them.
As I said in the beginning, tamales can be a lot of work, but they are
worth it and I strongly encourage you to give it a try. If you have further
questions, please send me mail and I will try to help.
then grind into a fine powder using a coffee mill or spice grinder and set
aside.
When the meat is cooked tender, set aside to cool. Separate the meat chunks
from the broth, reserving the broth. Shred the meat into small strands.
Heat 2 tablespoons of lard or shortening in a heavy pan, preferably cast
iron. Add the chile seasoning and cumin and stir for a few seconds. Add
the meat and fry for two or three minutes. Add the reserved broth and
simmer until the liquid level is reduced. The mixture should be soupy. Set
aside to cool while you make the masa.
The Masa: The tamale dough, or masa, is made from masa harina, a corn flour
that is also used for making tortillas. Masa mix can be purchased in Latin
American markets or supermarkets that carry Latin American products. It can
also be purchased by mail order if not available locally. It is NOT the
same as corn meal.
I recently found a new version of Maseca brand masa that is specifically
formulated for tamales. It is a little coarser than the tortilla masa and
gives the tamales a better texture. If you are lucky enough to live in an
area with a large Hispanic population, you can buy prepared masa and save
yourself the trouble of having to mix it from scratch.
Combine masa, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Dissolve the boullion in
the lukewarm water to make a broth. Mix the broth into the masa a little at
a time, working with your fingers to make a moist dough.
In a small bowl, beat lard or shortening until fluffy, add to masa and beat
until masa has a spongy texture.
The Tamales: Remove a soaked corn husk from the water and shake to remove
excess water. Start with the largest husks because they will be easier to
roll. 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. 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.
Don't use too much! The easiest way to spread the masa is to spoon it onto
the husk and spread it with your fingers. If the masa is sticky, wet your
hands.
Add about 1 tablespoon of meat filling on top of the masa. Again, don't use
too much.
Now comes the tricky part. Roll the corn husk so that the filling is
enclosed in the masa. Don't worry if the filling is not completely
surrounded with masa. When the masa cooks it will become firm and the
tamale will be fine. Fold over each end. If the husks are very thick, you
may find it difficult to fold the large end and get it to stay. 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.
Load the tamales into a steamer standing them up vertically. I use a large
pot with a steamer basket in the bottom. When all the tamales are rolled,
and the steamer is full, cover with a damp cloth and steam until the
tamales are done, about 2 to 3 hours. During steaming it is very important
to keep the water at a low boil. Also, DO NOT let the steamer boil out of
water.
TIP: Place a coin, a penny works good, in the bottom of the steamer with
the water. You can tell when the water is boiling because you can hear the
coin rattling around. If the coin stops rattling, the water has boiled away
and you should add more.
After about 2 hours, you may want to pull out a tamale and sample it. Let
it cool for a few minutes and then unroll the husk. The tamale should be
soft and firm and not mushy.
Now you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Bite into one of these
delicacies and you will know the answer to the question "Why am I doing
this?" that you kept asking yourself while you were making them.
As I said in the beginning, tamales can be a lot of work, but they are
worth it and I strongly encourage you to give it a try. If you have further
questions, please send me mail and I will try to help.
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