{"id":2822,"date":"2010-01-02T00:22:10","date_gmt":"2010-01-02T06:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/?p=2822"},"modified":"2010-01-22T23:06:51","modified_gmt":"2010-01-23T05:06:51","slug":"pork-tamales-with-chile-sauce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/2010\/01\/02\/pork-tamales-with-chile-sauce\/","title":{"rendered":"Pork Tamales with Chile Sauce"},"content":{"rendered":"

To everyone who doubted me and said encouraging things like “You know tamales are really hard, right?” I have one thing to say…I made tamales and they were spectacular!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Happy New Year! \u00a0To bring in 2010 we had a tamale party on New Year’s Eve. \u00a0The holiday issue of Fine Cooking magazine had a section devoted to tamale making complete with step-by-step instructions and photos. \u00a0This is so helpful when attempting to make something for the first time that requires a certain method to\u00a0achieve\u00a0success. \u00a0I would have been a wreck without those pictures! \u00a0After a few completed tamales it was a breeze, and I feel like next time I will be even better at it.<\/p>\n

In Mexico, tamales are traditionally served at Christmas or New Years, so this seemed like the perfect meal for the party. \u00a0I read through the recipe at least a dozen times in the 2 weeks before New Years to make sure I had everything I needed and wasn’t going to find myself in a position where it’s the day of the dinner and something has to sit overnight. \u00a0This has happened to me. \u00a0It is no fun.<\/p>\n

I made the rather unwise decision to really talk the party and the tamales up to my friends. \u00a0Why did I do this? \u00a0I have never made tamales, and there would be no sweet old Mexican grandmother to assist me in my quest. \u00a0I had no good reason to tell everyone how good these tamales would be! \u00a0The nervousness began to set in as the day approached. \u00a0What if everything went wrong and we had to order pizza? \u00a0Pressure.<\/p>\n

I was so thankful to have a few days of vacation left at home to prepare for tamale night. \u00a0I made the pork and the sauce for the tamales the day before, which made life so much easier when it came time to assemble these lovely corn husk packages of masa and tender pork. \u00a0Like little presents! \u00a0Trying to make these in one day is definitely possible. \u00a0You’d have to start pretty early and be prepared to wash a tremendous number of dishes. \u00a0The tamales would be served and you’d probably be exhausted, but one bite of these tamales and you would be so overwhelmed by the deliciousness in your mouth that you would forget all about the mess in your kitchen and the hours you spent in there!<\/p>\n

The flavors and textures are terrific. \u00a0The masa is smooth, creamy and rich. \u00a0The pork is tender with just enough spice. \u00a0The chiles provide a nice smoky flavor to the sauce that is the perfect complement to the tamales. \u00a0Don’t be turned off the the long list of ingredients or amount of prep work. \u00a0These are so delicious. \u00a0So perfect. \u00a0So worth it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h5>\n
Pork Tamales with Chile Sauce<\/h5>\n

For the pork filling<\/strong>
\n2 to 3 Tbs. lard or vegetable oil
\n3- to 3\u00bd-lb. boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt, cut into 3-inch chunks and trimmed
\n1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
\n6 medium cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
\n4 dried bay leaves,\u00a0toasted
\n2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme, marjoram, or mild oregano, or 1 Tbs. dried Mexican oregano
\n2 to 3 whole cloves
\n1 to 2 guajillo, New Mexico, ancho, chipotle, or other\u00a0dried red chiles, toasted<\/a>, stemmed, and seeded
\n1-1\/2 tsp. kosher salt
\n1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
\n1 tsp. whole allspice berries
\nFor the chile sauce<\/strong>
\n2 Tbs. lard or vegetable oil
\n1 medium white onion, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
\n2 medium heads garlic, peeled (about 35 cloves)
\n6 ancho chiles,\u00a0toasted, stemmed, seeded, soaked in very hot water for 15 minutes, and drained
\n3 guajillo chiles,\u00a0toasted, stemmed, seeded, soaked in very hot water for 15 minutes, and drained
\n2 cups canned, pur\u00e9ed fire-roasted or regular tomatoes
\n2 cups (approximately) reserved pork cooking broth or lower-salt chicken broth
\n1 Tbs. tamale-grind masa harina
\n1 Tbs. brown sugar or honey; more as needed
\n1 tsp. cumin seed,\u00a0toasted\u00a0and ground
\n1\/2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano,\u00a0toasted\u00a0(optional)
\n1\/2 tsp. ground allspice
\n1\/4 tsp. ground cloves
\nKosher salt
\nOne\u00a02- to 3-inch cinnamon stick
\nFor the masa<\/strong>
\n3-1\/2 cups tamale-grind masa harina
\n12 oz. (1-1\/2 cups) lard, unsalted butter, vegetable shortening, or a combination, softened
\nKosher salt
\n2 to 2-1\/2 cups reserved pork cooking broth
\n40 dried corn husks<\/p>\n

\n

Make the pork filling<\/strong><\/p>\n

Heat the lard or oil in a heavy-duty 8-quart pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the pork until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer each batch to a bowl after browning.<\/p>\n

Return all of the pork to the pot and add the remaining pork filling ingredients and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the meat is fall-apart tender, 1 to 1-1\/2 hours. Remove the meat from the pot, cool briefly, and shred it using 2 forks. Strain the broth, discarding the solids, and let cool briefly. Skim off the excess fat and reserve the broth. (The recipe may be made to this point up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate the meat and broth separately.)<\/p>\n

Make the chile sauce<\/strong><\/p>\n

Heat 1-1\/2 Tbs. of the lard or oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion and garlic to a blender.<\/p>\n

Add the soaked chiles, tomatoes, and a little of the broth to the blender and pur\u00e9e until smooth.<\/p>\n

Heat the remaining 1\/2 Tbs. lard or oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, add the masa harina, and cook for about 1 minute. Add the chile-tomato mixture and cook, stirring regularly, until it has darkened in color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar or honey, cumin, oregano (if using), allspice, cloves, 2-1\/2 tsp. salt, and enough pork broth to thin the pur\u00e9e to a sauce consistency. Add the cinnamon stick, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the color deepens slightly, the consistency is smooth, and a light sheen develops on the surface of the sauce, an additional 15 to 20 minutes, adding more broth as needed. Season to taste with salt and sugar. (The sauce may be made up to 2 days ahead; keep refrigerated.)<\/p>\n

Make the masa<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a large bowl, mix the masa harina with 2-1\/4 cups hot (140\u00b0F to 160\u00b0F) water. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 days.<\/p>\n

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), whip the lard, butter, or shortening on medium-high speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp. salt and continue beating while adding the masa in golf-ball-size pieces, waiting a few seconds between each addition. When about half of the masa is mixed in, start alternating the masa with the pork broth until all of the masa is used, along with about 2 cups of the broth. Add 1\/4 cup of the chile sauce and whip until light and fluffy, adding more broth if the mixture seems too dry.<\/p>\n

To test if the masa is ready, take a small piece (about 1\/2 tsp.) and drop it in a cup of cold water. It should easily float. If not, simply whip the masa for a few more minutes and test again. Often, adding a bit more of the pork broth or cool water during this second mixing will help; don\u2019t add too much liquid, however, or you\u2019ll end up with overly soft masa and shapeless tamales.<\/p>\n

Assemble the tamales<\/strong><\/p>\n

Soak the corn husks in very hot water for 30 to 45 minutes, or overnight in cool water with a plate or bowl set on top of the husks to keep them submerged. You\u2019ll have enough husks to make the tamales, plus extra to line the steamer and make up for any broken husks.<\/p>\n

In a medium bowl, mix 2 cups of the chile sauce with the shredded meat and season to taste with salt.<\/p>\n

Wipe a soaked husk dry and put it smooth side up on a work surface. If necessary, trim the bottom with scissors so the husk can lie mostly flat. Put about 1\/3 cup masa in the center of the widest portion of the husk. With a spoon or spatula, spread it evenly over one-half to two-thirds of the husk leaving a 1\/2-inch border at each edge.<\/p>\n

Put 2 to 3 Tbs. of the pork filling in the center of the masa about \u00bd inch from the wide end.<\/p>\n

Fold the corn husk in half lengthwise so the edges meet. Fold the seam back so it\u2019s in the center of the tamale. Fold the tail of the wrapper to cover the seam (at least half the length of the tamale). Flip seam side down onto a tray or rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.<\/p>\n

The tamales can be steamed as they are, or tied to make them more secure or to dress them up. To make ties, rip long, thin strips off one or two corn husks. Then place a strip of corn husk under the tamale, wrap it around the middle (making sure that you have some of the tail underneath) and tie securely.<\/p>\n

Steam the tamales<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fill a deep 8-quart pot with a pasta insert with enough water to reach just below the insert. Without the insert in place, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Have ready a kettle or pot of almost boiling water to add if the water gets low. Arrange the tamales upright (open end up) in the insert, leaving room for the steam to circulate. Fit the insert into the pot over the boiling water. Use the extra husks to cover the tamales (this helps concentrate the heat). Cover the pot with a lid. Steam for 1 to 1-1\/2 hours, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the water just boiling. Check the water level frequently and add more as needed to keep the pot from going dry.<\/p>\n

To test for doneness, quickly remove a tamale and replace the lid on the pot to continue the cooking. Put the tamale on the counter for a few minutes and then carefully unwrap it. If ready, the masa should be set and will pull away from the wrapper easily.<\/p>\n

Let the tamales rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to allow the masa to firm up. For softer tamales, let them rest in the pot with the heat off and the lid and extra leaves removed. For firmer tamales, let them rest out of the pot, covered with a cloth.<\/p>\n

Serve the tamales in their wrappers with extra sauce passed on the side, and have diners unwrap them just before eating. Once unwrapped, they cool quickly.<\/p>\n