Hot Tamales
From Mexico to the Southern reaches of the Andes, tamales, known as humitas in the Southern Andean regions, are an important part of the Latin Christmas season. Grandmothers in Mexico and throughout Latin America spend days making up multiple batches of these tamales to serve throughout the Christmas season.
Authentic tamales are made with ground nixtamalized hominy (corn) and stuffed with meat, cheese and a variety of other regional favorites, then steamed slowly in corn husks. The result is out of this world.
This recipe uses corn meal in lieu of the more authentic masa which not always readily available.
Ingredients
For the meat filling:
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 2 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp paprika smoked
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 2 tsp black pepper fresh
- 1 tsp cumin seeds toasted and ground cumin seed
- 2 lb butt meat boston, untrimmed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 white onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño chili pepper seeded and minced
For the wrappers:
- 5 dozen corn dried corn husks
For the cornmeal dough:
- 2 lb cornmeal approximately 6 cups, yellow
- 1 1/2 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 7 1/2 oz lard approximately 1 cup
- 4 cups cooking spray cups reserved cooking liquid
Instructions
For the meat filling:
- In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, kosher salt, paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper and cumin. Divide the mixture in half and reserve 1 half for later use.
- Cut the Boston butt into 6 even pieces and place into a 6 to 8-quart saucepan. Add half of the spice mixture and enough water, 3 to 3 1/2 quarts, to completely cover the meat. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meat is very tender and falling apart, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Remove the meat from the cooking liquid to a cutting board. Leave the cooking liquid in the pot. Both meat and liquid need to cool slightly before making dough and handling. Remove any large pieces of fat and shred the meat into small pieces, pulling apart with your hands or using 2 forks.
- Place a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Once shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are semi-translucent, approximately 3 minutes
- Add the garlic, jalapeno, and remaining half of the spice mixture and continue to cook for another minute. Add the meat and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
For the wrappers
- While the meat is cooking, place the husks in a large bowl or container and submerge completely in hot water. Soak the husks until they are soft and pliable, at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours.
For the dough:
- Place the cornmeal, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and combine. Add the lard and using your hands, knead together until the lard is well incorporated into the dry mixture.
- Gradually add enough of the reserved cooking liquid, 3 to 4 cups to create a dough that is like thick mashed potatoes. The dough should be moist but not wet. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside until ready to use.
To assemble the tamales:
- Remove a corn husks from the water and pat dry to remove excess water. Working in batches of 6, lay the husks on a towel and spread about 2 tablespoons of the dough in an even layer across the wide end of the husk to within 1/2-inch of the edges.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture in a line down the center of the dough. Roll the husk so the dough surrounds the meat, then fold the bottom under to finish creating the tamale. Repeat until all husks, dough and filling are used. Tie the tamales, around the center, individually or in groups of 3, with kitchen twine.
To cook the tamales:
- Stand the tamales upright on their folded ends, tightly packed together, in the same saucepan used to cook the meat. Add the reserved broth from making the dough and any additional water so the liquid comes to 1-inch below the tops of the tamales.
- Try not to pour the broth directly into the tops of the tamales. Cover, place over high heat and bring to a boil, approximately 12 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce the heat to low, to maintain a low simmer, and cook until the dough is firm and pulls away easily from the husk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Serve the tamales warm. For a 'wet' hot tamale, serve with additional simmering liquid. Store leftover tamales, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, in the freezer, for up to a month. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap and steam until heated through.
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