View Single Post
Old 12-23-2009, 08:49 AM   #5
Stan41
Got Wood.
 
Join Date: 03-26-08
Location: Goldthwaite, Texas
Default

Tamales

2 pounds lean boneless pork, or 1 - 3 1/2 pound shoulder butt or loin
4 Tablespoons chili Powder
4 Tablespoons Paprika
2 teaspoons ground comino
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, pressed, mashed, or minced
1 cup stock

Cut pork in large 3 to 4" chunks and boil in two quarts of plain water for 45 minutes.
Then remove bones and excess fat.
Put through meat grinder.
Reserve the stock.
Add all the seasoning and 1 cup stock to the ground pork and mix well.

PASTE MIXTURE:
1 pound masa harina (6 cups)
1/2 pound softened lard (1 1/2 cups)
4 teaspoons salt
2 2/3 cups warm stock.

Work lard well into masa by hand or mixer. Add salt, then add the stock, using electric mixer. This will make a thick paste.

Soak 50 to 60 nice corn shucks for several hours in hot water, each trimmed to about 4 X 6 inches. The paste is applied with a table knife to the lower left hand corner of the shuck in an area about 2 X 4 inches and about 1/2 inch in thickness. Then about a Tablespoon of pork mixture is applied along the center of this, like making a cigarette. Then the tamale is rolled up (like a cigarette) and the empty end of the shuck folded up alongside of tamale. This wrapping is done rather loosely to allow for the eventual swelling of the masa when the tamales are steamed. The tamales are put in a steamer, on the steaming tier in bundles of 6 or placed side by side, so as to hold their shape. A canning type pressure cooker is good for the steaming operation, used as a steamer and not as a pressure cooker (just put the lid on and don't seal it). Steam over boiling water 1 hour.

Notes:
Shuck scraps boiled with the meat increase shuck flavor of tamales. Also shuck scraps in the steaming water are helpful flavorwise and also enhances the aroma of the kitchen.
Stan41 is offline   Reply With Quote