Can you help with recipes & directions for authentic homemade tamales?? What is your favorite filling??

Question

I really like the green sauces too. Any recipes? When I was in Mexico, I had some tamales that a non-meat filling (potato, onion, and?) that were really good...any ideas on this? I like the pork , chicken , and beef too. I would like to try several different recipes to see which I like best. Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

Tamales (makes 12)

Tamale dough

2 1/4 cups Masa Harino tortilla flour
1 cup warm water
3/4 cups shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a bowl stir together tortilla flour and water. Let stand 20 minutes. In a large mixing bowl beat together shortening and salt until fluffy. Beat in flour mixture until well mixed.

Wrappers

Soak cornhusts in warm water several hours or overnight to soften. (You can substitute parchment paper cut into 8x6 rectangles.)

Red Chili Sauce

1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Cook chili powder in hot oil over medium heat for about 4 minutes.

1 14 1/2 oz can tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Put undrained tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Add chili mixture and garlic. Blend until smooth. Put mixture into a sauce pan and add sugar, salt, oregano and cumin. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered to about 10 minutes - until it is slightly thickened. Sauce can be stored, tightly covered, for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Fillings

Finely chopped cooked chicken or finely ground beef cooked with onions and garlic.

Assembly

Spoon 1/4 cup dough into tamale wrapper. Spread dought into a 5x4 rectangle, spreading one long side of dough to the edge of the wrapper and leaving equal spaces at both short ends.

Spoon 1 tablespoon sauce lengthwise down the center of the dough and spread over the dough to the edges Top with chicken or beef. Fold long edge of wrapper over filling so that it overhaps the dough about 1/2 inch. Continue rolling up wrapper jellyroll style. Seal ends securely.

Place tamales in a steamer basket. Add water to just below the basket level. Bring water to a boil. Cover and steam for 45 to 50 minutes or until tamales pull away from the wrappers. Add water as necessary during steaming.

Unwrap tamales and serve immediately topped with warm red chili sauce.

Beef tamales are my favorite, but I recently had sweet tamales filled with raisins, dried fruit and chopped nuts covered with a warm lemon sauce that was a wonderful dessert.

Answer 2

Tamales are not done alone! Too much work and time but they are worth it.
Tamales de Chile Verde con Queso are my favorite and in fact I made some this past holiday.
You have to roast and peel Chile California or Anaheim first. Then cut the chile in long thin strips. Saute chile in oil or pork lard and add diced tomatillo, garlic and onion. Add chicken bouillon and warm water to create sauce. When it boils add salt and cumin to your taste.
Slice cheese in sizes that fit inside the tamales. Amount of ingredients may vary on the # of lbs. of tamales your making.

There are some places where they sell prepared masa, like tortilla factories. You must add melted pork fat so the masa has a sticky texture and it also enhances the flavor. Enjoy!

Answer 3

Tamales rock!
I make dozens (250+) of these each year for friends around the holidays, kind of like a cookie basket. Other than the labor involved and the steaming, they are incredibly cheap to make.

Assuming you are in the US- just go to Walmart and buy a package of Masa Harina. Read the instructions on the side to make the dough. I substitute vegetable oil for lard. You'll need to soak the corn husks by eighting them down with something in your sink. My 'secret filling' is simply a jar of that chicken mole sauce they sell in every supermarket's Mexican food aisle. Comes in red or green paste. Mix it with some precooked shredded chicken (Pork/beef works fine, but i give these to my Muslim and Hindu neighbors, so chicken is safe....). I've not made them with other filling, but I've heard green chili/cheese is good; an olive/raisin/cumin mixture; american mincemeat from a jar, etc... Steaming takes forever, which is nice when its cold outside.

Good Luck

Answer 4

Sorry I can't help with recipes, but I do enjoy tamales de chile verde and pork meat. YUMMY!

Answer 5

I'm not sure you know what you are getting yourself (and your helpers) into. Tamales are most often made on (for lack of a better description) an assembly line.

Follow this link for complete instructions.