Hot Tamales

Hot Tamales

Tamale recipes vary from place to place, person to person. No two people make hot tamales exactly the same. Pork is traditional. Some use beef, while others prefer chicken. Some boil their meat, while others simply brown it. Some people prefer corn meal, while some use masa. Most wrap in corn shucks, while a few have turned to the less expensive parchment paper. Some season the tamale in just one way, while many will season the meat and the meal, as well as the water used to simmer the rolled bundles. Some eat theirs straight out of the shuck, while others smother them in chili and cheese.  My favorite are made from pork, using either a pork shoulder or the pork butt. I use yellow corn meal for my tamales wrapped in real corn husk.  Makes 7 to 8 dozen MEAT FILLING 6 to 8 pounds boneless meat (pork shoulder or pork butt, chuck roast, or chicken breast) A variety of assorted chiles (dried peppers) 1/4 cup chili powder 2 Tablespoons paprika 2 Tablespoons salt 2 teaspoons black pepper 2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 1 Tablespoon onion powder 1 Tablespoon garlic powder 2 teaspoon ground cumin Place the meat into a large, heavy pot. Cover with cold water. Add the chiles, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the meat is very tender, about 2 to 3 hours. Remove the meat and reserve all of the cooking liquid. When the meat is cool enough to handle, remove and discard any skin and large chunks of fat. Shred or dice the meat into small pieces. There should be about 14 to 16 cups of meat.  CORN HUSKS While the meat is cooking, soak the husks in a large bowl or sink of very warm water, until they are softened and pliable, at least 2 hours. Gently separate the husks into single leaves, trying not to tear them. Wash off any dust and discard any corn silks. Keep any shucks that split to the side, since two small pieces can be overlapped and used as one. CORN MEAL OR MASA DOUGH 8 cups yellow corn meal or masa (available in most grocery stores)  4 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons salt 1 2/3 cups vegetable shortening (preferable) or lard 6 to 8 cups warm meat broth (from reserved meat stock) Stir the corn meal or masa, baking powder, salt and lard together in a large bowl until well blended. Gradually stir in enough warm liquid to make soft, spongy dough that is the consistency of thick mashed potatoes. The dough should be quite moist, but not wet. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth. ASSEMBLING THE TAMALES Remove a corn husk from the water and pat it dry. Lay the husk on a work surface. Spread about 1/4 cup of the dough in an even layer across the wide end of the husk to within 1 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 that the dough surrounds the filling and forms a cylinder or package. Fold the bottom under to close the bottom and complete the package. Place the completed tamales in a single layer on a baking sheet. Repeat until all dough and filling is used. Hot Tamales                                                                COOKING THE TAMALES To steam: Stand the tamales upright, closed side down, in a large steamer pot. Place enough tamales in the pot so that they do not fall over or come unrolled. Carefully fill the pot with enough water to come just to the bottom of the tamales, trying not to pour water directly into the tamales. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot with the lid or heavy duty foil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the dough is firm and pulls away from the husk easily and cleanly, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. (Keep an eye on the water, for it will steam away, so add more water frequently and recover). Serve tamales warm, in their husks. Remove husks to eat. I keep Tabasco™ Sauce on hand for those who want more heat.  This is how I eat them. Hot & Spicy! ELB 2011                                                                   Pepe y Pocho                                                                               The tamal is a staple food along the Mississippi Delta, locally known as "hot tamales". It grew in popularity in the early 1900s when Mexican farm workers introduced it to black workers in the cotton fields in the deep South. Hot tamales in the Delta are more typically made with corn meal instead of masa. The Mississippi hot tamale features (possibly as sexual innuendo) in the well-known, cryptic song "They're Red Hot by early Delta blues singer Robert Johnson.