Tamales!

Tamales!

Precious little bundles of corn and a savory filling, piping hot and pulled directly from a steamer – nothing beats it. Unwrapping each corn husk and finding a plump little mound of corn is like having a plate full of presents.

One of the last times I made tamales was with a very pregnant friend. I had wanted to give her a big batch of tamales along with a quart of homemade mole sauce before the baby was born, but then I ran out of time. So, instead of stressing about it, I just invited her over to help me make the tamales. And, that is precisely how you ought to make tamales: with friends or family. It’s a time-consuming process, but with a group of people, some good music and a fridge full of beer it can turn into a festive party. And children love to help out. Most adore scooping the corny dough out of the bowl and spreading it on a wet corn husk. The mere idea that they are creating little presents of food is enough to keep them interested for a good eight minutes.

Below is a basic, but not traditional tamale dough. Traditionally tamales are made with lard, which to me just doesn’t seem right to mix pig fat with something as pure and good and simple as corn. So, I’ve amended the recipe to work using butter or shortening, or as I prefer, a mixture of both. Not only is it healthier, but I think the tamales hold together and steam up a little nicer. Plus, who eats lard anymore?

One of the nicest things about tamales is that despite the time it takes to assemble them, they freeze and reheat beautifully. One of our favorite weeknight meals is tamales, mole sauce (which also freezes well), and a big salad.

Although our weekends in December pre-holidays are jam-packed, my intention is to carve out a few hours after the holidays, maybe even New Years’ Eve day to make a double-batch of tamales some of which we’ll eat that night with friends and the rest we’ll freeze for some easy weeknight meals.

Before you begin make sure you have everything you need and your fillings created.

Basic tamale dough recipe:

Makes enough for 2 dozen tamales

7 cups veggie stock
2 cups butter or shortening, or a combination of these
1-2 tablespoons salt (how much depends on how salty your stock is)
12 cups dry masa harina flour

30-35 corn husks

Before mixing the dough, soak your corn husks in a large bowl of warm water.

Heat the stock until it is warm. In an electric mixer, mix the masa harina flour with stock. Beat on medium speed for a minute or two until well combined. If your dough seems dry, don't be afraid to add additional stock. At this point your dough should resemble a thick pudding. Remove masa mixture from your mixer and set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat the solid fats on high speed for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the masa mixture to the whipped fat a cup at a time until it is all incorporated. Continue to beat for about 5-8 minutes or until the dough is a soft paste consistency.

To create the tamales:

Open a wet corn husk and spread a little less than a quarter cup of masa onto the husk. The masa should cover all but about 1 inch of the husks on all sides. If you put too much masa in you won’t be able to properly close the corn husk around the masa and filling. After the masa has been spread, add a generous tablespoon of filling to the center and spread over the masa, but not to the ends of the masa. Bring the dough together and roll slightly. Fold the end of the corn husk up and tie it with a thin strip of extra corn husk.

To steam:

In a large pan (a soup pot with a steamer insert works great) put enough water in to cover the bottom, making sure that the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the tamales. Steam for about an hour. Check midway through to make sure you have enough water in the pan.

Fillings:

Keep it simple! Traditionally tamales are filled with pork, but use your imagination. I have often found that just opening up from fridge and combining things makes for some pretty fun and unusual fillings.

Here are some of my favorite very fillings:

• Corn that has been sauteed with a little onion, garlic and cumin.
• Black beans that have been simmered with onion, garlic, cumin and a green chile.
• A few tablespoons of sharp cheddar cheese mixed with jalapenos or other chile.