Pork tamales

Note: This recipe is a combination of several from Margarita Wolleben. She had a recipe for a variety of tamales, and this is the one we like for pork. The three pound pork roast will render about two and a half dozen. The quantity of masa can make about three dozen, and we make green chili and cheese tamales after we run out of pork.

Ingredients 

  • 4 lb. pork roast
    • The original recipe calls for it to be boiled; we prefer to cook it all day in the slow cooker
    • We prefer to use the pork loin roasts
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced and spread over the meat
  • ½ onion diced and spread over the meat
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • When done, shred and proceed to the sauce segment (pork roasts can have some fat; we pull it out as we shred the meat)

Sauce – original

  • Clean, seed, remove stem and wash seven red dry peppers
  • Soak peppers in 1 ½ cups hot water; put something heavy on peppers to keep them submerged, need to be pulpy
  • Puree chiles along with water in food processor until smooth
  • Strain through cheesecloth to remove skin and any remaining seeds
  • In a blender or food processor, blend chile mix, 2-3 cloves garlic, ¼ onion, ¾ teaspoon cumin seed (ground) and puree
  • Put grease or oil in skillet and saute meat, cover with sauce and simmer for 30 minutes

Sauce – the gringo way

  • Two containers Chili Bueno (in the frozen food section); if you cannot get Chili Bueno, substitute 14 oz. can Hatch red enchilada sauce
  • In a blender or food processor, blend 2-3 cloves garlic, ½ onion, 2 tablespoon cumin seed, 3 tablespoons Gebhart chili powder and puree; mix with sauce
  • Saute meat in large skillet (there should be enough fat in the meat so you do not have to add oil), cover with sauce mix and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour

 

Masa

  • 1 ½ – 2 lbs. Masa (6 cups)
  • 2 cups crisco
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Pinch of soda
  • Mix well with hands
  • 6-8 cups liquid
    • Pork stock from cooker and chicken stock
    • Add slowly, mix well and then add more; needs to be thick and fluffy; plan on lots of mixing

Husks

  • Wash and soak corn husks in pot of water and keep weighted down
  • Spread masa on husks, add mound of meat and roll
    • There is a trick with the masa – use a tortilla press to spread the masa on the husk; check out several YouTube videos for ideas
  • Place in steamer and cook over boiling water for 1 ½ hours; be sure to keep water in the steamer to keep it from scorching
    • To keep the steam from settling on the top layer, cover with aluminum foil
    • We use a large steamer we purchased just for tamales. It stands about 20 in. tall with a large water reservoir.