Mexican Pork Tamales
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- Plus around 2 hours to simmer the meat till easy to shred
- More effort
- Makes Pieces
Skip to ingredients
Ingredients
For The masa (dough)
- 6 Cups of Corn Masa flour (mexican is best)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon Chilli Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- 1 pack Lard (or one cup Corn Oil) Lard is best
- 2 Tablespoons baking powder
- 6 cups of broth (see later stage of cooking)
For filling
- For filling
1.5 kilos shoulder pork (cut of skin and use for crackling)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon recado paste
- water to cover meat at least 20 cups
For Mole
- 10 dried chipotle chillies (soaked till soft then diced) or 3 fresh Habanero's
- 3 medium onions
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried Oregano (Mexican if you can get it)
- tin chopped tomatoes
- To Finish.
- about 50 dried corn husks.
- You will need a 20cm steamer this will hold approx 25 Tamales
- all hard to find ingredients can be found at www.tamalesonline.co.uk
Method
- STEP 1Cook the Pork.
- STEP 2Remove the skin from the shoulder and chop into big chunks, pop in large saucepan and cover with at least 20 cups of water add seasoning's and bring to the boil, simmer for around 2 hours till meat can be shredded. When pork is ready remove from broth and leave to cool, DO NOT DISCARD THE BROTH.
- STEP 3Prepare the MASA.
- STEP 4In a large mixing bowl add 6 cups of Masa Flour, cumin, salt, pepper,garlic powder, paprika and baking powder. Add 6 cups of retained broth and beat in well, dissolve the lard in a bowl in a microwave, when liquid beat in to the dough for about 10 mins to get some air into the mix, makes for a fluffier masa. Leave covered to cool.
- STEP 5Put your husks in a mixing bowl and cover with hot water to soften (about 30 mins).
- STEP 6To make the Mole.
- STEP 7fry onions till brown, add tomatoes, seasoning's and chillis add the remaining broth bring to the boil then turn down to simmer, add 1 cup of masa flour and stir until the mole thickens a bit. Leave to cool.
- STEP 8Prepare the filling.
- STEP 9Shred the pork with your fingers or 2 forks and put into a mixing bowl. Add mole until you have a nice moist mixture (not to runny)
- STEP 10Make your Tamales.
- STEP 11Take a husk place on a flat surface, take one tablespoon of masa dough and spread over husk to within 1 inch of the edges. Place one tablespoon of filling onto the centre of the masa, pick up husk and roll the masa over the filling roll into a tube flip up the pointed end to make a packet and tie with butchers string or a strip of husk. Place in your steamer and steam for 90 mins, till cooked.
- STEP 12Once cooked you can eat them or store in the freezer for later. I vacuum seal mine in pairs they will keep for 6 months (if you can keep your hands off them). Best eaten hot with a good slosh of salsa and a nice crisp salad. To reheat steam for about 10 mins or re heat in microwave for about 2 mins well covered until piping hot.