Tamales are, by nature, and extremely labor intensive and time consuming meal to prepare...however, sooooooooooo worth it!! This would be a great opportunity to cook with your children or grand-children or any children near you. This will make a large amount so either have a large family, invite company over or get out your freezer bags.
Make sure you have a steamer or pressure cooker before you even begin.
Tamale Filling
- 1 Pork Roast (It is good if it is a little on the fatty side...you will need the juice that renders later)
- 2-3 cans of Hunts Spicy Red Pepper diced tomatoes (or plain if you would like)
- One diced white onion
- One diced green bell pepper
- 5 diced garlic cloves
- If you have any "left-over" bacon grease you can add (optional...unless you are from the south, like myself!!)
- Garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper (These are all "to taste")
- (Also, for my Gluten Free Friends, aka "GFF's", use McCormic Brand spices as they are one of the only brands that is Gluten Free)
Place all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low until meat is falling apart (about 10 hrs.) Then shred all of the meat with a fork and leave in juice until ready to fill tamales. Next, gather these ingredients...
Tamale Casing
- masa
- corn husk
- about a cup or so of water
(1) Mix the masa using the drippings from the meat first.
(2) Then add water if needed.
(3) While mixing the masa submerge the husks in water to soften them.
(4) Lay out a corn husk and spread masa on the upper half of the husk about the thickness of a quarter. (If masa doesn't spread well, i.e. "somewhat smooth but sticky", add more liquid to it)
(5) Place a portion of the meat in the center of what you have spread on the corn husk vertically.
(6) Lay one side of the corn husk over the center and then fold back the corn husk leaving the masa partially folded...then repeat on the other side...you should have something now that resembles a unwrapped tamale laying on top of an empty corn husk.
(7) Roll the tamale up in the corn husk and then fold the bottom portion of the husk upward to seal off the bottom.
(8) Repeat numerous times (Don't you just love how specific I am being...it really just depends on the size of the roast.)
Cooking the Tamales
(1) Place the tamales open-end-up in a steamer.
(2) Allow them to steam until masa is somewhat firm and "browned" on the tips (this will mean that the portion inside the husk is cooked but still soft and moist.
**Note: I find it better to steam these in small batches unless you have a large steamer.
Eating the Tamales
Really...at this point after you have been smelling the meat and the tamales for hours on end...I really don't need to describe how to eat them.
