Kid Friendly Tamales
- Number of Servings: 24
Ingredients
1 recipe masa harina masa 1 1/3 lb ground pork1 1/3 pound ground beef1 1/3 pound ground veal2 lb ground turkey4 cups grated cheddar cheeseMasa for Tamales 7 cups chicken stock 2 cups butter12 cups dry masa harina flour about 24 dried corn husks, prepared for tamales, with some extra for tying
Prepare the masa.
Cook meat and set aside to cool.
Assemble the tamales by placing about 1/3 cup masa in the center of the smooth side of a corn husk. Top with meat mixture and cheese. Fold the side of the tamale towards the center. Twist each end and secure with a tie. Steam.
Makes About 2 Dozen Tamales
To prepare the Masa:
Heat the stock until it is warm.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the 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 the masa mixture from bowl and set aside. Beat the butter 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.
Makes About 15 Cups -- Enough for 2 Dozen Tamales
Most often, you'll be using dried cornhusks to wrap your tamales. You can purchase these from Latin markets.
At least 30 minutes before assembling your tamales, soak the dried husks in hot water -- use a heavy plate or other object to keep the husks submerged. After soaking and before using, rinse the husks to remove any dirt or corn silk. Separate and stack the husks in a large bowl. To prevent the husks from drying out while working, cover the bowl with a clean, damp towel.
You can make ties to secure the wrappings by tearing a few of the husks, lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips. If you need longer ties, simply tie 2 or more strips together.
If you prefer to use banana leaves to wrap your tamales, look for fresh or frozen ones in well stocked Asian or Latin markets.
Where you place the filling on the husk will depend on the wrapping style you choose (see some of the most popular below), however, no matter how you tie them, the masa should always be spread on the smooth side of the corn husk. You'll use between 1/3 - 1/2 cup masa per tamale. Count on between 2-4 tablespoons of fillings/sauces per tamale, depending on the recipe you are making. When adding fillings and sauces, place them in the center of the masa before wrapping.
Tamales are steamed until the masa dough becomes firm and easily pulls away from the corn husk or banana leaf wrapper.
So how will you know when your tamales are finished cooking? Easy.
Most tamale fillings and sauces are already cooked, so when we test for doneness, we are really talking about testing the masa dough. Before you remove all the tamales from your steamer, take a pair of kitchen tongs and remove a single tamale. Carefully start to unwrap a small corner of the tamale -- if the masa is still wet and sticking to the corn husk or banana leaf, it's not done. Re-wrap your test tamale and put it back in the steamer for a while. Test another tamale a little later -- when the wrapping easily and cleanly separates from the tamale inside, the tamales have been cooked enough.
Number of Servings: 24
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user PHRAUGIE.
Cook meat and set aside to cool.
Assemble the tamales by placing about 1/3 cup masa in the center of the smooth side of a corn husk. Top with meat mixture and cheese. Fold the side of the tamale towards the center. Twist each end and secure with a tie. Steam.
Makes About 2 Dozen Tamales
To prepare the Masa:
Heat the stock until it is warm.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the 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 the masa mixture from bowl and set aside. Beat the butter 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.
Makes About 15 Cups -- Enough for 2 Dozen Tamales
Most often, you'll be using dried cornhusks to wrap your tamales. You can purchase these from Latin markets.
At least 30 minutes before assembling your tamales, soak the dried husks in hot water -- use a heavy plate or other object to keep the husks submerged. After soaking and before using, rinse the husks to remove any dirt or corn silk. Separate and stack the husks in a large bowl. To prevent the husks from drying out while working, cover the bowl with a clean, damp towel.
You can make ties to secure the wrappings by tearing a few of the husks, lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips. If you need longer ties, simply tie 2 or more strips together.
If you prefer to use banana leaves to wrap your tamales, look for fresh or frozen ones in well stocked Asian or Latin markets.
Where you place the filling on the husk will depend on the wrapping style you choose (see some of the most popular below), however, no matter how you tie them, the masa should always be spread on the smooth side of the corn husk. You'll use between 1/3 - 1/2 cup masa per tamale. Count on between 2-4 tablespoons of fillings/sauces per tamale, depending on the recipe you are making. When adding fillings and sauces, place them in the center of the masa before wrapping.
Tamales are steamed until the masa dough becomes firm and easily pulls away from the corn husk or banana leaf wrapper.
So how will you know when your tamales are finished cooking? Easy.
Most tamale fillings and sauces are already cooked, so when we test for doneness, we are really talking about testing the masa dough. Before you remove all the tamales from your steamer, take a pair of kitchen tongs and remove a single tamale. Carefully start to unwrap a small corner of the tamale -- if the masa is still wet and sticking to the corn husk or banana leaf, it's not done. Re-wrap your test tamale and put it back in the steamer for a while. Test another tamale a little later -- when the wrapping easily and cleanly separates from the tamale inside, the tamales have been cooked enough.
Number of Servings: 24
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user PHRAUGIE.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 654.1
- Total Fat: 45.9 g
- Cholesterol: 139.9 mg
- Sodium: 389.8 mg
- Total Carbs: 34.9 g
- Dietary Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 25.9 g
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