Tamale's

[CTR0022]

Anyone got a good Tamale recipe they don't mind sharing.

Thanks

[cashbuck]

My tamale recipe

I give my brother in law, who works in constuction, two bags of deboned venison weighing about 7 pounds each. He delivers them to his employee on friday. They make 20+ dozen tamales over the weekend, and I get half of them delivered to me on monday.

It is the best recipe I have found.

[teamfirstcast]

Here is a traditional recipe I've done before. You can mix in venison with the pork. Or make red or black bean tamales, also very good. Lotsa work so get some helpers! Enjoy!!

Recipe for the Masa:
4 1/2 cups masa harina for tamales
3/4-1 cup of lard
4 cups of broth (either the broth that the pork was cooked in or chicken broth)
2 tbs paprika
2 tbs garlic salt
1tbs of cayenne pepper (more if you like it hot)
2 tsps baking powder

Whip the lard until it is fluffy, then add masa and mix with broth. When everything is mixed, add other ingredients. Continue to mix for another 10 minutes or so until piece of masa floats in a glass of water. Hopefully, you are using an electric mixer because it takes awhile by hand.
Recipe for the Meat Filling:
5 to 6 pound pork butt roast or boneless pork shoulder
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
6 cloves of garlic
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
In a large saucepan, combine meat, onion, garlic, bay leaves and oregano. Add just enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until meat is fork-tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Let meat cool in broth, them remove and tear into shreds. Put meat in medium bowl, cover and set aside or refrigerate until ready to use. Strain broth, skim fat, and reserve to use in making meat filling.
You will need about six dozen purchased cornhusks. These will be dry and have dust and corn silk, so you will need rinse them off, then soak in hot water at least 30 minutes to soften. When ready to use, shake off the excess water and pat dry with a towel.
Make the Tamales:
You will have:
Corn Husks
Tamale Dough
Meat filling
Spread a thin coating of the dough over the broadest part of the husk, allowing for turning down about 1 1/2 inches at the broadest part of the leaf and about 3 inches at the top. That is to say for a good-sized tamale, you will spread the dough over an area approximately 3 inches wide and 3 1/2 inches long.
Spread the filling down the middle of the dough. Overlap the sides of the husk loosely, to allow the dough to expand. Turn up the pointed end of the leaf and turn the broader end over it. You can tear some husks lengthwise to make narrow strips for tying to keep moisture out, but I do not tie mine, since I keep them packed well in the steamer. You want the tamale to be watertight so the dough will cook up light and spongy. If moisture gets in, it will be soggy.
Cooking the tamales:
The easiest way to cook the tamales is in a conventional steamer. You can purchase tamale steamers at the Mexican Market. I cook mine in an old steamer and also use an oriental bamboo steamer set in a wok.
Fill the bottom of the steamer with water up to the level indicated and bring it to a boil. Line the top of the steamer with cornhusks, covering the bottom and sides well. Stack the tamales upright. For best results, they should be firmly packed, put not too tightly, as the dough needs room to expand some. Once you have the tamales in the steamer, cover them with more cornhusks. Cover the top of the steamer with a tea towel to catch the condensation from the lid of the steamer. Cover the steamer with a tightly fitted lid.
As the water in the steamer comes to a boil, put a coin in the bottom. You should hear the coin clinking in the bottom of the steamer. If you do not hear it, you need to add more hot water. Keep a pan of water boiling on the stove so you can add water as needed. Let the tamales cook 1 to 1 1/2 hours over a medium flame.
To test the tamales for doneness, remove one from the center and one from the side of the steamer. As you open the husks, the dough should come away from the husks easily and be smooth, spongy and well cooked throughout.
They can be eaten right way, stored in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat the tamales, wrap in foil and place in 350-degree oven about 30 minutes. Serve with red or green salsa or homemade venison chili.