Tamales
For a lot of people, you can't spell Christmas without tamales. “Tamalada” is a Christmas-adjacent tradition that has been celebrated for generations, allowing families to spend time together and share in the task of tamale-making, which they can then eat and enjoy together. Like most food traditions, Tamalada is not just about eating. The humble tamale also illustrates the importance of community, as groups of women share the labor that comes with the complex and time-intensive process of making tamales.
We did tamales three ways: 1) refried beans 2) shredded cheese and 3) chicken, but you can make them with pork, beef, shrimp, nopales, or cactus, peppers and onions, chocolate, cinnamon, honey, or dulce de leche… encased in your masa, the filling is like a tiny present hiding under a pillow. There are endless possibilities for what to use for fillings since tamales can be either savory or sweet, and the only thing that limits tamale fillings is availability or preference.
We ate our tamales with Red Enchilada Sauce. It is smoky, slightly sweet, and spicy enough that it helped brighten up the taste of the tamales and give them a little punch. This worked as a great complement for all three of our savory options. You can enjoy tamales with a vast array of side dishes, or just stuff yourself silly with them. And don't worry about how many you'll make; since they take effort you want to have a lot of them, at the end. They freeze beautifully and last for up to three months in the freezer.
- 1 package (6 oz.) dried corn husks
- Pot of warm water for soaking
- 6 cups masa harina
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (8 ounces) refined coconut oil, room temperature (you could also use lard or vegetable shortening)
- 6 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 3 cups filling; we used refried beans, cheese, and shredded cooked chicken
- 1 Tablespoon Manzanillo Seasoning, divided over the different fillings (1 teaspoon per cup of filling)
- 2 cups Red Enchilada Sauce
- Place the cornhusks in a stockpot and cover them with warm water. Weigh them down with something if they tend to rise to the surface. Soak for 30 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add masa harina, Kosher Salt, Ground Cumin, and baking powder. Combine well. Add coconut oil and mix well. You may use a stand mixer, or use your hands. Gradually add vegetable stock. If using a mixer, mix for 10 minutes on low, or until smooth.
- The dough should be the consistency of peanut butter. Cover the bowl with a damp towel when finished.
- Prepare the filling. You’ll need about 3 cups. Allow 1 teaspoon Manzanillo Seasoning per cup of the preferred filling.
- Assemble the tamales. Place a soaked cornhusk on a cutting board. Spread about ¼ cup of the masa onto the corn husk. Use a spoon, or your fingers to spread a rectangle out.
- Add a heaping Tablespoon of filling to the center of the masa.
- Fold the cornhusk in half vertically. Carefully, fold the husk so that the masa wraps around the filling. Continue folding the husk completely around the filling, sort of like a burrito.
- Using the skinny end as the top, fold it down. Using strips of cornhusk, tie the folded end securely.
- Place tamales in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and steam for 25-30 minutes. The masa should separate easily from the husk when the tamales are done.
- Serve with Red Enchilada Sauce.
