Thank you everyone who helped with my tamale questions at 23239

C

cheezz

Well-known member
I made a tri tip roast using my Texas Shredded Beef recipe, defatted the drippings and stirred them back into the shredded beef. Then I made Pat's delicious red chile sauce and added scoops of that to the shredded beef until it was plenty moist. I went with the lard instead of butter because the market had fresh lard and I couldn't resist. Will have to try the butter recipe just because smileys/smile.gif

I also made some with corn and queso fresco to which I added a couple tsp of the red chile sauce. They were SOOOOOO good!

Oh, and I boosted the sauce flavor with powdered New Mexico chile powder and more salt which did, indeed help. I think some of the chiles may have just been too old/flavorless.

 
Congratulations! Getting the first batch under your serape always feels good.

Glad you had success. I'll have to try the queso fresco variation.

I'm making a ton this weekend.

Michael

 
The difficult part was the wrapping...I watched 14 videos on YouTube

All of them have you spread masa on the top half of the husk, put in filling, then roll up from one side; fold up the bottom point and tie off. That means the top is exposed.

I did a test batch and was trying to put masa in the middle, fill, roll, and fold over both end to overlap as instructed. Well, unless your tamale is 1-1/2" long, there is no way those ends are going to meet much less overlap. I would fold up the end, tie with husk piece, then repeat on the other end. Half my ties fell off within 10 min. What a mess.

So I went back to the first method, getting stuff too close to the top I guess because it cooked up and out the top of most of them.

 
I use the open-top method. It is a little tricky, but once you get the hang of it...

...it's not too hard to master.

A few tips, for the next batch:

1. Buy husks that are long and wide at the top. The more husk you have to work with, the easier it is. There are a few brands available here, and I look carefully at the package to make sure I'm getting good ones. Soak them in hot water for a couple of hours and then sort them. Use the biggies for the wrapper and the little ones can be torn up for "ties".

2. Make sure your masa isn't too runny. It should be somewhere between thick cake batter and peanut butter. That way it will "contain" the filling and not squirt out when you tie it off.

3. Don't tie them too tight. They will swell, and push the ties off.

4. Always leave a little room between the tamales when you position them in the steamer. They tend to swell a bit as they heat and if you pack them too tightly they will push against each other and squirt out the tops.

5. I don't roll the tamales. I spread a layer of masa on the top 2/3's of the husk, as it lays on the counter in front of me. The large end should be up, and the pointy end down. Spread the masa so it comes within 1/2" to 3/4" from the top edge, and about an inch or two from the sides, depending on how wide the husk is. Leave the bottom third of the husk free of masa.

Place a few tablespoons of filling down the middle of the masa, with a little masa still showing on the bottom. Grasp the sides of the husk and bring the masa together around the filling, with the husks meeting in the middle. Then, bend one side of the husk back on itself and allow the other side to go over the top. Does that make sense? Then fold the pointy end upward to seal the bottom and tie it off with a thin piece of husk or string. The filling should be completely surrounded by the masa and not show through the husk.

It takes a bit of practice, but it is not hard once you get the hang of it.

Michael

 
GREAT tips, Michael. Cheezz, nice job for your first attempt. As Michael says, it does get easier

with practice. I see more homemade tamales in your future! smileys/smile.gif

 
Thanks Michael and Pat...I think the masa was too wet maybe? as the filling

was poking thru here and there. It was delicious, though, and the right thickness. I'm definitely doing them again.

 
Thanks Traca. That's how I ended up folding mine too. My masa was musher than that though

Directions say 'like thick cake batter' so that's what I did - super messy. These pictures make the masa look more solid.

 
Did you chill it? That was the missing piece when I first made mine. I followed

my friend Naomi's recipe...it has tons of photos. Her masa looked firmer. Fortunately, I could call her and ask about that. I chilled it for about an hour or two.

See the dough in the portioning step? Chilled.

And I used her folding method. (I prefer corn husks to banana leaves, but the folding method works the same way.)

http://seattlemexicanfoodblog.typepad.com/vvblog/2009/06/fat-is-not-a-fourletter-word.html#tpe-action-posted-6a00e55279aa28883301761778891a970c

 
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