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Showing posts with label Tamales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tamales. Show all posts

Saturday, April 26, 2014

TAMALES

Here is a very simple TAMALES RECIPE, where you use Parchment paper INSTEAD of Corn Husks.
Why?
Parchment paper is cheaper, quicker to put the Tamale together, and it steams faster. Corn husks need to be soaked FOREVER in water before you use them.




 


Yield: about 10 Tamales
Prep Time: 30 min or so
Cook Time: about 1 hour

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/461759768013378912/ 

 Ingredients:

2 cups masa harina (corn meal)
2 cups chicken broth (warmed up)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 medium yellow onion, diced fine
1 stick butter (not margarine, but butter)

FILLINGS: 
•handful Ground Sirloin, sauteed till brown in a DAB of Butter and dash of Oil
OR
•2 boneless Chicken Breasts, boiled in water for about 10-15 min, until done; cooled down, then sliced
up, diced up into bits
OR
•Some pulled Pork (preferrably WITHOUT BBQ sauce)
•handful of SHREDDED Chihuahua, Quesidilla, Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese

OPTIONAL FILLINGS:
•small can of jalepeno peppers, sliced in half, remove seeds, then dice up into bits
•you can also make JUST cheese tamales, and use a variety of finely diced and shredded cheeses as the filling.

TOPPING:
•thin slices of Mexican Farmer Cheese, Swiss, Mozzarella or Provolone cheese
and
•small can of (mild) Enchilada sauce

UTENSILS:
•Parchment paper (folded and cut into approx 6x6 or larger SQUARES) you'll need about 10 of these or so. Parchment paper is MUCH CHEAPER than soaking expensive corn husks in water for years and years, and easier too.
•Large Pot with lid
•Steamer basket or at least a metal colander
•Cake pan
•Tin Foil

DIRECTIONS:
1.Put corn meal, baking powder and a pinch of salt and pepper if you want into bowl.
2.Divide stick of butter in half
3.Put 1/2 stick butter and diced onions in saute pan, saute on medium flame till onions are soft. NOTE: To prevent butter from burning, add a dab or two of oil to this saute.


4.Take the other half stick of butter and cut up into slices, add to corn meal mixture
5.Take fork or potato masher and work butter into corn meal
6.Add sauteed onions WITH butter to the corn meal, stir in
7.Add a bit of Chicken Broth at a time to corn meal, mixing in. You want to get a "spreadable" PASTE mixture, not soupy.

                                   

8.Saute ground sirloin, or boil chicken breasts. Make sure it is cut up into small pieces
9.Take and practice with one square sheet of parchment paper. You'll want to take about 1/4 to 1/3 cup corn meal mix and press down till it's in a rectangle on the parchment paper, making it about 1/4 inch thick.
10.Put your filling choices in center

                                 

11.Take opposite corners of parchment paper and close up the corn meal mix to seal.
                                      
12.Wrap parchment paper around, then seal up the ends so they are on the same side. 

            

13.Pour water into pot, but don't let it go over the steamer basket
14.Place all tamales carefully on top of steamer basket
15.Cover and simmer/steam for about 1 hour
16.Half way thru, with tongs, remove a few tamales and make sure that the water has not boiled all away. Add a bit more water.
17.Remove tamales after about 1 hour, plate and let cool before unwrapping
18.Pour just a dab of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a tin foil lined cake pan, add a dab of water and swirl around. This will act as the base and prevent the tamales from sticking to the pan
19.Put the Tamales down in the pan
20.Top with more enchilada sauce
21.Top with cheese
22.Bake 350*F until cheese melts
23.remove with spatula, plate and serve with spanish rice, beans, etc
NOTE:
Butter is more healthy for you than cooking with lard. It makes these tamales moister, and "less plastic tasting than when made with Lard"
Wrapping them up in parchment paper is not only cheaper, but less time consuming than when using corn husks, and lessens the steaming/simmering process as well.
You can also freeze the still wrapped up tamales in a freezer bag once they have cooled down, then all you have to do is microwave them for a quick snack.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/461759768013378912/ 

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