How to Make Authentic Mexican Tamales Chelsie Kenyon - About.com Guide
go to original December 21, 2012

If you are new to the art of making tamales, this is a great place to start. First you need to make sure you have all of the ingredients and tools and then you can learn how to wrap and steam them.

They are delicious any time of year, but since we tend to make them in huge batches, they are primarily made during the winter holidays.

Making a batch of tamales is a great excuse to gather in the kitchen with friends and family for a day of cooking.

How long does it take to make Tamales?

Making tamales is not difficult, but it is a very time consuming process. It can take a whole day to prepare a large batch of tamales. To save time, you can prepare the dough and fillings on one day and wrap and steam them on the next.

What You Need:

• Corn husks
• Large bowl or sink for soaking the corn husks
• Container or plastic bag for keeping the husks from drying out
• Tamale dough
• Fillings
• Steaming bucket or something you can steam them in

Prepare the Ingredients:

It is important to make sure you have, or can get, all of the ingredients you will need to make tamales. First, read through the recipe dough for tamales and make a list of what you will need to get. Then, choose a filling and add those ingredients to your list along with corn husks to steam them in.

You will also need a large steamer in which to cook the tamales. This can be a special tamale steamer, or an extra-large pot with a steaming basket in the bottom. Once you have the steamer and the ingredients ready you can begin making the tamales.

Start by preparing the dough. Next, prepare the desired fillings that you are going to use. Then, prepare the corn
husks and wrap the tamales. Steam them in a large steamer for 90 minutes.

Dough Ingredients:

• 6 cups masa harina (corn flour)
• 5 cups warm water or low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups lard or shortening
• 3 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoon cumin
• 3 tablespoon chile powder
• 2 teaspoons salt

Dough Preparation:

In a mixing bowl combine masa and warm water or broth until combined. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes or so to let the masa soften. Then mix it on low speed until a dough forms.
 
After the Masa Harina is prepared, gradually add in the salt, cumin and onion powder by sprinkling them over the dough as you mix it.

In a separate bowl, whip lard or shortening about three minutes or until fluffy. Add the lard to the dough a little at a time while mixing until well combined.

The mixture should be about the consistency of peanut butter. If not, add more masa harina, water or broth as necessary.

Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Fillings:

Authentic Tamale Filling (but you can use a variety to suit your taste and preferences)
• 3 cups shredded beef
• 8 large roasted chiles - skin, seeds and veins removed and coarsely chopped.
• 1 white onion - peeled and coarsely chopped.
• 6 cloves of garlic - peeled and crushed.
• 1 jalapeno - seeded and diced
• 3 potatoes - peeled, boiled and chopped into large chunks.
• 1 cup homemade chile sauce or store bought.

Green Chile
• 1 cup green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 3 cups shredded Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup green chile sauce
• 1/2 cup whole corn kernels added to dough

México del Sur
• 2 cups shredded chicken, seasoned with hoja santa (you can substitute fennel)
• 1 cup fresh, whole corn kernels
• 1 cup finely diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup red chile sauce

Yucutan
• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken marinated in citrus flavors
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Making tamales is easy once you get the hang of it. It may take you a little longer to make the first few, but after you learn the ropes, you'll have a whole batch ready in no time.

Here's How:

1. Sort the husks
Go through the corn husks removing any debris. Separate the larger usable pieces from the smaller bits and pieces. Save the smaller pieces for later.

2. Soak the husks
Place the husks into a large bowl. Cover husks with warm water. Set a heavy item (like a heavy bowl or mug) on top of the husks to keep them submerged.

3. Prepare the husks
Remove the husks from the water and pat dry. Place into a covered dish or a large plastic bag to prevent from drying out. Use only the larger and medium sized husks for the tamales. The smaller ones can be used later for ties or patches. When looking at the husk, notice the shape. They have a narrow end, a broad end, and two long sides.

4. Adding the dough
Lay a husk on a flat surface. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of dough onto the husk, depending on the size of the husk. Use the back of a metal spoon to spread the dough onto the husk. When spreading the dough, leave a space of about 4 inches from the narrow end of the husk and about 2 inches from the other end. Spread the dough to the edge of one of the long sides and 2 inches away from the other long side. Try to keep the dough approximately 1/4 inch thick.

5. Filling
Spread a couple of spoonfuls of filling down the center of the dough, leaving at least one inch of dough around the sides.

6. Folding
Locate the long side with a 2 inch space with no masa. Fold that over, slightly overlapping the other side so the edges of the dough meet. Wrap the extra husk around the back.

Then fold the broad end over the top and then the longer narrow end over the broad end.

7. Tying
Create strips of husk by cutting or tearing 1/4 inch lengths off of some of the smaller or unusable husks. Use these to tie across the middle of the tamale to hold the flaps down.

8. Steaming
Set tamales upright in a steamer. You can buy large steamers made just for this purpose. You may have something else you can use to create the same effect. The key is to have a small amount of boiling water on the bottom of the pot and a colander or mesh of some sort to keep the tamales away from the water.

Steam for about 90 minutes.

Tips:

1. Do not let the water boil up completely. Add hot water to the pot as necessary but keep it away from the tamales.
2. If some of the husks are too small or you have trouble closing them, use extra pieces of husk to wrap around the open areas.
3. You can also use kitchen twine to tie off the tamales.

How to serve Tamales:

Traditionally a tamal is served plain, as is. Just pull off the corn husk and enjoy. Or you can place them on a plate and top them with a sauce. For example, green chile sauce for pork or chicken, or a red chile sauce for beef. Sometimes tamales are served in the corn husks, and sometimes they are opened and removed for you.

Leftover Tamales:

They will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days or you can freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Edited by Team Angels