I must have devoured a dozen each year (not all at once). I watched her make them and when I was old enough, I helped.
In later years, my dad and I made tamales together. I'm not sure if his recipe was the same as my grandmother's recipe, because he was quite the cook: Most likely he modified the tamale recipe to suit his sensibilities.
My children were probably too young to remember, but he also used the time at our house to sit and rock each of the kids. He so dearly loved his grandkids. It makes me smile in my heart to remember those special times. That's the joyful memory I have when I make tamales. Here's the recipe.
Pop's Pork Tamales
There are steps: First, you make the meat. Then, you make the meat mixture. You prepare the masa, and then you stage the meat filling and other filling ingredients ready, assemble the tamale, tie the ends, steam and eat.
Ingredient List:
4 pound pork butt
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
6 cups chicken stock
1 to 2 sticks of unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 cups Las Palmas enchilada sauce, store-bought
Tomato sauce
3 teaspoons brown sugar
4 cups masa harina (fine corn flour)
2 cups water, as needed
1 to 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
24 corn husks
Filling Ingredients:
Meat mixture
Can black olives, pitted
Package of walnut halves or pieces
Box fresh raisins
Directions
Meat Filling: In pressure cooker, add 3 tbls Crisco and sear meat on all sides. Remove meat from oil, and reduce heat: add onion and garlic. Gently saute until clear. Return meat to pot, add chicken stock, salt, pepper, cover and simmer (on 10 pressure) for 2 hours until meat can be shredded with a fork. Strain and set aside the juices. Shred beef and let it cool completely. Refrigerate overnight.
Meat Mixture: In a medium saute pan, add 1 tbls Crisco, and gently saute shredded meat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup enchilada sauce, 5-6 tablespoons tomato sauce, 3 teaspoons brown sugar, dash salt, dash pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.
Masa: Mix masa, chicken stock or water, butter and salt into a thick dough.
Soak husks in hot water for 30 minutes.
Assembly
Apply 5 tablespoons of the masa mix into the center of the corn husk. Push mix to 1-inch of the side of the husk. Add 2 tablespoons of the meat to center, 1 olive, 5 raisins, 1 piece of walnut and fold one edge of the husk to the center, and then fold the other side to cover entire tamale. Fold ends over by 2-inches. Tie each end with torn piece of corn husk so it looks like a party favor.
Use a steamer pan, or place a colander in large pot of boiling water, but do not let the colander touch the water. Place the tamales in the colander, cover and allow steam to rise to the top. Gently steam the tamales for 90 to 120 minutes.
Serve with remaining enchilada sauce, warmed; and grated cheddar cheese and cilantro sour cream garnish. Mouthwateringly delicious.
Makes 2 dozen tamales
Serves: 8 to 12
I've made these many times, and I've discovered that less masa spread on the corn husks and more meat filling is best.
That's it for today, blog.