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Recipe: Tamales

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Tamale is a Mexican dish that consists of corn husk-wrapped bundles infused with masa (corn-based dough) and delicious fillings. The recipe is famous all over Latin America, and the meat used in the dish can be substituted with any fillings. Vegetarians or vegans can even opt for vegetables instead of meat.

Tamales should not be eaten with the husk! They are enjoyed by scooping it out of the husk, topped with salsa. The dish can be eaten as a snack, or it can even be served during a gathering with friends and family.

Want to try the Tamales out? Check out the recipe down below!

Ingredients (4 servings):

  • 1 piece of a large onion
  • 1 ¼ lb of pork loin
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 cups of water
  • 4 pieces of Chile pods
  • 1 ½ tsp of salt

(Tamale Dough)

  • 1 can of beef broth
  • 2 cups of masa harina
  • ½ tsp of salt
  • ⅔ cup of lard
  • 1 tsp of baking powder
  • Dried corn husks
  • 1 cup of sour cream

Directions:

  1. In a pot, place pork loins with some garlic and onion and then immerse it in water. Bring the heat up to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer, allowing the meat to cook for about 2 hours.
  2. Proceed to use rubber gloves to remove the stems and seeds found in the chile pods. Submerge the chile pods in 2 cups of water, in a saucepan. Simmer the mixture for about 20 minutes and then leave it to cool in room temperature. Place the diluted chiles in a blender and blend it until it has a smooth consistency.
  3. Strain the mixture through a strainer and then stir well with some salt before leaving it aside. Slice the cooked meat and then combine it with the chile sauce.
  4. Immerse the corn husks in a bowl of warm water. Proceed to beat the lard with a tablespoon of broth until it has a soft and fluffy consistency. Mix the masa harina, salt and baking powder and then proceed to combine it into the lard mixture. The texture should be like a spongy dough.
  5. Proceed to spread the dough out over the corn husks. In the centre of the dough, add at least one tablespoon of meat filling. Begin folding the sides of the husks to the centre and then place it in a steamer to be steamed for an hour.
  6. Remove the tamales from the corn husks and sprinkle some chile sauce all over it. Add some sour cream as a topping.