Little packages of masa, red chile sauce, slow cooked seasoned pork… just a few ingredients for a tamale.
Mexican food is a favorite cuisine in Texas to have at Christmas and that includes tamales. We love them! The other Spoon of the 2 Spoon’s really loves the pork tamales, I consider him an expert at how tamales should taste 😃 and he says these are delicious!
Making tamales does take a little practice, but after you get the hang of it, they come together quickly.
I find getting all of my ingredients before me speeds up the process whether making them alone or with others.
I steam them in an Asian bamboo dumpling steamer that I place over a pot of boiling water, but you can use a large pot with a little water in the bottom, a grate or steamer basket to set them above the water and stack them lengthwise in the pot.
Serve them with your favorite salsa, guacamole, queso, with rice or beans, however you desire but you will love these!
New Mexico Red Chile Tamales
Ingredients
For the filling
- 3-4 cups Pork Butt Roast (See below)
- 1 cup New Mexico Red Chile (See below)
For the Masa Dough
- 2 cups Mesca Tamal
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 cup lard or shortening
- 3-4 tbsp New Mexico Red Chile Sauce
- 1 1/2 cup broth from the pork butt roast, water, or chicken broth, warmed
Instructions
For the Filling
- Chop the cooled pork butt roast into small pieces. Add the red chile and combine. I add jalapeno which is optional.
For the Masa Dough
- Combine the Mesca Tamal or Masa with the salt and baking powder.
- Add the lard, the warmed broth, the red chile sauce and combine with the dry ingredients. You want a soft dough that will be easy to spread.
For building the tamales
- Place corn husk in a bowl of water to soften.
- Remove a husk from the water, pat a little dry with a paper towel and spread about 1/4 cup of the dough, starting from the broad end and working down, leaving about 2 inches at the bottom that you will fold over to seal the tamales later. I use my hands to press the dough down.
- Add a tablespoon or two of the filling to the dough.
- Take one side of the corn husk and press over the filling, leaving the masa on the filling.
- Do the same on the other side, then take one side of the husk and place over the filling, tucking in and rolling. When rolled, fold that bottom portion over to form a little package. It takes a little, but you will get the hang of it.
- Layer the tamales in a steamer basket, like I have, or you can get a large pot, add a little water to the bottom, maybe an inch or so, add a steamer plate or basket and stand up the tamales in the pot until full.
- Heat the water to a simmer, put a lid on the steamer or pot and cook for about 1 1/2 hour. Remove and enjoy with your favorite topping!
Pork Butt Roast
I love a roasted pork butt roast. It is great as a Sunday pot roast with potatoes, carrots and a pan dripping gravy, or in this case I’m using it for posole, tacos, and tamales. So simple and so good!
Ingredients
- 1 6-8 lb pork butt roast
- salt and pepper
- granulated garlic
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously salt, pepper and add granulated garlic to all sides of the roast. Place the roast in a roasting pan fat side up, slightly scoring the fat so the spices will penetrate. Place in the oven and cook at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until the fat has browned on top. Turn the oven to 325, cover with plastic wrap and foil and cook until the internal temperature reaches about 195-200. Since I’m using this pork in tamales and other dishes, I want it to be falling off the bone tender. When done, remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes reserving the broth and drippings. Use in your favorite recipes.
****If you are cooking this pork butt for pozole I think cooking it in a crockpot is best because you want all the delicious broth. To do that brown the roast on all sides, add a generous portion of salt and pepper on all sides and lots of garlic. Place in crock pot with chicken stock or water to 2/3 cover the roast. Cook on low or high whichever you prefer. When finished remove the roast and reserve the drippings.
New Mexico Red Chile Sauce
Ingredients
For the chile pods
- 25 Dried Red chile pods with stems and seeds removed
- Water to cover the chile pods
For the Purée to make the final sauce
- 1/2 Tsp Cumin
- 1 Tsp Mexican oregano, crushed
- 1 Tsp Granulated garlic
- Salt to taste
Instructions
For the Chile pods
- Wash and remove stems and seeds from New Mexico dried chile pods.
- Cover the chile pods with water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and cook about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool a little.
- Transfer the chile pods and water to a food processor and purée until smooth. Pour the mixture into a colander and strain seperating the pulp from the skin.
- To finish the sauce. In a sauce pan add the strained chile and the spices. Heat and simmer a few minutes adding water if too thick and checking for salt.
- Use in your favorite recipes like enchiladas, posole, on pork, tacos….It is so good!
