| Mojave Tamales ~ Another variation for making tamales. This recipe should make about 16 tamales. 1¼ lbs boneless pork loin or shoulder (you can substitute with chicken or beef. If using beef your cooking time will be longer ) 2 oz chile pods or pasilla pods ~ shown on the left 1/8 cup cooking oil ¾ cup water ½ tbsp salt 16 corn husks ( In Spanish these are called hojas, pronounced oh-hahs ) 2¼ lbs prepared masa ~ see below Filling 1. Cover meat with cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until done, about 2 hours. 2. While meat is cooking remove stems and seeds from chile pods; roast lightly in 1/8 cup oil, place in blender, add water and blend until smooth. 3. Cut meat into small pieces and cook in ½ cup oil until browned. Add chile mixture and salt; cook for 10 minutes. Hojas = ( O-hahs ) 1. Soak hojas (corn husks) in warm water until soft (about 20 minutes). Clean thoroughly removing all corn silk. Preparation 1. Spread masa (tamale flour mixture) evenly over husks. Place a rounded tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center. Fold in sides, then bottom. Place in steamer basket. Cooking 1. Cook (steam) for one hour. Masa ( tamale dough ) 2 cups masa harina (tamale flour) 2 cups warm chicken broth 1 tsp baking powder 1 tbsp chile powder ½ tsp salt 2/3 cup lard or shortening Chile Pods If you want your tamales flavorful but not hot, use dry Guajillo (wah-he-yoh) pods, or pasilla pods. Pasilla is chile that has been dried, this is the more original chile pod for tamales, and can be found in many supermarkets. For hotter tamales add a few dried chile de arbol |
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