JIM WELLER wrote to BILL SWISHER <=-
I had tamales on Kauai made with banana leaves.
I would imagine that there'd be a subtle difference in flavour. My
easiest solution would be to use parchment paper but that would be
lacking any vegetable leaf flavour infusion at all.
I cannot imagine *any* flavour from dried corn husks. And since I am
allergic to bananananas ....... Anyway - tamales are a Mesoamerican dish
so both maize and banana leaves are used in the origin area of the dish.
Some people like 'em. Others ..... (I'm in the others camp).
They're also a lot of frimping work. Rather like dolamdes. But, dolamdes
are tastier.
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
Title: Tamales
Categories: Pork, Vegetables, Chilies, Herbs
Yield: 24 tamales
MMMMM---------------------------MEAT---------------------------------
2 lb Pork shoulder
1/2 lg Onion; rough chopped
3 cl Garlic; smashed
2 California bay leaves
1 ts Cumin seed; crushed
3 tb Kosher salt (1.5 tb salt)
MMMMM--------------------------SAUCE---------------------------------
8 Dried NuMex chilies
2 Roma tomatoes
1 ts Cumin seed; crushed
1 ts Kosher salt (.5 ts salt)
1/4 c Dry masa flour for tamales
MMMMM--------------------------DOUGH---------------------------------
1 c Lard
4 c Dry masa
1 tb Baking powder
2 ts Kosher salt (1 ts salt)
4 c Warm chicken broth
MMMMM------------------------ASSEMBLING------------------------------
1 Bag dried corn husks (24)
BRAISE THE MEAT: Place the pork in a pot with the onion,
garlic, bay leaves, cumin, salt and enough water to
cover 2/3 of the meat; bring to a boil and reduce to a
simmer. Cook for about 2 hours or until the meat is fork
tender and easy to shred. Reserve.
MAKE THE SAUCE: Heat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Stem the
chilies and seed if desired. Place on a baking sheet
and roast until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the toasted chilies to a medium saucepan along
with the tomatoes, cumin and salt. Cover with about 3
cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer
and cook for about 30 minutes or until the ingredients
are soft and fragrant. Cool.
Transfer the cooled sauce to a food processor and purée.
Add the masa and continue to blend until thick. Taste
and adjust the seasonings as desired. Reserve.
When the meat is cool, shred and combine with enough
sauce to moisten well. Taste and reseason as needed.
Transfer any extra sauce to an airtight container to
serve alongside the tamales or to freeze to use later.
Soak the corn husks in hot water for 30 minutes to an
hour or until malleable. Remove the husks and pat dry
with paper towels.
TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Using a standing or hand mixer, cream
the lard in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the
masa, baking powder and salt, and mix until combined;
the mixture will be dry and resemble peas. Begin adding
the warm stock about a cup at a time and continue to mix
until the dough becomes light and spongy. You may not
need the full 4 cups of stock.
Place a steamer in a large deep pot with a lid and fill
with 2" of water; bring to a boil and reduce to a low
simmer.
Hold a husk in one hand with the wide end facing you.
(If this is awkward you can also lay the husk flat on a
clean work surface.) Using a spatula, spread the masa
mixture in an even layer, no more than 1/4" thick, all
over the lower 2/3 of a husk leaving the pointed end
clean. Be sure to spread the masa all the way to the
right side of the husk, but leave at least 1/2" clean
on the left side so the batter doesn’t overlap when the
husks are sealed.
Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the meat and sauce mixture
into the center of the masa and fold the husk over to
enclose. Fold the top of the husk down like an envelope
and place in the prepared steamer.
Steam for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the masa is light
and fluffy and releases easily from the husk.
YIELD: About 24 tamales and sauce
NOTES: First, think of assembling tamales like making
crepes: The first one or two never work, but they help
you become comfortable with the process. Second, don’t
be tempted to overfill the tamales; a couple of good
tablespoons of filling will do it. If you use too much
it will make it harder to seal neatly and the filling
will likely seep out the top of the husk during cooking.
By Suzanne Lenzer
RECIPE FROM:
https://cooking.nytimes.com
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