Tamales

I normally make tamales around the holidays, mostly because of all the preparation involved in making them. I have learned if I make them in smaller quantities they are much more manageable

Ingredient for masa
1 pound of fresh ground masa  (tortilla factories, or some grocery stores carry fresh masa.)
1 cup lard or butter
1 cup of oil canola or safflower
2 soft bullion chicken cubes
1 1/2 water
1 package dried corn leaves
1 fresh cut corn off the cob

Meat filling
1 small pork roast
5 poblano peppers seeded and roasted
5 garlic cloves peeled
1 28oz can of red enchilada sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup brown sugar

Garnish
Sour cream
Franks, or Red Devil hot sauce

Slice and seed poblano peppers, roast in the oven until skins turn dark, on broiler setting

Place pork roast, peeled roasted poblano peppers,and garlic cloves to cook in crock pot for 8 hours. Or you may cook it the night before.

To prepare the masa start by placing the masa in a large bowl, notice how dry, course it is in appearance. 

.Work the lard in by hand.

Add the oil, Add chicken bullion to the water until well incorporated, last add the corn off of 1 fresh ear of corn. The masa should have a farina like texture. Set to the side while preparing the filling.

Pull the pork roast apart add to a bowl, Add the can of enchilada sauce.

Place the cooked roasted poblanos, with some enchilada sauce to grind completely as shown in the picture. Add to the bowl meat mixture it will add another layer of flavor, plus thicken the sauce. Add the 1/3 cup of brown sugar at this time also. Set to the side while preparing the corn leaves.

Place the dry leaves in large bowl with water to soften. Take leaves apart cleaning off the dry corn silk.

Spread masa about 1/4 inch thick with the back of a spoon. Just like buttering bread.. Placing masa at one edge leaving the other edge clean.

Place about 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling in the center.

Roll up.

Bend in the middle flip over on the other side.

I converted my pot into a tamale pot by adding a grate to keep an inch of space between the pot and the tamales.

I lined the pot with aluminum foil so the tamales would not fall into the water.

Line the tamales with the open end up, stacked against the wall of the pot. Add 3 cups of water in the bottom of the pot this will steam the tamales. cook on stove top at medium heat for 1 hour the steam from the bottom will cook the masa. Check for done by pulling one tamale out peel back corn leaf if it holds together it is done.

Garnish with sour cream and hot sauce. Enjoy!