Tamale Time

I made my first tamale in highschool as part of a creative literature pnroject. And since then, the requests from the family keep coming! So here is my easy, lard-free ritual, enjoy!

Masa flour (about 3 cups)

Water (about 3 cups)

Shredded meat (cooked chicken, pork, or beef--about 3cups)

Salsa (about 1 cup)

Shredded mexican blend cheese (about 3 cups)

Optionals:

Can of corn and/or creamed corn

Chopped olives (about 1 cup)

Cumin (about 2 tablespoons)

Mexican blend seasoning (about 1/2 cup)

Mix it all together and start rolling it up!

 

It's best to boil the corn husks the night prior to tamale assembly. Allow them to sit out overnight to drain off excess liquid. You could also cook the meat the day before, we had left over carnitas from Christmas to use this time around. Saved.So.Much.Time. Once assembled, steam the tamales for about thirty minutes then package (or eat!) and freeze. For better texture, I prefer baking the tamales prior to eating (350' until heated through). When I get my hands on the carnitas recipe, I will add that in for ya!