Big Earls My Mommas Hot Tamales Recipes

BIG EARL'S "MY MOMMA'S" HOT TAMALES

Steps:

• Place tamales wrappers in a container and cover with very warm water. You will need to weight them down with an inverted plate and a heavy can so they are completely covered with water.
• Place vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. When hot add garlic, and chopped onion and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Add ground beef and continue cooking until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Drain any excess fluid from the meat and set aside.
• Toast chilies in the cast iron skillet, making sure not to burn them. Allow to cool and then remove stems and seeds. Crumble and grind in a clean coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle
• Heat oil in the cast iron skillet. Mix in flour and allow to brown slightly. Pour in beef broth and stir until smooth. Mix in minced garlic, ground toasted chilies, cumin seeds, ground cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Let mixture simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until it thickens slightly. Add ground beef into skillet, stir well to cover all the meat and cover. Turn heat to low and let simmer 45 minutes. Add more beef broth if necessary to keep mixture from drying out but you do not want the meat sauce runny.
• Add the six cups of water, salt, and pepper to a pot and bring to a boil. Slowly pour in the grits stirring constantly. When all the grits have been introduced, cover the pot, turn the heat down to low and let them simmer for about fifteen to twenty minutes, stirring often. (You can add cheese to the grits if you like cheese grits) When the grits are thick (about the consistency of mashed potatoes) turn the heat off. As long as the heat is on the grits should be stirred frequently.
• Drain water from wrappers. One at a time, wring out the water and flatten out a wrapper (work on a flat surface). Put 1/4 cup of grits into the center of the wrapper and spread into a four inch square. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of meat mixture down the middle of the grits leaving one half inch border of grits on all four sides. (You can add some chopped fresh peppers of your choice if you want your tamales spicier) Gently lift up opposing sides of the wrapper (grits should meet at the top) and fold about 1/4 inch of the wrapper down onto itself. Continue to fold 1/4 inch of the wrapper down until there is no more to fold (do not mash the contents down). Then fold up both ends and fold the ends of the wrapper on top of the seam. You may tie both ends with a piece of butcher's twine if necessary to keep them folded. Your tamale should resemble a large sausage wrapped in cloth.
• (See Tip 1) Place tamales in a steamer basket, seam side down. Cover and steam over boiling water for one to two hours, until the grits are firm and holds their shape. Make sure the steamer does not run out of water (Add boiling water if needed). Serve immediately, allowing each person to unwrap their own tamales. Allow any leftovers (still in wrappers) to cool, then store in the refrigerator. They can also be placed in a zip lock bag and frozen. They will be just as good when later reheated in the steamer.
• NOTE 1. Cut six by six inch squares out of old white cotton sheets or table cloths. Be sure and wash them good and rinse all the soap and detergent out of them. Momma Used them just as if they were corn husk. After supper momma would wash the used ones twice, discarding any discolored ones, and save the rest for the next time she wanted to make tamales again.
• TIP 1. Instead of steaming the tamales by laying them down in a basket, try inverting a bowl in a large pot and standing the tamales on end around the bowl to create a funnel effect. This will produce a more even distribution of heat. Momma used a small bundt cake pan for her bowl. If she had to add water to the steamer she would just pour boiling water down the opening in the center of the bundt pan.

BIG EARL'S HOT TAMALES

Steps:

• Place corn husks in a large container and cover with very warm water. Allow to soak for at least 3 hours, until soft and pliable. You will need to weight them down with an inverted plate and a heavy can so they are completely covered with water.
• Place beef, garlic, and chili peppers (cut into quarter) in a large pot (See NOTE 1). Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and cover pot. Let simmer (add water if necessary to keep meat completely covered the entire cooking time) for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until beef is tender and shreds easily When beef is done, remove from pot, allow meat to cool slightly, and shred with forks.
• Continue to simmer the roast water with the garlic and peppers until you have cooked down to about 2 or 3 cups of cooking liquid. Remove from heat and strain the broth. Reserve broth to mix with the shredded meat and the masa dough in steps 5 and 6.
• Toast chilies in a cast iron skillet, making sure not to burn them. Allow to cool and then remove stems and seeds. Crumble and grind in a clean coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
• Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet. Mix in flour and allow to brown slightly. Pour in 1 cup meat broth and stir until smooth. Mix in minced garlic, ground toasted chilies, cumin seeds, ground cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Let mixture simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until it thickens slightly. Add shredded beef into skillet, stir well to cover all the meat and cover. Let simmer 45 minutes. Add more beef broth as necessary to keep mixture from drying out.
• (See TIP 2) Place lard (NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE LARD) and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whip with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Add masa and beat at low speed until well mixed. (If the reserved cooking liquid is extremely spicy I would cut it with water to keep from adding too much flavor to the masa dough). Add in reserved cooking liquid a little (one or two tablespoons full) at a time, while continuing to beat at low speed, until mixture is the consistency of soft cookie dough.
• Drain water from corn husks. One at a time, wring out most of the water and flatten out each husk, with the narrow end facing you, and spread approximately 1/4 cup of masa dough mixture onto about a four inch square. Spread 1 or 2 tablespoons of meat mixture down the middle of the masa dough. (You can add some chopped fresh peppers of your choice if you want your tamales spicier) Gently lift up both long ends of the husk (the dough should meet at the top) and fold about 1/4 inch of the corn husk down onto itself. Continue to fold 1/4 inch of the husk down until there is no more to fold. Then roll up the husks on one ends and fold the end of the husk onto the seam and tie with a piece of butchers' twine if necessary to keep it folded. Leave the large end open, and stand the tamales in the steamer with the large end up (See Tip 3).
• Place tamales in a steamer basket, seam side down. Steam over boiling water for approximately one hour, until masa is firm and holds its shape. Make sure steamer does not run out of water (Add boiling water if needed). Serve immediately, allowing each person to unwrap their own tamales. Allow any leftovers (still in wrapper) to cool, then store in the refrigerator.
• NOTE 1. The meat may be any good boneless cut of lean beef and may be cooked in a crock pot if you have one. Just be sure you have two or three cups of liquid left to use in making the meat sauce and masa dough.
• NOTE 2.(Wikipedia:Start) Masa is Spanish for dough. In the Americas, it is often short for masa de maíz, a maize (corn) dough made from freshly prepared hominy. It is used for making corn tortillas, tamales, pupusas, arepas and many other Latin American dishes. The dried powdered form is called masa harina, masa de harina, and sometimes maseca, the name of a leading commercial brand. It is reconstituted with water before use. (Wikipedia:End) The dry powdered form of masa can usually be found in the "Mexican" section of most large grocery stores or in any small Mexican owned family store. If you have a Mexican owned family store where you live there is also a good chance of buying the masa dough already made up and ready to use, however it will probably have been made with water instead of beef broth so it will not have that extra flavor. I would rather mix my own so the meat broth will flavor the masa dough. A Mexican owned family store is probably your best bet for buying corn husk also.
• NOTE 3. Corn husk may be hard to find. If you can't find any you can substitute cloth wrappers. Cut six inch by six inch squares out of white cotton sheets or table cloths. Be sure they are cotton and have been washed and rinsed and are clean. I usually buy new ones, wash them, and then cut them into squares. Use them in this recipe just as if they were corn husk. After using I wash mine twice, discard any discolored ones, and save the rest for the next time I want to make tamales and can't find any corn husk. I learned this trick from my momma years ago.
• TIP 1. If you have never attempted tamales, here are some important tips: boil garlic and dried or fresh peppers (your favorite kind of pepper) in water for 30-ish minutes then put the meat in that broth (leave peppers/garlic etc. in the water) and add lots of other spices. This broth flavors the meat very well. I like spicy so I use tons of peppers. The meat should be cooked long enough that it practically crumbles to the touch, this makes it easier and faster to shred by hand. I usually cook mine 4 hours to overnight depending on the cut of meat. Two important things to remember: masa is very bland and there is no substitute for lard in the "masa dough". Always keep the strained meat broth for use in flavoring the masa dough. You may still add other flavoring agents to the meat sauce, El Pato (Mexican style tomato sauce) if you can find it is spectacular. When making the tamales, the corn husks should only be about five or six inches across, any larger need to be sized. If I plan on freezing the tamales I close both ends of the tamale and steam cook them only half the time. Also don't load to many in the steamer or they won't cook evenly. When you place them in the steamer they need to be laying with the seam down and never immersed in water. The water level should always be below the tamales.
• TIP 2. A little advice about mixing masa: add the lard to your dry ingredients and mix well by hand. Begin adding your meat broth a little at a time (one or two tablespoons full) until you get a peanut butter consistence. To be really sure your masa dough is ready, drop a bit into a glass of water. If it floats to the top, it's ready.
• TIP 3. Instead of steaming the tamales by laying them down in a basket, try inverting a bowl in a large pot and standing the tamales on end around the bowl to create a funnel effect. It's faster and easier! I use a small bundt cake pan for my bowl. If I have to add water to the steamer I just pour it down the opening in the center of the bundt pan.

MARK BITTMAN'S TAMALES

Steps:

• Soak husks in warm water for at least 3 hours or overnight. Drain, separate the husks, then continue soaking.
• Put the masa harina in a bowl, and add stock a little at a time until the mixture is crumbly.
• With a mixer, beat the lard, salt and baking powder until light. Add the masa mixture, and continue to beat until the dough is fluffy, adding more stock if needed. The mixture is ready when a small ball of it floats in water.
• Drain a husk, and pat dry. Spread 2 tablespoons of the masa dough in the center of the husk, then wet your fingers and pat into a 4-inch-by-3-inch rectangle along the right edge of the husk, leaving at least 2 inches on each side. Put 1 tablespoon of the shredded meat lengthwise down the center of the dough rectangle. Wrap by folding the rectangle in half and bringing the right side of the dough over the filling. Continue rolling tightly to the end of the husk, then secure one open end with string or strips of corn husk. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Prepare a large steamer by setting a steamer rack about 2 inches above gently boiling water. Stack the tamales, seam down, on the rack. Cover, and steam until the filling is firm and comes away easily from the husk, about 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.