Masa Stuffing Recipes

RAY GARCIA'S MASA STUFFING RECIPE

Steps:

• Roast the potatoes: Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork. Place on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet and roast until a knife easily pierces them, 40 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and set aside until cool enough to handle, then peel and run through a ricer to mash.
• Roast the marrow: Once the potatoes are removed from the oven, place the marrow on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet and roast just until the bones begin to brown and the marrow softens, about 15 minutes. Remove and push the marrow out of the bones. Cut the marrow into small pieces and set aside. Discard or save the bones for another use. Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees.
• Roast the poblanos: Place the chiles on a rack set over a gas stove-top burner heated over high heat. Roast until the skin on all sides of each chile is charred, about 5 minutes, turning frequently. (If you have an electric or ceramic stove top, roast the chiles in the oven using the broiler setting until charred on all sides.) Wrap each pepper in plastic wrap and set aside until the peppers are cool enough to handle, then peel the skin (the skin should stick to the plastic wrap). Rub the plastic wrap against the skin to loosen and remove it. Stem and seed each pepper, thinly slice. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, gently mix together the masa with the mashed potatoes and garlic oil. Slowly add water until the mixture has the consistency of muffin batter, about 1/3 cup of water. Fold in the bone marrow.
• Pour the mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish. Place the dish in a larger roasting pan. Place the pan into the 275-degree oven, and add boiling water to the roasting pan until it comes 2/3 up the side of the baking dish. Cook until the masa mixture is set, 1- to 1 ½ hours. Remove from heat and set aside until completely cool. Cut the cooked masa into 1-inch cubes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet heated over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the sliced chiles and chard stems and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the oregano and cumin, and season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste. Remove from heat and set aside to cool, then stir in the cilantro.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish.
• In a large bowl, gently toss the vegetable mixture with the masa cubes. Stir in the Swiss chard leaves, along with the cheeses.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and broth. Pour over the large bowl of stuffing and toss gently to moisten. Transfer the stuffing to the buttered dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until the top is golden-brown, about another 30 minutes.

TAMALE STUFFING

Steps:

• 1. If you cannot find masa (ask where you buy tortillas) substitute 3.5 cups corn flour with 1.3 cups lard.
• I do not know why, but the website keeps adding harina flour to my word masa which is SOOOO not correct!
• 2. Broil or BBQ poblanos until the skin is charred. Place in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill. When cool rub off skin, remove seeds and stem and chopped coarsely.
• 3. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
• 4. In large bowl mix masa (or lard/corn flour mixture), baking powder, salt, broth and water and mix until smooth (you might need to use your hands to get out all the lumps). It's a loose batter.
• 5. Chop onions, zest, garlic, chorizo.
• 6. Put the oil in saute pan and add onions, garlic, zest, chorizo, chipotle, cumin and cook until onion and chipotle are cooked (around 3 minutes).
• 7. Add the poblanos and capers and season with salt.
• 8. Stir the onion mixture into the masa mixture.
• 9. Line a 9x13 baking dish with banana leaves, leaving enough to roll over the top. Cross them so that the batter won't fall out. Pour in the batter, and put another banana leave over the center, bend the leaves from below over to seal. Cover with tin foil.
• 10. Bake until set, about one hour and 15 minutes. Remove the foil half way.
• 11. Enjoy! I loved it.

SALVADORAN STUFFED MASA CAKES

Steps:

• Toss together cheese, beans, pork rind, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl with your hands, then press mixture firmly into 16 (1 1/2-inch) balls (for filling).
• Combine tortilla flour, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and knead with your hands until a uniform dough forms, about 1 minute. (Dough should be moist but not sticky. If necessary, knead a little more tortilla flour or water into dough.)
• Flatten 1/4 cup dough between moistened palms into a 4-inch disk. Wrap disk around a ball of filling, enclosing it, and form into a smooth ball. Reflatten between your palms into a 4-inch disk (1/2 inch thick; filling should remain hidden). Put on a tray lined with plastic wrap and cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Make 15 more pupusas.
• Heat a comal or large (2-burner) griddle over medium-low heat until hot, at least 2 minutes. Brush lightly with oil, then cook pupusas in batches, turning and pressing lightly with a metal spatula every 2 to 3 minutes, until crusty and browned in spots (some cheese may ooze out), 10 to 12 minutes total per batch. Serve immediately.