Norma Naranjos Tamales Recipes

TAMALES OAXAQUEñOS (OAXACAN-STYLE TAMALES)

Steps:

• Beat 9 ounces lard in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add salt and continue beating for a few minutes. Add masa harina and beat well until combined. Add chicken broth, 1/4 cup at a time, beating until masa has a smooth and workable consistency similar to cookie dough, about 3/4 cup total. Test if the masa is ready by dropping a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water; if it floats, it's ready, if not, beat the dough a little longer.
• Combine tomatillos, ancho chile pepper, mulato chile pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano in a blender; blend until smooth.
• Heat remaining 2 ounces lard in a skillet and cook tomatillo sauce until lightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add shredded chicken and a little of the remaining chicken broth. Cook over low heat until chicken filling has thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons masa mixture onto 1 banana leaf, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of the chicken filling in the center of the masa mixture. Fold sides of banana leaf together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the banana leaf over the seam of the 2 folded sides and tie together with kitchen string. Repeat with remaining banana leaves.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the leaf, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

POBLANO AND CHEESE TAMALES (TAMALES DE RAJAS CON QUESO)

Steps:

• Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel.
• Line a heavy cast iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Arrange poblano peppers in a single layer on top. Grill until chiles are blackened, turning as necessary, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer into a resealable plastic bag and let them steam, 10 to 15 minutes. Peel off skin, seed, and cut them into strips.
• Place tomatillos in a pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and cook until they change color, about 5 minutes. Drain and place in a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Heat 1 tablespoon lard in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add blended tomatillos and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until flavors are well combined, about 5 minutes. Add poblano peppers and cilantro and boil for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Beat remaining lard in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add salt and continue beating for a few minutes. Add masa harina and baking powder and beat well until combined. Add chicken broth, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough has a smooth and workable consistency that is not too wet, similar to cookie dough. Test if the masa is ready by dropping a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water; if it floats, it's ready, if not, keep working the dough a little longer.
• Select 1 wide corn husk or 2 small ones. Spread about 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of the tomatillo sauce and a piece of Monterey Jack cheese in the center of the masa mixture. Fold sides of husk together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the husk over the seam of the 2 folded sides. Repeat with remaining husks.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

TAMALES DE CHILE ROJO (RED CHILE TAMALES WITH MEAT)

Steps:

• Sort through the husks to get 20 large ones and place in a large bowl, along with 10 additional smaller husks. Add enough boiling water to cover and weigh down with a plate to soak until softened, at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours. Drain and wipe dry.
• Mix the harina de maíz nixtamalizado azul and baking powder in a large bowl and gradually add 1 1/2 cups broth while mixing and kneading with your hands. Add the remaining broth as needed to achieve a smooth dough that feels neither moist nor dry. It shouldn't stick to your fingers but should hold together in a single mass.
• Beat the vegetable shortening in a large bowl by hand or with an electric stand or handheld mixer on medium-high speed until it becomes very smooth and brighter in color, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the salt until incorporated. Add the masa by the handful and beat, on low speed if using an electric mixer, until evenly incorporated. Beat on medium-high speed, scraping the bowl occasionally, until fluffy, about 5 minutes. The mixture should be the texture of buttercream. To see if the dough is ready, fill a small cup with water and drop in a 1/4 teaspoon dough. It should immediately rise and float.
• To assemble the tamales: Place a large corn husk on your work surface or in your hand. Using the back of a spoon or a small palette knife, spread about 1/3 cup masa (2 ounces) in a rectangle (about 5- by 6-inches) in the center, leaving a few inches empty on the long sides. Add 3 tablespoons meat filling (2 ounces) in a line down the center of the masa. Wrap the tamal: Hold the long sides of the husk and bring them together, so the masa meets in the center and encloses the filling, then fold those sides of the husk together over and around the enclosed filling. Fold the pointed end over the tamal to secure and place on a sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, stacking the folded tamales on the pan.
• To steam the tamales: Place a few coins in the bottom of a tamalera or other deep steamer pot and add enough water to come to the bottom of the steamer insert and no higher so the water won't touch the tamales. The coins will stop clattering if your water runs low and let you know that you need to replenish with more hot water. Arrange the tamales upright in the steamer, open-side up, leaving a space in the center. The tamales should be touching. Cover the tops with the remaining corn husks, then cover the steamer with the lid. Bring the water to a boil and steam for 1 hour, pouring in more water through the empty center as needed.
• To test for doneness, remove one tamal, unwrap and cut through the center. There should be no raw masa remaining, and the tamal should peel away easily from the husk as you unwrap it. If not, continue steaming, checking for doneness every 15 minutes. When cooked, remove from the heat and let stand in the steamer for 15 minutes before serving. The tamales can be kept warm in the steamer off heat for up to an hour. Steamed tamales can be cooled completely, wrapped tightly, and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then steam again in husks or unwrap and pan-fry until heated through, about 15 minutes.

NORMA NARANJO'S TAMALES

Steps:

• 1. To prepare the husks: Separate the bundle into individual husks, place them in a pot of warm water over medium-low heat, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat, place a plate on top of the husks to keep them under water, and soak for 1 hour.
• 2. Meanwhile, prepare the dough by placing the masa harina in a large bowl. Knead in the butter. Add the vegetable oil. Add the salt and baking powder and knead to continue thoroughly. Add the water, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring or kneading after each addition, until the dough is slightly pliant and rather pasty. Cover and set aside.
• 3. To prepare the filling: Warm the vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and cook 1 to 2 minutes, shaking the pan so that each side of the squash toasts slightly. Transfer to bowl.
• 4. To assemble the tamales: Pat the cornhusks dry and cut into 4-inch squares. Cut some of the husks into thin strips for tying the tamales (cut at least 40 strips). Spread 1 tablespoon of the dough in the center of a husk square to create a 2 1/2-inch square. Brush a little chile sauce over the dough, sprinkle on a little squash, and then a little corn. Lay a piece of green chile on the middle of the filling and sprinkle with cheese.
• 5. As if covering a small package with wrapping paper, fold the sides of the husk toward the center, then the ends. Tie the bundle with a husk strip. When the tamales have been assembled, place upright on a steaming rack over boiling water. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Serve as an appetizer or with a green chile sauce.