Sweet Potato Tamale Recipes

SWEET POTATO TAMALES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Place all of the chiles on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 5 minutes. Remove the chiles but don't turn off the oven. Put the chiles in a medium heatproof bowl, add enough boiling water to cover, and let sit until softened, about 20 minutes.
• On the same baking sheet, spread out the cloves, bay leaves, cumin, pimiento, and allspice. Roast, stirring the spices around halfway through baking, until toasted and aromatic, 7 to 10 minutes.
• In a medium pot over medium-high heat, warm 1/4 cup oil. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño, lower the heat to medium, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very softened and the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and jammy, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Dump the tomato-onion mixture into a blender and add the spices, tomatillos, pepitas, peanuts, drained reconstituted chiles (reserve the soaking water), and a generous pinch of salt. Process, adding some of the soaking water a little at a time, until the mixture is smooth and thick.
• In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 3/4 cup oil until hot. Turn off the heat and add the tomato-onion mixture quickly and all at once (be careful as the mixture will splatter). Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and let cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 2 hours. Taste and add more salt if needed.
• In a clean blender, working in batches if needed, combine the masa with about 1 cup water and blend until very smooth.
• Pour the contents of the blender slowly into the tomato mixture and let cook for 30 minutes more. Taste and add more salt as needed. The mole can be fully cooled and stored at this point for up to 5 days.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
• Rub the whole sweet potatoes with olive oil and wrap them, side by side, in a single sheet of foil and place on the baking sheet. Bake until extremely soft, 75 to 90 minutes. About halfway through baking, place the diced sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and roast until al dente, 20 to 40 minutes.
• Once cooled, peel and quarter the whole sweet potatoes. Add them to a food processor, and puree until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reserve the roasted diced sweet potatoes for the filling.
• To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 1 cup of the puree. Add half each of the masa, butter, salt, and baking powder, and beat until well combined. (Alternatively, you can mix the ingredients by hand, but the stand mixer creates an airier result.)
• Move this mixture to a larger bowl and then repeat the mixer processing with another 1 cup of the potato puree and the remaining masa, butter, salt, and baking powder. Combine with the first batch, then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed (it should taste well-seasoned). Reserve any remaining potato purée for another use.
• In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion, jalapeño, and garlic, and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat if necessary to avoid browning the onions, until the onions are translucent, 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the onion mixture, the roasted diced potatoes, and 2 cups of the mole amarillo. Taste and add more salt as needed.
• Soak the corn husks in a large bowl or a sink filled with very hot water until softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from the water (no need to dry them off). Working with one at a time, place a husk on a clean work surface with the curved side facing up and the narrower end facing you. (Some husks will be smaller than others-if necessary, use a couple of small husks together, overlapping their long edges slightly.)
• Using a spoon or your hands, place a heaping 1/4 cup of masa over the center of each corn husk, leaving a 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) border clear along the wide, flat end of the husks. Spread the masa out to form a round that's about 3 inches (8 cm) across. Add about 3 tablespoons of the chunky sweet potato filling in a line down the center of the masa and spoon some of the sauce over the top. Fold the long edges of the corn husk over the filling to cover, first one side and then the other. Finally, fold the pointy end of the husk over to form a packet (the opposite end of the tamal should remain open). At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the tamales for up to 2 days or freeze the them. Add an extra 15 minutes of steaming time if starting with frozen ones.
• Prepare a bamboo or metal steamer over high heat.
• When steaming, put the tamales in the steamer, piling them as needed to fit, either horizontally or with their open ends facing up. Steam until the masa has firmed, adding boiling water as necessary, 60 to 120 minutes. (To test, open the husk: a toothpick inserted into the masa should come out mostly clean.)
• Let the tamales cool slightly prior to devouring.

CHILE-SPICED SWEET POTATO TAMALES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set sweet potato halves, cut side up, in a baking dish, and rub cut sides equally with butter mixture. Bake in a 350° oven until soft when pressed, about 1 hour.
• Scoop flesh from sweet potatoes (discard skins) into a bowl; mash with a fork until smooth.
• In a 1- to 2-quart pan over low heat, melt lard. Pour in chicken broth and stir until warm. Add broth mixture to sweet potatoes; mix well. Gradually add masa flour, stirring until well blended. Stir in baking powder and chipotles and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Tear 3 or 4 corn husks into long, thin strips. Lay a whole husk flat on a work surface, smooth side down, with one long edge closest to you. Spoon a scant 1/3 cup filling lengthwise down center of husk. Fold bottom edge over filling and roll up tamale. Tie each end with a thin strip of husk. Repeat until all filling is used.
• In an 8- to 10-quart pan, position a rack at least 1 inch above 1 inch of water; bring to a boil over high heat. Set tamales on rack, lower heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and steam until filling is firm, about 1 hour, adding water to pan as needed to maintain 1-inch depth. Remove tamales and let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.
• Nutritional analysis per tamale.
• NOTES: Dried corn husks are available in some well-stocked supermarkets and in Mexican markets. Before using, separate husks and discard silks; soak husks in hot water until pliable, about 20 minutes. You will need about 15 large, well-shaped husks for the tamales and 3 to 4 to tear into strips for tying, but we suggest soaking a few extra in case some tear in the process. You can make and steam the tamales up to a day ahead; cover and chill. Reheat in steamer 15 to 20 minutes.

NEW MEXICAN RUBBED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH SWEET POTATO TAMALE AND PECAN BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan, over high heat. Season pork with salt on both sides. Dredge pork in the spice rub and tap off any excess. Sear the pork on both sides until golden brown. Cook in the oven to medium doneness, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Let pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing into 12 slices. Plate 3 slices per plate. Drizzle with the Bourbon-Ancho Sauce. Place a Sweet Potato Tamale, topped with Pecan Butter next to the slices of pork.
• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the bourbon and cook until completely reduced. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until reduced by half. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, return mixture to the pan, and cook to sauce consistency, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of bourbon and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt.
• About 2 hours before you plan to form the tamales, clean the husks under running water. Soak them in warm water for 2 hours, or until softened.
• Puree the corn, onion, roasted garlic, and stock in a food processor. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and cut in the butter and shortening. Using your fingers, mix in the cornmeal, honey, and salt and pepper until there are no visible lumps of fat. Fold in the sweet potato puree, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and maple syrup. The mixture will be a lot looser than you think it should be, but when the tamales are steamed it will dry out.
• Remove the cornhusks from the water and set aside the best 20 husks. Drain and pat dry. Tear the remaining husks into 1-inch wide strips to be used for tying. Lay 2 husks flat on a work surface, with the tapered ends facing out and the broad bases overlapping by about 3 inches. Place about 1/3 cup of masa mixture in the center. Bring the long sides up over the masa, slightly overlapping, and pat down to close. (If the masa drips out a little at the seam, that is no problem.) Tie each end of the bundle with a strip of cornhusk, pushing the filling toward the middle as you tie. Trim the ends to about 1/2-inch beyond the tie.
• Arrange the tamales in a single layer on a steaming rack, cover tightly with foil, and steam over boiling water for 45 minutes. To Serve: slice a slit on top of each tamale and push both ends of the tamale toward the middle to expose the masa. Top each with 1 tablespoon of Pecan Butter.
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Scrape into a ramekin and refrigerate until solid, about 2 hours.

SWEET POTATO TAMALE

Steps:

• If using dried corn husks: About 2 hours before you plan to form the tamales, clean the husks under running water. Soak them in warm water for 2 hours, or until softened.
• Put the corn, onion, roasted garlic, and stock in a large mixing bowl, cut in the butter and shortening. Using your fingers, mix in the cornmeal, honey, and salt and pepper until there are no visible lumps of fat. The mixture will be a lot looser than you think it should be, but when the tamales are steamed it will dry out.
• Remove the cornhusks from the water and set aside the best 20 husks. Drain and pat dry. Tear the remaining husks into 1-inch wide strips to be used for tying. Lay 2 husks (or about a 5 inch piece of parchment) flat on a work surface, with the tapered ends facing out and the broad bases overlapping by about 3 inches. Place about 1/3 cup of masa mixture in the center. Bring the long sides up over the masa, slightly overlapping, and pat down to close. (If the masa drips out a little at the seam, that is no problem.) Tie each end of the bundle with a strip of cornhusk (or string), pushing the filling toward the middle as you tie. Trim the ends to about 1/2-inch beyond the tie.
• Arrange the tamales in a single layer on a steaming rack, cover tightly with foil, and steam over boiling water for 45 minutes. To Serve: slice a slit on top of each tamale and push both ends of the tamale toward the middle to expose the masa.