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–+ servings

Tamales

Traditional family dinner.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 5 dozen
Calories: 40kcal
Author: Cindy Franco Sawyer

INGREDIENTS

Meat Filling

  • 5 lbs pork roast, chicken, etc.
  • 1 8-oz bag chili pods, mild (chili ancho)
  • 4 cloves garlic (per bag of chili)
  • salt (to taste)

Masa

  • 5 lbs prepared masa
  • 1 lb lard
  • 2 cups broth (from above)
  • 2 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 1 8-oz bag corn husks

INSTRUCTIONS

The Day Before:

  • Steam meat until it is tender, or cook in pressure cooker.
  • While the meat is cooking, use kitchen shears to cut the tops off the chili pods and remove stems.
  • Rinse the chili pods and put them in a pot with enough water to cover them completely. Boil for about 10-15 minutes.
  • In a blender, put 4 cloves of garlic per bag of chili and enough water to make 4 cups of chili sauce. Blend well.
  • When the meat is cooked, cut or shred it and fry in lard.
  • Add enough chili sauce to make the meat red.
  • Add broth to make it juicy. Add salt to taste.
  • Simmer about 30 minutes.

The Day Of:

  • Mix masa with lard and about 2 cups of broth. Add baking powder and salt.
  • Knead well until smooth enough to spread.
  • Clean shucks and soak in water.
  • Put tamales together.

Cooking Tamales:

  • Steam tamales for about one hour or in a pressure cooker for 20-30 minutes.
  • The masa should pull away from the shuck when done.
  • Let tamales sit for 10-15 minutes before eating.

NOTES

  • About 2 cups of chili sauce makes enough for 5 dozen tamales; 8 cups for 20 dozen tamales. You can freeze the unused chili sauce for another day.
  • Remember not to touch your face after working with chili pods!
  • I don't do the extra step of frying the meat in lard because I usually do this when my meat is just cooked. If I was using left-over turkey, for example, I would fry the meat to warm it up.
  • If you can't find prepared masa, you can make your own.
  • Tamales can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Tamale Equation:
1 pound of masa + 1 pound of meat = 1 dozen tamales
Instant Pot Instructions:
  • If using an Instant Pot to cook your meat, place 5 lbs of meat (pork) to top on a silicon trivet. Add 2 cups of water. Cook on HIGH for 80 minutes and allow "natural" release.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts
Tamales
Serving Size
 
3 tamales
Amount per Serving
Calories
40
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
1
g
2
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Sodium
 
3691
mg
160
%
Potassium
 
203
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
 
8
g
3
%
Fiber
 
4
g
17
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
4753
IU
95
%
Vitamin C
 
33
mg
40
%
Calcium
 
497
mg
50
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.