Tamalitos Recipes

SWEET CORN TOMALITO

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the margarine, masa flour, and sugar until light and fluffy. In a food processor or blender, blend one cup of the corn kernels with the water and cornmeal just until smooth. Stir into the masa mixture. Mix in the remaining corn, baking powder, salt, and milk until the batter is smooth. Pour into a double boiler.
• Place the tomalito over a large saucepan of simmering water, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Steam for 50 to 60 minutes, or until firm. Check water occasionally, and refill if necessary. Stir pudding before serving to give it a consistent texture. Serve in small scoops.

TAMALITOS

Steps:

• Prepare husks:
• Soak corn husks in a large bowl of hot water, weighting with an inverted heavy plate to keep submerged, turning husks occasionally, until soft, about 30 minutes. Rinse husks under running water, separating them (and discarding torn, tough, or badly discolored husks). Pile best husks on a plate and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Tear some of the thickest husks into 1/2-inch-wide strips to use as ties. (Keep ties damp as well.)
• Prepare filling:
• Simmer corn in stock, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in milk and purée in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely, about 25 minutes.
• Preheat broiler.
• Put chiles and, if using, fresh bell pepper on a rack of a broiler pan and broil about 2 inches from heat, turning them, until skins are blistered and charred, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let stand, covered with plastic wrap, until cool enough to handle. Peel peppers and remove veins if desired. Cut tops from peppers and discard with seeds. Separately chop chiles and fresh or bottled bell pepper.
• Sift masa harina with baking powder and salt into a bowl. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Alternately beat in corn purée and masa harina mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, beating until mixture forms a fluffy and moist but fairly stiff dough. Divide filling in half and stir chiles into one half and bell pepper and scallion into the other. Season both fillings with salt.
• Assemble tamalitos:
• Put 1 husk on a work surface, pointy end facing you, and, spreading it flat, mound 2 tablespoons filling (about the size of an egg) in center. Bring pointy end of husk up and over mound of filling and fold sides of husk over filling, overlapping. Now gather the protruding end of husk and tie it with a corn-husk strip. (This little purse will expand slightly as the tamalito is steamed.) Assemble remaining tamalitos in same manner.
• Stack tamalitos, in a crosshatch pattern so steam can move freely around them, in a large steamer basket. (Tamalitos can also be steamed in batches.) Set steamer over boiling water in a deep heavy pot, without tamalitos touching water, and cover with a folded kitchen towel. (Towel absorbs condensation so tamalitos don't get soggy.) Steam tamalitos, covered with lid, adding more boiling water as necessary, until filling is tender but no longer mushy, about 45 minutes. (If any part is still gummy, steam 10 to 15 minutes more.)

TAMALES DE POLLO (CHIPOTLE CHICKEN TAMALES)

Steps:

• Place the corn husks in a large bowl and add enough warm water to cover. Weigh down with a plate if needed and soak until softened, at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, whisk the harina de maíz nixtamalizado, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the lard and rub into the dry ingredients with your fingers until thoroughly incorporated and the mixture is sandy. Add 2 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix and knead in each addition with your hands until fully incorporated before adding the next. The dough should be soft and tacky but not sticky. If needed, continue adding broth 1/4 cup at a time, kneading well after each addition.
• To assemble a tamal, remove a husk from the water and pat dry. Use your fingers or a palette knife to spread a handful of masa (about 1/4 cup) in the center of the husk, covering about two-thirds of the husk with masa about 1/4-inch thick. Leave at least 3 inches clear at the pointed end and at least an inch on the other sides. Put 1 heaping spoonful of the chicken tinga filling lengthwise down the center of the masa. Wrap by bringing the right side of the dough over the filling and folding in half. Continue rolling tightly to the long end of the husk, then fold the pointed bottom end over the tamal towards the open top. Set aside folded ends down. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Prepare a large steamer by setting a steamer insert or rack above gently boiling water. Stack the tamales flat seam side down on the insert, leaving an empty space in the center. Cover with remaining husks, then the lid. Steam, replenishing the water as needed, until the tamales are firm and the masa comes away easily from the husk, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm in the steamer until ready to serve. Steamed and cooled tamales can be wrapped individually and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and steam until heated through to serve.

CHEVY'S SWEET CORN TAMALITOS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the margarine, masa and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Blend 1/2 the corn kernels with the water in a blender until smooth.
• Combine with margarine mixture, stirring well.
• Add the remaining corn, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and milk.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil.
• Pour the mixture into an 8-inch baking dish.
• Tightly cover with plastic wrap and set atop the saucepan of boiling water.
• Keep pan tightly wrapped and steam for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Check water level often, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• I have also made this in the oven, setting the pan in a water bath.
• I do not know the temp I had the oven on, or how long I kept it inches If anyone tries it, please add that info.

REAL HOMEMADE TAMALES

Steps:

• Place pork into a Dutch oven with onion and garlic, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 2 hours.
• Use rubber gloves to remove stems and seeds from the chile pods. Place chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. Transfer the chiles and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture, stir in salt, and set aside. Shred the cooked meat and mix in one cup of the chile sauce.
• Soak the corn husks in a bowl of warm water. In a large bowl, beat the lard with a tablespoon of the broth until fluffy. Combine the masa harina, baking powder and salt; stir into the lard mixture, adding more broth as necessary to form a spongy dough.
• Spread the dough out over the corn husks to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Place one tablespoon of the meat filling into the center. Fold the sides of the husks in toward the center and place in a steamer. Steam for 1 hour.
• Remove tamales from husks and drizzle remaining chile sauce over. Top with sour cream. For a creamy sauce, mix sour cream into the chile sauce.