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tamales

we are big time lovers of the tamale on this blog!  i can say with surety that both amanda and i have scoured the web, interviewed friends, and read through countless magazines and cookbooks to find the perfect tamale recipe.  it's a hard thing to find.  a good friend from our childhood even sent me a message on facebook explaining exactly how she makes her tamales!  and each christmas eve i hear about families gathering around their kitchens to make and eat delicious traditional tamales.  so since the holidays were just here, my mouth has been watering and i've been craving that perfect tamale fix.  and i finally put together a recipe that's a winner.  it's a combination of a friend's and other sources all mixed into one.  i love it when that sort of thing works out!  since tamales can be very time consuming, remember to do a few steps ahead of time.  cook a large roast for dinner one night and shred the leftovers to use in these tamales another night.  ole!


1 recipe amanda's perfect roast
1 can enchilada sauce
2 cups masa harina (i used maseca for tamales)
2 cups lukewarm broth from the roast
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
approximately 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (maybe a scant less than 1/2)
corn husks(can be found in any grocery store in the ethnic food section)

soak corn husks in warm water for several hours, or overnight
shred leftover roast and set aside.  place masa mix in medium sized bowl and add baking powder, salt, garlic powder and chili powder and stir to combine.  warm leftover beef broth and add to measured masa mix and stir with hands to combine.  in separate bowl, beat shortening until fluffy and then add to masa dough and stir to combine.  the consistency should resemble thick peanut butter.  lay out a soaked corn husk and spread masa evenly over the husk about 1/4 inch thick.  place a strip of meat down the center of masa dough. i like more masa than meat, so add the amount of meat you'd like in the center.  roll up tamale in corn husk and fold over flap of corn husk.  place in a steamer basket.  once you've completed all of your tamales, steam tamales for approximately 35-45 minutes.  tamales can be frozen and steamed from frozen as well, you'll just want to add about 20 minutes to the cooking time.  i always make my tamales enchilada style, so use the remaining enchilada sauce, a generous sprinkling of cheese  and a dollop of sour cream to top your tamale and then allow yourself to drift off to tamale heaven.

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