inkjunkie
Well-Known Member
Started a thread a while back....
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=296777
made mention of smoking the meat for tamales. A few folks asked for a Ernie's recipe, she spent some time over the past few days typing it up....
TAMALES
I dont know how to start my receipe but i will give you a idea of how things are to be made. i dont have exact measurements because i dont know how to guessestimate how much of this or that you will need. we ususally add ingredients because we have been doing for so long that i dont know how to do it any other way. sorry...
now depending on how many tamales you want to make, you wont have an exact ingredient list. i usually buy about 20 to 25 pounds of beef meat. you can pick any meat you like that is easily shreddable. so depending on how many tamales you want to make, you should buy any amount of meat you think you will be able to make with it. you will realize that it is alot of work to only try to make 2 or 3 dozens.
Ingredient list:
beef in roast form
dry red chiles-hot or mild
husk
garlic
salt
masa
the day before that you plan on making tamales, please remember that this is an all day event. that is not including cooking the meat, shredding it, cooking the chiles, grinding the chiles, spreading the masa, and cooking them.
i usually get all my crock pots out and start to cook my meat for 8 hours on low with enough water to cover and add garlic and any other spices that you like your meat to be seasoned with. i only use alot of garlic and salt, because when you add your chili sauce to meat after it all cooked and shredded and all mixed up, it will have a different flavor.....mmmm.....
after cooking your meat and shredding it. you will need to soak your chiles in water and bring to a boil. make sure to take all the seeds out of the chiles. when your chiles are soft, about 20 to 30 minutes, remove from water and put into a blender and grind and puree. you will do this to all of your chiles. you can add more garlic and salt to chiles. you will add this sauce to your meat and mix very well, dont make your meat overly wet. also try to make sure all chiles are grinded. we dont like to have pieces of chiles stuck in teeth...lol... also you have to be careful when working with chiles. your fingers will get spicy.
now the husk, these are best used when they are soaked in warm water, soak until they are softened. i prefer the large husk becaue they are easier to spread the masa onto and easier to roll once you have filled with the meat filling. also after they have softened i put them in a drain board just so that the excessive water drains off of them. you dont want them overyly dry either. if they are dry they will be hard to roll and masa will not stick. i know it doesnt make any sense, soaking then drying them ......what the hell.
now the masa, the masa is what keeps the meat in the husk. the masa is spread onto the husk from the smaller end that fans out about a inch from the bottom. you spread the masa towards the fan of the husk, spread it on not to thick and not to thin that you cant roll your tamale. after you spread this onto the husk, add your meat mixture, and fold or roll up, now you will see that the masa is like a glue that holds it all together, once you fold/roll tamale, fold over the bottom from the area that you didnt add masa to.
when you cook your tamales, it will take about a full day, they will need to be steamed. they are done when the masa separates from the husk......enjoy.
you may freeze any tamales that you do not plan on eating right away. i usually put one dozen in a freezer gallon bag and freeze. they last in the freezer, when you want to cook some of the frozen tamales, just steam them, you will see that it takes less time to cook when they are frozen. why. i dont know the reason, but they do...
you can find, husk, chiles at almost any grocery store. or if you have a mexican restaurant near by, sometimes they will sell you those items. the masa is usually bought at restaurants that sell mexican products and they sell usually all year, but they sell it mostly around the holidays. just ask and and for the prepared masa, it will all be ready to use. the unprepared you will have to add other ingredients to it.. also if you are brave you can make your own masa. there is a couple of mixes out there that you can make yourself. just look in the flour section and you will see the mixes and they have directions. i just buy the prepared because with cooking the meat and chiles and doing all the other things, it is just easier..
Any questions feel free to ask, she said she would be glad to answer them....
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=296777
made mention of smoking the meat for tamales. A few folks asked for a Ernie's recipe, she spent some time over the past few days typing it up....
TAMALES
I dont know how to start my receipe but i will give you a idea of how things are to be made. i dont have exact measurements because i dont know how to guessestimate how much of this or that you will need. we ususally add ingredients because we have been doing for so long that i dont know how to do it any other way. sorry...
now depending on how many tamales you want to make, you wont have an exact ingredient list. i usually buy about 20 to 25 pounds of beef meat. you can pick any meat you like that is easily shreddable. so depending on how many tamales you want to make, you should buy any amount of meat you think you will be able to make with it. you will realize that it is alot of work to only try to make 2 or 3 dozens.
Ingredient list:
beef in roast form
dry red chiles-hot or mild
husk
garlic
salt
masa
the day before that you plan on making tamales, please remember that this is an all day event. that is not including cooking the meat, shredding it, cooking the chiles, grinding the chiles, spreading the masa, and cooking them.
i usually get all my crock pots out and start to cook my meat for 8 hours on low with enough water to cover and add garlic and any other spices that you like your meat to be seasoned with. i only use alot of garlic and salt, because when you add your chili sauce to meat after it all cooked and shredded and all mixed up, it will have a different flavor.....mmmm.....
after cooking your meat and shredding it. you will need to soak your chiles in water and bring to a boil. make sure to take all the seeds out of the chiles. when your chiles are soft, about 20 to 30 minutes, remove from water and put into a blender and grind and puree. you will do this to all of your chiles. you can add more garlic and salt to chiles. you will add this sauce to your meat and mix very well, dont make your meat overly wet. also try to make sure all chiles are grinded. we dont like to have pieces of chiles stuck in teeth...lol... also you have to be careful when working with chiles. your fingers will get spicy.
now the husk, these are best used when they are soaked in warm water, soak until they are softened. i prefer the large husk becaue they are easier to spread the masa onto and easier to roll once you have filled with the meat filling. also after they have softened i put them in a drain board just so that the excessive water drains off of them. you dont want them overyly dry either. if they are dry they will be hard to roll and masa will not stick. i know it doesnt make any sense, soaking then drying them ......what the hell.
now the masa, the masa is what keeps the meat in the husk. the masa is spread onto the husk from the smaller end that fans out about a inch from the bottom. you spread the masa towards the fan of the husk, spread it on not to thick and not to thin that you cant roll your tamale. after you spread this onto the husk, add your meat mixture, and fold or roll up, now you will see that the masa is like a glue that holds it all together, once you fold/roll tamale, fold over the bottom from the area that you didnt add masa to.
when you cook your tamales, it will take about a full day, they will need to be steamed. they are done when the masa separates from the husk......enjoy.
you may freeze any tamales that you do not plan on eating right away. i usually put one dozen in a freezer gallon bag and freeze. they last in the freezer, when you want to cook some of the frozen tamales, just steam them, you will see that it takes less time to cook when they are frozen. why. i dont know the reason, but they do...
you can find, husk, chiles at almost any grocery store. or if you have a mexican restaurant near by, sometimes they will sell you those items. the masa is usually bought at restaurants that sell mexican products and they sell usually all year, but they sell it mostly around the holidays. just ask and and for the prepared masa, it will all be ready to use. the unprepared you will have to add other ingredients to it.. also if you are brave you can make your own masa. there is a couple of mixes out there that you can make yourself. just look in the flour section and you will see the mixes and they have directions. i just buy the prepared because with cooking the meat and chiles and doing all the other things, it is just easier..
Any questions feel free to ask, she said she would be glad to answer them....
