Authentic Pork Tamales
Back in the 70's, while my sister in law was in California for her annual vacation, I talked her into showing me how to make authentic Mexican style tamales. It turned out to be a very interesting day, to say the least, because I spoke very limited Spanish, and Gracie spoke no English at all. Thankfully, she was very patient with me, and...by the end of the day, we managed to get the job done without suffering any obvious war wounds. And, the "bonding" experience we shared that day was something that neither one of us will ever forget. There's no better way to get to know someone than to share an entire day together preparing a meal.Up to that point, I had never tasted a tamale. But, later that evening, with the kids in bed for the night, and my kitchen back to it's original condition, Gracie and I decided to sit outside on the patio, while we shared one of the tamales that we cooked earlier the same day.
If you're considering giving this recipe a try, be prepared to dedicate an entire day to cooking before you take one step into your kitchen. Making tamales is quite a job, and there is no way you can predict when the job will be done. So, if you're seriously considering taking on the job, you might want to invite a couple friends over to the house, to help with washing, filling, and folding the husks.
Remember, good company and plenty of laughter will make any job more enjoyable, no matter how long it takes to prepare the meal.
by Auntie Gracie
10 lbs Pork Shoulder, trim off excess fat and cut to 3", which will help pork cook faster
5 cloves Garlic, minced
¼-½ cup Manteca Lard
¾-1 cup Flour
1 Lg can Las Palmas Chili Sauce
2 Lg cans Sliced Black Olives
2 pkgs Corn Husks
1 Lg pkg Masa-Hirina
3-6 tbsp and 1 tsp Table Salt
6 cups cold water; set aside for the gravy
1 Lg wire rack
2 Lg Pots with lids; 4-qt & 6-qt
1 very large canning pot
1 wire canning/steaming rack to fit pot
Step 1- Cook the pork: In a large pot, combine: pork roast, water, garlic and 1 tsp salt. Cover the pot and cook over med-high heat until pork is done, and breaks apart easily with fork. Remove pork roast from the pot, reserving the water for later use. Remove any excess fat from water, cover and set aside. When the roast is cooled enough to work with, shred meat into a large bowl. Set aside and allow meat to cool while you are preparing the sauce and husks...but not more than one hour.
Step 2- Equipment Prep: When you have free time; Prepare any pots and/or other equipment you may need before the end of the day. pot you will use to steam the Tamales. Prepare the pot as you would if you were canning fruit. Make sure you have at least 3" of water in the bottom of the pot, under the wire rack. Also, make sure the inside edge of the wire rack sits about 1" higher than the outside edge, so that the Tamales rest at an angle, with the open end facing the center. This will prevent the meat or sauce from falling out of the husks. Set aside until ready to use.
Step 3- Soaking the Corn Husks: Fill your kitchen sink with warm water (or an extra large container). Add the husks, and soak for 30 minutes, until they relax enough to open for cleaning. When you can fully open the husks, clean and dry each one, and stack them near the location where you intend to fill them.
Step 4- While husks are soaking: Melt a large spoonful of the lard inside a 4 quart pot until hot. With a wire whisk in one hand, slowly add flour to the hot lard. Whisk the flour until it turns a med-dark brown color. Once the flour is brown, slowly add the Las Palmas Chili Sauce (red), while stirring with a wire whisk to make sure lumps don't form. Follow immediately with water, until mixture reaches a thick, dark, gravy. When gravy is ready, add the shredded pork and olives to the pot, and simmer for one hour. Add water as needed to keep gravy from becoming too dry.
Step 5- When the pork is done, and husks are ready to fill: In a very large bowl, combine one-half pkg of the dry Masa with 3 tbsp salt, and mix very well. Slowly add the reserved pork-juice, ½-1 cup at a time, until the masa forms a very soft dough that you will be able to spread on the husks with a spatula or knife (similar to Peanut Butter). Set aside for later use.
Step 6- Filling the husks: Open and lay each husk flat on a clean towel. Spread each husk with masa ¼" - ½" thick, making sure the masa ends at an even line across the husk on the top and bottom. Spoon pork mixture down the center of the masa on each husk, and immediately fold the sides of the husks over to cover the pork mixture. Then fold up the bottom of the husk and seal it with a little dollop of masa. Immediately stack the Tamales inside the steaming pot, around the outside edge of the wire rack, with the open end facing the center of the pot. Once the pot is full of tamales (1" from top), Cook them on medium heat until the water begins to boil (4-5 minutes or so). Once the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 2 hours, until the masa inside the tamales on the highest row is done in all areas of the tamale. Check water level every 20-30 minutes to make sure the pot doesn't become dry. Without leaving the lid off the pot, add water as necessary.
Serve tamales hot or warm, with lots of fresh salsa. Or allow them to cool, pack them in plastic freezer bags, and store them in the freezer between servings. These tamales make a great addition to a pot-luck dinner at the church; or take 1 or 2 with you to work for your lunch.
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