**Pork for Tamales**
Pork is a classic filling for tamales, a traditional Mexican dish made from corn dough that is steamed or boiled in a corn husk or banana leaf. The pork is typically seasoned with a variety of spices, such as chili powder, cumin, and garlic, and then slow-cooked until tender. This article provides three delicious recipes for pork tamales:
* **Classic Pork Tamales:** This recipe uses a traditional combination of spices to create a flavorful and authentic pork filling. The pork is slow-cooked in a flavorful broth until it is fall-apart tender, and then it is shredded and mixed with a savory sauce.
* **Green Chile Pork Tamales:** This recipe adds a spicy kick to the classic pork tamales by incorporating green chiles into the filling. The pork is cooked in a flavorful green chile sauce until it is tender and juicy, and then it is shredded and mixed with the sauce.
* **Sweet Pork Tamales:** This recipe takes a unique approach to pork tamales by using a sweet and tangy sauce to flavor the pork. The pork is cooked in a pineapple-based sauce until it is tender and flavorful, and then it is shredded and mixed with the sauce.
These recipes are all easy to follow and can be customized to your own taste preferences. Whether you prefer classic, spicy, or sweet tamales, these recipes have something for everyone. So gather your ingredients, turn up the music, and let's make some delicious pork tamales!
PORK FOR TAMALES
A delicious recipe for preparing pork to use in making pork tamales. After the meat is cooked and shredded, mix with salsa and refrigerate overnight. If you are making your own tamale dough, you may want to reserve 1 1/4 cup of the broth before draining.
Provided by APPLUVR
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican
Time 1h20m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Trim fat from pork butt. Cut into chunks and place in a large saucepan. Add water, onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, peppercorns and chile pepper. Bring to a boil; skim foam from surface. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Drain broth, let meat cool and shred with a fork. Refrigerate overnight if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 32.3 calories, Carbohydrate 0.7 g, Cholesterol 10.3 mg, Fat 1.7 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 3.4 g, SaturatedFat 0.6 g, Sodium 15.3 mg, Sugar 0.2 g
TRADITIONAL TAMALES (PORK)
This tamale recipe is about as traditional as you can get, although I use a roast instead of the whole pig head that many Mexican women use. I have also used beef, but they just do not taste quite the same. These take about all day to make and are a lot of work, but they are so worth the time and the effort. Not for the faint-hearted cook for sure. They are a huge hit here in the West. For added flavor, top with either some of the red sauce used to prepare this recipe, or with my favorite, green chili sauce with pork, recipe #20574. Serve with sides of Spanish rice, refried beans topped with cheese and frosty margaritas for a delicious authentic Mexican meal. For an online tamale-making tutorial, including pictures, please see http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=188623 posted in the Mexican cooking forum.
Provided by Karen From Colorado
Categories Pork
Time 6h
Yield 50 Tamales
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a 5 qt Dutch oven, bring pork, water, onion, garlic and 1 1/2 salt to boil.
- Simmer covered, about 2 1/2 hours or until meat is very tender.
- Remove meat from broth and allow both meat and broth to cool. (Chilling the broth will allow you to easily remove the fat if you desire to do so).
- Shred the meat using 2 forks, discarding fat.
- Strain the broth and reserve 6 cups.
- In a large sauce pan, heat the red chili sauce and add meat; simmer, covered for 10 minutes.
- To make masa beat shortening on medium speed in a large bowl for 1 minute.
- In a separate bowl, stir together masa harina, baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt.
- Alternately add masa harina mixture and broth to shortening, beating well after each addition. (Add just enough broth to make a thick, creamy paste).
- In the mean time, soak corn husks in warm water for at least 20 minutes; rinse to remove any corn silk and drain well.
- To assemble each tamale, spread 2 tablespoons of the masa mixture on the center of the corn husk (each husk should be 8 inches long and 6 inches wide at the top. If husks are small, overlap 2 small ones to form one. If it is large, tear a strip from the side).
- Place about 1 tablespoon meat and sauce mixture in the middle of the masa.
- Fold in sides of husk and fold up the bottom.
- Place a mound of extra husks or a foil ball in the center of a steamer basket placed in a Dutch oven.
- Lean the tamales in the basket, open side up.
- Add water to Dutch oven just below the basket.
- Bring water to boil and reduce heat.
- Cover and steam 40 minutes, adding water when necessary.
- To freeze these for future meals, leave them in the husks and place them in freezer bags. To reheat, thaw and wrap in a wet paper towel and reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes for one or two or re-steam them just until hot.
MEXICAN PORK TAMALES
Tasty Street food from Mexico and Central America, spicy filling covered in corn dough and wrapped in a corn husk and steamed.
Provided by tamaleman52
Time 2h
Yield Makes Pieces
Number Of Ingredients 27
Steps:
- Cook the Pork.
- Remove the skin from the shoulder and chop into big chunks, pop in large saucepan and cover with at least 20 cups of water add seasoning's and bring to the boil, simmer for around 2 hours till meat can be shredded. When pork is ready remove from broth and leave to cool, DO NOT DISCARD THE BROTH.
- Prepare the MASA.
- In a large mixing bowl add 6 cups of Masa Flour, cumin, salt, pepper,garlic powder, paprika and baking powder. Add 6 cups of retained broth and beat in well, dissolve the lard in a bowl in a microwave, when liquid beat in to the dough for about 10 mins to get some air into the mix, makes for a fluffier masa. Leave covered to cool.
- Put your husks in a mixing bowl and cover with hot water to soften (about 30 mins).
- To make the Mole.
- fry onions till brown, add tomatoes, seasoning's and chillis add the remaining broth bring to the boil then turn down to simmer, add 1 cup of masa flour and stir until the mole thickens a bit. Leave to cool.
- Prepare the filling.
- Shred the pork with your fingers or 2 forks and put into a mixing bowl. Add mole until you have a nice moist mixture (not to runny)
- Make your Tamales.
- Take a husk place on a flat surface, take one tablespoon of masa dough and spread over husk to within 1 inch of the edges. Place one tablespoon of filling onto the centre of the masa, pick up husk and roll the masa over the filling roll into a tube flip up the pointed end to make a packet and tie with butchers string or a strip of husk. Place in your steamer and steam for 90 mins, till cooked.
- Once cooked you can eat them or store in the freezer for later. I vacuum seal mine in pairs they will keep for 6 months (if you can keep your hands off them). Best eaten hot with a good slosh of salsa and a nice crisp salad. To reheat steam for about 10 mins or re heat in microwave for about 2 mins well covered until piping hot.
PORK TAMALES
A little variation here from the traditional, in that this is 100% my own personal recipe for the pork mixture. I also prefer beef broth in the masa as compared to chicken broth. But I think you'll agree these are some darn good tamales.
Provided by Brian Genest
Categories Tamales
Time P1DT5h55m
Yield 15
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Soak corn husks in water for 24 hours prior to cooking, using something heavy to keep them submerged.
- Prepare pork filling: Place guajillo chile peppers in a dry skillet over medium heat; dry roast until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds per side. Pour some water over top and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove chiles from the skillet and transfer to a blender.
- Add beef broth, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, vinegar, cloves, salt, cumin, allspice, and pepper to the blender and process until smooth.
- Place pork butt in a slow cooker and pour marinade over top. Cook on Low until pork is tender and can be easily pulled apart with a fork, 4 to 5 hours. Shred pork and return to the slow cooker. Mix with the sauce until combined.
- Combine masa, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt for dough in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; whisk to combine. Add beef broth and lard and whisk well; the resulting mixture should have an almost fluffy consistency and be relatively tacky.
- Roll out a corn husk and pat it dry. Spread the dough evenly in the center of the corn husk, leaving room around the edges. Dollop a line of pork filling down the center. Fold the bottom of the husk up, then fold one edge over the filling. Tuck that edge under the filling and dough, and roll toward the other edge to seal around the filling. Fold the top down and tie with kitchen string, wrapping twice to secure. Repeat to make remaining tamales.
- Place a steamer insert into a large saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil.
- Place tamales vertically into the steamer basket, with the sealed edges down. Cover the pan and steam for 1 hour. Serve hot.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 411.1 calories, Carbohydrate 15.3 g, Cholesterol 77.9 mg, Fat 31.3 g, Fiber 2.7 g, Protein 18.1 g, SaturatedFat 11.2 g, Sodium 2474.4 mg, Sugar 1.3 g
TRADITIONAL PORK TAMALES
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 16h
Yield 4 to 6 dozen tamales
Number Of Ingredients 25
Steps:
- Pork Butt:
- Place pork butt in large Dutch oven or medium-size stock pot. Add garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt. Add enough cold water to cover by at least 3 inches. Bring just to a boil on high heat, quickly reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer, partly covered, skimming any froth from the top during the first 15 to 20 minutes of cooking. A piece this size should be well-cooked but not dried out in 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from stock and let cool to room temperature. When cool, pull meat into fine shreds.
- Strain and degrease the stock. It will be easier to remove fat when thoroughly chilled.
- Can be kept, tightly covered, 2 days in the refrigerator, if de-greased at once, up to 1 week if you leave the top layer of fat on it until ready to use. The stock also freezes well.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded pork with the red chile sauce.
- Masa:
- Place 10 pounds of masa in a large plastic mixing bowl. Mix 1/4 cup water with baking powder in a cup held over the bowl with the dry masa until it fizzes, then pour mixture evenly over masa. Add 1/4 cup salt and work masa with hands to mix evenly. Melt 4 cups vegetable shortening in a large saucepan and allow to cool. Pour evenly over masa and knead masa with hands again. When it starts to feel thick and compact (like fudge) it¿s ready. Pat down in bowl and set aside.
- Chile Sauce:
- In a large saucepan, boil chiles and tomatoes together for about 10 minutes or until softened. Drain the chiles and tomatoes and reserve the water (stock.) Set stock aside. Rinse seeds out of boiled chiles at sink. Grind garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and whole cumin with mortar and pestle. Put chiles, tomatoes, 3 additional tablespoons salt and ground ingredients together in blender and blend well. Add 2 cups of the reserved water (stock.)
- In a heavy, medium-size saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat until rippling. Add flour, stirring constantly until golden. Add strained chile puree to the pan and reduce the heat to low. It will splatter, so be careful. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the raw taste is gone and the flavor of the chiles has mellowed, about 10 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded pork with the chile sauce.
- To assemble the tamales, soak dried corn husks in warm water for about 1 hour until soft. Spread masa mixture evenly onto husk using a wooden spoon. Fill with about 2 tablespoons pork mixture and top with 1 green olive, 1 slice of potato and 1 carrot stick. Fold and tie ends with pieces of corn husk. Steam for 1 and 1/2 hours.
- To steam: To make a steamer, place a metal rack (such as a cooling rack) in the bottom of a large stock pot or canner. Water level should be below the rack. Lay extra corn husks over rack. Stand the tamales on the folded edge in the steamer (the open edge with be facing upward). First fill the bottom of the steamer, then start stacking tamales on top of one another. Place any extra husks on top of tamales, cover with pot lid and steam for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Replenish boiling water if necessary during steaming, time. The tamales are done when the husk peels away easily from the filling.
Tips:
- For the best flavor, use fresh pork shoulder or butt. You can also use pork loin, but it will be leaner.
- Be sure to trim the pork of any excess fat. This will help to prevent the tamales from being greasy.
- Use a sharp knife to shred the pork. This will help to create a smooth, even texture.
- Don't overcook the pork. It should be cooked through, but still tender and juicy.
- Season the pork generously with your favorite spices. This will help to add flavor and depth to the tamales.
- Be sure to use fresh masa harina for the tamales. This will help to create a light and fluffy texture.
- If you don't have time to make your own masa harina, you can use store-bought masa harina. Just be sure to read the package carefully to make sure it is fresh.
- Soak the corn husks in warm water for at least 30 minutes before using them. This will help to soften them and make them easier to work with.
- When assembling the tamales, be sure to place the filling in the center of the masa. This will help to prevent the filling from falling out when you steam the tamales.
- Steam the tamales over medium-high heat for about 1 hour, or until the masa is cooked through. You can check the tamales by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, the tamales are done.
Conclusion:
Pork tamales are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They are also a great way to use up leftover pork. With a little planning and preparation, you can easily make pork tamales at home. So next time you're looking for a tasty and satisfying meal, give pork tamales a try!
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