Tamale-making is a well-honored tradition in many Hispanic households at Christmastime. Even with many wives and mothers working outside the home today, when you get a group together for a Saturday of tamale-making, enough succulent tamales can be prepared and frozen to last the entire holiday season.
Makes 4 dozen tamales
4 pounds stewing beef, cubed
2 quarts water
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons flour
4 cups Santa Cruz Red Chili Paste
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 cups meat broth
6 ounces diced black olives
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6 jalapeño peppers, sliced (optional)
1 cup black raisins (optional)
1 1/2 pounds lard at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
5 pounds masa (either fresh or packaged masa harina, prepared according to instructions on package)
2-3 cups water
1 1/2 pounds corn husks, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes until flexible
First, prepare the chili con carne for the tamales: Place meat and water in large kettle with salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender, about 3 hours. Remove meat from broth. Set meat and broth aside to cool. When meat is cool, shred. Heat shortening in a large saucepan, add flour, and brown lightly. Add red chili paste, garlic and meat broth. Add olives, jalapeños and raisins. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shredded meat and cool.
Beat the lard and salt until fluffy. Add the masa, gradually alternating with the water. The mixture is ready when a teaspoon of it dropped into a cup of water will rise to the top and float. Assemble tamales by spreading 2 tablespoons prepared masa mixture on the smooth side of a corn husk. Place 2 tablespoons chili con carne in the center of the masa. Roll up the husk lengthwise, fold over, and pinch end to hold in filling. To cook, set tamales on end in a steamer and steam for 30-45 minutes.
Tamal pie
Serves 6
"Tamal" is singular for "tamales," for all the linguistic purists out there. But over the years, everyone has just about universally adopted the word "tamale." This old-fashioned recipe keeps the old-fashioned name. Tamal pie is the easy way to enjoy the warm, satisfying flavors of corn, beef and chile with less effort than making your own tamales.
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cup whole kernel corn
3 cups canned Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup Santa Cruz Chili Powder
1 cup milk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 eggs, slightly beaten
Brown beef over medium heat in a large skillet, adding onions when beef is about half-done, or after 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 5 more minutes; drain and set aside.
In a deep, round 3-quart oven-proof bowl, mix the remaining ingredients until well blended. Add meat mixture and bake in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour or until knife inserted into middle of pie comes out clean.
– From "Santa Cruz Chili & Spice Co. Cookbook"