Tamales from Scratch
YumTamales from Scratch : wrapped in baking paper instead of corn husk, easy to prepare in your stove top steamer, filled with pork and served with Pico de Galo.
Lard is the key ingredient to make the dough for Tamales from Scratch. It gives special porky flavour to the dough and makes it nice and smooth to work with after resting for 30 minutes, once combined with other ingredients.
Instead of wrapping tamales in corn husk, I used baking paper ( 8 x 6 inches ), folded the ends and secured with butchers twine. You may use fine kitchen rope as well.
Tamales need to be secured that way since you steam them for 45 minutes and, having them nicely wrapped, you don’t worry if any dough or filling drops out because it can’t.
Here is the photo showing how my tamales were wrapped:
To serve them , just simply take the baking paper away and serve with Pico de Galo.
I used simple wrapping technique the parcels used to be prepared for sending before all those postal services were established.
My stove top steamer is relatively small and I placed tamales in two layers, horizontally, and they turned to be perfectly secured and steamed.
Here are several photos that show the process, step by step ( please make sure to leave approximately ½ inch space around the baking paper so you wrap „ the parcels“ easily:
As about filling you need cubed pork,sliced green onion and two garlic cloves, chopped :
While tamales dough rests, you prepare pork, sautѐ in a frying pan to be golden on all the sides and fill dough quarters, spread on the paper.
Once you finish wrapping four tamales, and leave the steam do the rest of the work, you have plenty of time to chop the vegetables for your favourite Pico de Galo.
When done, leave it to rest in the fridge and take out a moment before you serve your perfect lunch or dinner.
If you love Mexican food, here you can find some more ideas at 2pots2cook :
Rotisserie Chicken Guacamole Enchiladas with Sour Cream
Easy Chilaquiles Frittata Bake
Tortilla Chips Breakfast Bake
One Pan Chicken Enchilada Bake
Healthy Mexican Taco Skyr Yogurt Salad
Tortilla Chicken Soup Recipe
Sheet PanChicken Fajitas
Tamales from Scratch
Tamales from Scratch : wrapped in baking paper instead of corn husk, easy to prepare in your stove top steamer, filled with pork and served with Pico de Galo.
Ingredients
- Ingredients for tamales dough:
- 9 Tbsp lard
- 2 cups corn flour
- ¾ cup vegetable stock
- ½ tsp baking powder
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Ingredients for filling:
- 1 Tbsp lard for the pan
- 2 ½ cup cubed pork ( 400 grams )
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 spring onion, sliced
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- Pico de galo to serve with tamales, optional
Instructions
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In small bowl, combine corn flour, salt and baking powder.
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In medium sized bowl, mix lard until creamy. Slowly add corn flour mixture, and vegetable stock (it takes 3 -4 minutes ). Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
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While tamales dough rests, melt lard in frying pan, sautѐ pork cubes, green onion and garlic until pork is golden on all sides. It takes 7- 8 minutes. Leave aside.
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Cut baking paper to have 4 equal pieces, 8 x 6 inches in size. Prepare 4 ribbons to tie around tamales, once wrapped.
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Pour water into your stove top steamer and leave it to get to steaming point. In the meantime, wrap the tamales.
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Divide tamales dough into 4 equal parts and, spread over 4 baking papers using your hands, leaving ½ inch free space all around so you have plenty of room to roll filed dough to close it.
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Overlap the paper and fold both side ends. This will create triangles. Fold the triangles up.
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Insert the ribbon below wrap, lift ribbons' ends up, cross the ribbons on the top, fold back to the bottom and tie like a shoelace. Repeat with all the 3 remaining wraps.
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Steam on the stove top for 45 minutes.
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Take tamales out, unwrap and serve with Pico de Galo.
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