Good Eats Hot Tamales Alton Brown 2009

Description

Tamales are simpler to make than you might expect. And these are delicious! We added tomato paste to the filling for added flavor as an option to alton's recipe. He says you get about 5 dozen, but we got just 3 dozen. You may also enjoy trying recipe #369851

Ingredients

• Chili Powder
• Kosher Salt
• Paprika
• Smoked Paprika
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Cayenne Pepper
• Black Pepper
• Ground Cumin
• Boston Butt
• Vegetable Oil
• Onion
• Garlic Cloves
• Jalapeno Pepper
• Tomato Paste
• Yellow Cornmeal
• Baking Powder
• Lard
• Corn Husks

Instructions

1. Meat filling: in a small bowl, combine the chili powder, kosher salt, paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper and cumin
2. Divide the mixture in half and reserve 1 half for later use
3. Cut the boston butt into 6 even pieces and place into a 6 to 8-quart saucepan
4. Add half of the spice mixture and enough water, 3 to 3 1 / 2 quarts, to completely cover the meat
5. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil
6. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meat is very tender and falling apart, 2 to 2 1 / 2 hours
7. Remove the meat from the cooking liquid to a cutting board
8. Leave the cooking liquid in the pot
9. Both meat and liquid need to cool slightly before making dough and handling
10. Remove any large pieces of fat and shred the meat into small pieces, pulling apart with your hands or using 2 forks
11. Place a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the vegetable oil
12. Once shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are semi-translucent, approximately 3 minutes
13. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and remaining half of the spice mixture and continue to cook for another minute
14. Add the meat and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes
15. Remove from the heat
16. Wrappers: while the meat is cooking, place the husks in a large bowl or container and submerge completely in hot water
17. Soak the husks until they are soft and pliable, at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours
18. Dough: place the cornmeal, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and combine
19. Add the lard and using your hands, knead together until the lard is well incorporated into the dry mixture
20. Gradually add enough of the reserved cooking liquid, 3 to 4 cups to create a dough that is like thick mashed potatoes
21. The dough should be moist but not wet
22. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside until ready to use
23. Assembly: remove a corn husks from the water and pat dry to remove excess water
24. Working in batches of 6, lay the husks on a towel and spread about 2 tablespoons of the dough in an even layer across the wide end of the husk to within 1 / 2-inch of the edges
25. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture in a line down the center of the dough
26. Roll the husk so the dough surrounds the meat, then fold the bottom under to finish creating the tamale
27. Repeat until all husks, dough and filling are used
28. Tie the tamales, around the center, individually or in groups of 3, with kitchen twine
29. To cook tamales: stand the tamales upright on their folded ends, tightly packed together, in the same saucepan used to cook the meat
30. Add the reserved broth from making the dough and any additional water so the liquid comes to 1-inch below the tops of the tamales
31. Do not pour the broth into the tops of the tamales
32. Cover, and simmer until the dough is firm and pulls away easily from the husk, about 30-60 minutes
33. Sauce: to make a wet sauce to serve with the tamales, after removing them from the broth, add a little tomato paste to the broth and simmer till thickened
34. Storing tamales: tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, in the freezer, for up to a month
35. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap and steam until heated through
36. 🙂