Sylvia Casares’ Pork Tamales

CHILE SAUCE (for masa prep) 5 dried chile cascabel pods (aka chile guajillo) washed, with seeds and stems removed 2¼ cups water Instructions: Using a medium saucepan, add water and chiles. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside and cool for about 10 minutes. In a blender, blend chiles using all of the liquid remaining after simmering. Pour mixture through a sieve to remove solids that did not liquefy. Set aside to add to masa dough.

HUSK PREPARATION

1 bag corn husks

1 gallon warm water

Large container to hold water and husks

Instructions: Add warm water and husks to any container. Place a heavy object on top to hold the husks down in the warm water. Soak at least one hour before making tamales.

SAUCE FOR PORK GUISADO

15 dried chile cascabel pods (chile guajillo), stems and seeds removed

4 dried chile de arbol (stems

removed), or to taste

½ large onion, sliced in quarters 5 cups water

4 cloves garlic

¼ cup water

Instructions: Place all ingredients (except garlic) in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes. Set aside and cool for about 15 minutes. Using a food processor or a blender, blend all ingredients to make a smooth sauce (about 30 to 45 seconds blending time). Pour puréed liquid through a sieve to remove remaining solids. Blend garlic cloves with ¼ cup water and add to puréed chiles. Set aside to use to season the cooked pork. Note: Increase chile de arbol quantity if more heat is desired.

PORK (FILLING) FOR TAMALES

7½ pounds pork butt (approximate yield after trimming fat is 4½ pounds)

5 cups water

½ large onion, sliced in quarters 6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon salt

¼ cup vegetable oil

Instructions: Dice pork, removing the excessive fat. Dices should be about ½-inch.

Place all ingredients (except oil) in a 10 quart stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 90 minutes or until very tender. Remove pork from pan and set aside in a large sauté pan. Set aside pork stock for later use. Add ¼ cup vegetable oil to the pork and sauté over medium heat until a little golden and browned. Cover and set aside (place in the refrigerator if not using immediately).

FINAL PREPARATION OF PORK GUISADO

Dry ingredients for guisado 1½ teaspoon cumin (ground) 1½ teaspoon ground Mexican

oregano

1½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon salt

Instructions: Add pork guisado sauce to the browned pork. Add dry spices to the mixture and simmer 15 minutes. Set aside and cool for about 15 minutes before beginning tamale preparation. Taste and add salt, if desired. If desired, shred pork pieces by hand.

This will give you a better yield.

MASA PREPARATION

14 cups Maseca (instant corn flour, or

3½ pounds)

1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons

baking powder

4 teaspoons salt

2½ pounds lard (see note)

3¼ cups pork stock (reserved from

pork prep)

1½ cups chile sauce

3½ cups water

Instructions: Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well by hand.

Combine lard, pork stock, chile sauce and water in a large saucepan. Heat over high to melt the lard, using a whisk to blend all of the ingredients.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients (masa flour) about 3 cups at a time. Mix all ingredients and knead until dough is well blended and light. This will require about 15-20 minutes of kneading by hand or, if using a mixer, blend about 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Note: Fresh lard can be used for more flavorful results. This item is available at your local Hispanic meat market.

TAMALE PREPARATION

Tools:

Tablespoons or wall spacklers, l used

for spreading

Small bowls of water, to facilitate

spreading

Instructions: Assemble all prepared ingredients: masa dough, corn husks, pork guisado. Place about 2 ounces of masa dough in the center of the corn husk. With the back of a serving spoon spread evenly almost to the edges of the husk. The husk will resemble a triangle (wide on one end and narrow on the other). The masa should be spread from the wide end about 4 inches toward the narrow end. (Dipping spoon in water will ease in spreading masa.)

Place about 2 ounces (2 tablespoons) of pork guisado stuffing down the center of masa.

Fold the sides of the husk, one at a time, toward the center. (They will overlap). Fold the bottom part of the husk (without the masa) up. Place tamale face down in a container. Repeat until all masa and stuffing are finished.

Note: You can reduce or increase amount of masa and pork to vary the size of the tamales.

STEAMING TAMALES

Tools:

20-quart stockpot and a steamer base or a tamale steamer, one small coin

Instructions: Place the rack and enough water to the top of the base. Place a coin in the water.

Place corn husks on the rack and then stack tamales on the rack forming a "tower" or "tee-pee" design. Cover the tamales with a layer of corn husks.

Cover stockpot and cook tamales over low heat for about 90 minutes. If you hear the coin rattling, add more water.

After steaming tamales, turn off heat (leave pot on the burner) and allow to finish cooking for another 30 minutes. Tamales should be cooked completely (husk should peel easily from dough). Makes 5 dozen