The fun begins on Friday.

Friday: make the salsas

Saturday: cook the turkey and pork, soak the ojas, pick up the masa

Sunday: Assemble them, cook 'em and sample 'em.

I really think you are going to need a second opinion on those tamales. Shall I PM you my address to send some to???

Stop by Sunday night for fresh out of the pot.

Address please!!!!

yeah yeah....

what she said!!!!!!!!!!!!

i know where a girl lives.....

Only thing better than tamales, are tacos...

If you're serious PM me and I'll PM my addy.

evening all

Smart arse!

now get to work on my habenero cheese tri-tip tamales

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Ok....I've always wanted to try making these. Do you have a recipie you could post?

Ohhhhh if only you lived closer!!!

Tell ya what BeachHead. As I make them, I'll jot down notes and estimates on ingredients and post them. I don't follow a recipe, but I'll see if I can roughly create one. Gimme a few days.

just went thru the cupboards checkin ingred's for tamales. I'll try your recipe when you post it.
time for and some

Hmmmm.....

I make a few different types.

-Pork (at PapaPerry's request), these are more like what most think of as traditional, with a red chile, etc.

-Turkey w/a tomatillo salsa and cheese

- Chile w/ corn and cheese, my abuela's favorite.

Which one do you guys want? Or do you want me to post 'em all?

Thank you very much!!

Alright, break time over.

The salsas are done, the chiles are chopped. The turkey is done, the pork is in the works. I may actually have a chance to relax today.

BTW, I always bring tamales out to G with us, so if anyone wants to stop by for a snack, we'll be on Gecko this trip from 12/26-1/2.

N ow get back in the kitchen and start making those tamales. I've been waiting a year for these. Damn they're good. I'll let you all know how they were. Thanks Nik.

MMMMMMMMMMM PORK TAMALES

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

None for you!

This is the tomatillo salsa I use in my turkey and in the chile cheese ones.
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This is what the turkey ones look like prior to folding.
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My helper, NE14SAND's MILF.
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Waiting to go in the tamale pot.
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In a couple of hours these are gonna be soooo yummy!
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We made around 20 dozen today and I'll make probably 5 or so dozen more before Christmas!

I'll post recipes during the week. Time for a lil relaxation!

YUM! I LOOOOOOOOOOVE the green cheese ones.

THEY R ALL GREAT

A long time ago, in my former life , the neighbor would throw a BIG tamale making party on Christmas Eve. You help out, you take home a few dozen tamales. Now I am picky about tamales, but this guy made THE BEST EVER IN THE WHOLE WORLD beef tamales. I told him I would roll tamales for days on end as long as I could sneak out a few extra dozen. MAN they were yummy. I would have tamales breakfast, lunch dinner and for snacks until they were gone. Hell, I'd even lie to my kids and tell them, sorry guys we are all out of tamales as I shoved them to the back of the freezer.

Nik, if you wanna mail me a few I wouldn't complain.

LOL, tell you what QG~ if you're ever in So Cal when I'm making 'em, stop by....

i go to a tamale festival in indio every year... They look great Nik! lots of hard work fo sho...

So how did they turn out???

GREAT

When is the Tamale eating contest?

Sign me up

I buy my from the Tamale King, Mountain Ave right off the 60. Great tamales

They were sooo yummy!

I took 9 dozen to work today to feed the masses and there are like 6 tamales left, lol.

Here go the recipes:

Pork Tamales: This will make approximately 5 dozen.

7 lbs. Masa preparada
7 lbs. Pork roast
bay leaves
oregano
½ bottle beer
3 cloves garlic
1 small can of Chile Colorado sauce
California chile powder
New Mexico chile powder
Pasilla chile powder
ojas (dried corn husks)

Clean and soak the ojas. I usually do this overnight. I also make the meat the day before so that the flavors blend.

Cube the pork, removing excess fat. (I cook it in a crockpot, but you could do it on the stovetop. I just like not having to babysit it, plus the house smells great all day.) Put it in a crockpot along with a few bay leaves. Sprinkle oregano over the top of the pork (I’d guess I use around a tablespoon.) and then pour the ½ bottle of beer and the can of the Chile Colorado over the meat. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 6 hours or so. You can also add fresh whole chiles if you want to spice it up. I tend to make the meat mild so that the heat intolerant peeps can still eat them.You know the meat is done when it starts flaking apart. When it gets to this point, remove it from the liquid and use a fork to shred it. Add in the California, New Mexico and Pasilla chile powders. I buy these in bags at the Mexican market and use around ¼ oz. of each. Add some of the liquid from the crock pot to moisten (make sure it’s not too soupy). Add salt to taste.

Masa: You buy this at a Mexican market. It’s best to order it in advance from the bakery. (While you’re there, buy some pan dulce! Yum!) I doctor the bought masa by adding chicken broth and fat, lard, and some more harina. It really depends on where you get it from. You usually need to add a little more lard at least, but that’s something you’ll figure out with time. It’s a texture thing. The masa should be room temperature when you begin using it.

You want to spread the masa on the smooth side of the oja. If you have small ojas, you will need to overlap 2 or more, using the masa as “glue.” I prefer thinner masa, but that’s an individual choice. Add around 1 ½ tablespoons meat to the center of the oja (see the picture above as an example). Fold one side of the oja over the meat and then the other. Then fold the end up.

Once you are done steam the tamales in a tamale pot which has water at the bottom. (You can also use a deep stockpot. To do this you need a pie tin that has had holes punched out of it on the bottom. Fill with water to the pie tin line, putting dish towels around the edges so that none of your tamales are sitting in the water.) Steam over low heat around 3 hours (less if you’re using a small pot.) You can tell the tamales are done by removing one and peeling back a portion of the oja. The masa should not stick to the oja and should look firm.

I serve the pork tamales with the red salsa recipe listed below.

Turkey cheese tamales: This will make 8-10 dozen

12 lbs. Masa preparada
12 lb turkey, baked and shredded
Tomatillo salsa (recipe follows)
Shredded Monterey jack cheese
Ojas, soaked

Heat oil in a large pan ( I use a mix of vegetable oil and garlic oil). Put some of the turkey in the pan along with ¼ cup soy sauce and about the same of the red salsa (recipe below.) Cook until blended. Do this with all the turkey. Let cool before using.

You want to spread the masa on the smooth side of the oja. If you have small ojas, you will need to overlap 2 or more, using the masa as “glue.” I prefer thinner masa, but that’s an individual choice. Put turkey, a pinch of cheese and 1 ½ tsp. of salsa in the center. Fold one side of the oja over the meat and then the other. Then fold the end up.

Once you are done steam the tamales in a tamale pot which has water at the bottom. (You can also use a deep stockpot. To do this you need a pie tin that has had holes punched out of it on the bottom. Fill with water to the pie tin line, putting dish towels around the edges so that none of your tamales are sitting in the water.) Steam over low heat around 3 hours (less if you’re using a small pot.) You can tell the tamales are done by removing one and peeling back a portion of the oja. The masa should not stick to the oja and should look firm.

Serve with tomatillo salsa on the side.

Chile corn and cheese tamales: This will make approximately 3 dozen

3 lbs. Masa preparada
1 large can green chiles (the kind you use for chile relleno), diced
1 lb. Frozen white corn kernels
Shredded Monterey jack cheese
Tomatillo salsa
ojas

Mix the corn and the chiles together in a bowl. You want to spread the masa on the smooth side of the oja. If you have small ojas, you will need to overlap 2 or more, using the masa as “glue.” I prefer thinner masa, but that’s an individual choice. Put a tablespoon or so of the chile corn mixture, a pinch of cheese and 1 ½ tsp. of salsa in the center. Fold one side of the oja over the meat and then the other. Then fold the end up.

Once you are done steam the tamales in a tamale pot which has water at the bottom. (You can also use a deep stockpot. To do this you need a pie tin that has had holes punched out of it on the bottom. Fill with water to the pie tin line, putting dish towels around the edges so that none of your tamales are sitting in the water.) Steam over low heat around 3 hours (less if you’re using a small pot.) You can tell the tamales are done by removing one and peeling back a portion of the oja. The masa should not stick to the oja and should look firm.

Serve with tomatillo salsa on the side.

Esco sauce it's not, but it's still pretty damn tasty.

Nik’s Salsa

This is for a single batch:

3 cans tomatoes (16 oz ea.)
1/2 bunch green onions, diced
cilantro to taste ( I usually use about 1/4 of a bunch), chopped
2 pasilla chiles
jalapenos
serranos
3 or more cloves raw garlic (you can cook, but I like the taste better when they’re raw for this recipe)

The chiles need to be roasted. I usually skewer the jalapenos and serranos to keep from losing them to the coals. I like them best when BBQ'd, but oven will do in a pinch. You want the skins to be 75% blackened. Use as many or as few chiles as you like. 2 or 3 of each will make it medium heat.

When the peppers have cooled rough chop them. Put everything but the garlic in a food processor and process ‘til smooth. Dump into a bowl. Season w/salt to taste and add crushed garlic. I usually under salt it and then chill it and taste it again once the flavors have blended. It's best to make this at least a night ahead.

This is one of my favorite salsas and it always gets rave reviews.

Tomatillo Salsa

I usually make this one in very large batches, so this is going to be a little more difficult.

Tomatillos (about a produce bag ¾ full). These should be firm, the papers not too papery, bright green in color
Bunch green onions, chopped
Cilantro, chopped
3 pasillas, roasted
jalapenos, roasted
serranos, roasted
Garlic
Salt to taste
Boil a large pot of water. While waiting for the water to boil begin peeling the “paper” off the tomatillos. Wash them well once that is done to remove the soapy residue. Once the water is boiling, drop the tomatillos into the pot. Cook until the color is more of an olive green. Remove from water and let cool. Reserve a little of the water in case the salsa is too thick.

Roast the peppers so that the skin is 75% black. Use as many or as few of the jalapenos and serranos as you like. Two or 3 of each should get you a medium heat salsa. Rough chop all 3 chiles once cool.

Blend the tomatillos with the other ingredients, except garlic and salt. Add garlic and salt once everything else is blended together. Chill and taste to see if more anything is needed.

I have some cooked and ready for consumption Joe. If you wanna stop by tomorrow and pick 'em up, that's cool by me.

Great stuff.

Thanks TWW for the recipes.
Headed to the mexican market soon to get all the stuff. I've gotta make my own dough, not sure where to get it pre-made around here..........
I've tried a few recipes for the dough, have one that's OK but if anybody has a recipe I'd love to try it.

Frig is full of so I think I'll cook and all day! See if I can go till midnight..

So how'd they come out???

I made the pork tamales. They came out good. I added a bit more "fire" to them because I like'em HOT. I enjoy watching the heat intolerant peeps get lit up when they eat my food. I added Chipolte and Cayenne!
I didn't get around to making the salsa's yet but I will.
Thanks again

Did you ever find masa?

Yeah, I tend to go easy on the actual meats in the tamales and then let people add fire by way of the salsas. I usually make the green one HOT and make a mild and hot version of the red.

No, I never did find any masa from any of our markets. Ended up making two types of masa. I really winged it on one recipe. Basically came up with it myself.
Mine was more cornmeal and less masa, good flavor but they didn't hold together as well.... maybe more lard ??
Also tried another recipe that was on the masa flour bag. It was OK. Still need a better recipe than those. I think if I tweek my recipe it'll be better next time.
Next time I'll try the Turkey tamales.

Masa recipes anyone???

Definitely more lard. Also, I'd grind hominy up, which is the basis for the masa. If you can find the type you cook yourself it'd be better than the can, but IMO, the can is better than the masa harina. I'd grind the hominy and then add harina and lard until the consistency is right. It should be a little pastie, but definitely smooth and spreadable. For tamales, more lard is better. I add chicken broth in the place of some of the lard, but still use a decent amount of lard.

Kudos to you for attempting tamales in a place where the ingredients aren't readily available.

It's tamale time again!

Word!

yum yum

I'll offer up the use of my trailer and plenty of tables if you folks want to have a tamale making party