Tamales nortenos 2 of 2

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ to 2 tablespoons (depending on the size of the husk) of masa in

Directions

~----THE MASA==================== 4 c masa harina

4 c lukewarm water

4 ts Wyler's granulated chicken : boullion

2 ts baking powder

2 ts salt

1½ c lard or vegetable

: shortening

MASA Combine masa, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Dissolve the boullion in the lukewarm water to make a broth. Mix the broth into the masa a little at a time, working with your fingers to make a moist dough.

In a small bowl, beat lard or shortening until fluffy, add to masa and beat until masa has a spongy texture.

The Tamales

Remove a soaked corn husk from the water and shake to remove excess water. Start with the largest husks because they will be easier to roll. If you end up with a lot of small husks, you can lay two together, overlapping about ½" but this is a little trickier and may take some practice. Lay the husk flat on a plate and spread about the center. Don't use too much! The easiest way to spread the masa is to spoon it onto the husk and spread it with your fingers. If the masa is sticky, wet your hands. Add about 1 tablespoon of meat filling on top of the masa. Again, don't use too much.

Now comes the tricky part. Roll the corn husk so that the filling is enclosed in the masa. Don't worry if the filling is not completely surrounded with masa. When the masa cooks it will become firm and the tamale will be fine. Fold over each end. If the husks are very thick, you may find it difficult to fold the large end and get it to stay.

If this is the case, don't worry about folding the large end and put that end up when you put the tamales into the steamer.

Load the tamales into a steamer standing them up vertically. I use a large pot with a steamer basket in the bottom. When all the tamales are rolled, and the steamer is full, cover with a damp cloth and steam until the tamales are done, about 2 to 3 hours. During steaming it is very important to keep the water at a low boil. Also, DO NOT let the steamer boil out of water.

TIP: Place a coin, a penny works good, in the bottom of the steamer with the water. You can tell when the water is boiling because you can hear the coin rattling around. If the coin stops rattling, the water has boiled away and you should add more.

After about 2 hours, you may want to pull out a tamale and sample it.

Let it cool for a few minutes and then unroll the husk. The tamale should be soft and firm and not mushy.

Recipe By : Garry Howard The tamale dough, or masa, is made from masa harina, a corn flour that is also

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