BBQ List
"Marlene Rausch" <luvsteiff4ever@worldnet.att.net>

Here is my tamale recipe
 
Tamales are not hard to make just time consuming.  I usually make my meat
mixture the day before as just shredding the meat is time consuming.  I try to
make these at Christmas and enough of them to freeze for the whole year.  If
you have any question please feel free to email me or post. Thanks so much, I love
this list!
> >
> > Marlene
> >
> > TAMALES
> >
> > MEAT MIXTURE
> >
> > Use about 1/3 lb of pork to 1 lb of beef.  So if you buy 10 lbs of beef to
> > cook, buy about 3.5 to 4 lbs of pork to cook. Or you may use all pork if you
> > wish. I like to use beef brisket for my beef, and I get it cut up in pieces so it
> > is easier to boil.  Pork, I use a boneless pork roast.
> >
> > In large pan, boil your pieces of beef (BEEF ONLY) in water with garlic
> > cloves and onions, (quartered) until beef is very tender and will shred
> > easily.
> >
> > Do the same for your pork but you  MUST cook it in a separate pan.
> >
> > SAVE ALL YOUR BROTH that you have cooked your beef in, AS YOU will need
it
> > for the masa, and to make your red chili.
> >
> > Discard your pork broth.
> >
> > Cool meats and then shred BY HAND, and mix your shredded pork and beef
> > together.
> >
> > Mix red chile mixture (recipe below) with meat mixture and best to let sit
> > overnight refrig and taste the Next day to see if you want it hotter. Red
> > Chili gets hotter the next day!
> >
> > RED CHILI
> >
> > If you can get the frozen Baca Red Chili (get it) much easier than boiling
> > dried red chili pods. Expect to use about 6-8 cartons of baca for 10-15 lbs
> > of meat mixture.  If using baca let it thaw out add some garlic salt to
> > taste and just mix with your meat mixture until the meat is wet but not
> > soupy.
> >
> > If you have to use dried red chili, get New Mexico Red Chili Pods (comes
> in hot, med, or mild) Probably you will use 3 lbs or more of this.
> >
> > Soak red chili pods in HOT water until soft, tear off tops and clean, and
> > rinse.  Put pods in large pan and boil pods until they are very very soft.
> > Cool, and put only a few in a food processor and grind up, add some meat
> > (beef) broth and garlic salt and some sugar ( a little bit) to taste).  If
> > chile is not hot enough add some off those chili peppers you get w/ pizza,
> > make sure they are the hot ones.  Make sauce the consistency of a gravy.
> >
> > OJAS
> >
> > Clean ojas (dried corn hulks) taking corn silks out and separating ojas.
> > Soak in sink with very hot water until ojas are soft.  Let ojas drain on
> > paper towels.  You use lots of paper towels as you will just keep stacking
> > paper towels, ojas, paper towels, ojas, right on top of each other.
> >
> > MASA
> >
> > 5 lbs fresh masa  (Have the bakery grind the corn fine and put 5 lbs per
> > package)
> > 1 1/2 lb lard
> > 1 cup beef broth (which you save the broth which your beef as boiled)
> > 1 Tablespoon salt
> > 1 heaping Tablespoon baking powder
> > red chile sauce for color
> >
> > Beat Lard (I use my kitchen aid heavy duty mixer) until the consistency of
> > whipped cream about 5 min or more. Add masa in small pieces and mix in,
> add remaining ingredients and enough red chile sauce for some color. Beat masa
> > until masa floats in a cup of water, This beating takes a long time.
> >> >
> > Spreading the masa/ and meat
> >
> > Place an oja (smooth side face up) in the palm of your hand, use a rubber
> > spatula is good or table knife and spread some masa on ojas (the narrow end
> > of oja is buttom of tamale) on it leaving the bottom with no masa on it
> and only spread about an inch from the top).  Take some meat and place in
> center of masa. Fold in sides of oja and then bottom.  I then wrap mine in a wax
> > paper square ( I buy those from the butcher he uses for meat).  You can
> also put a black or green olive on top of meat mixture and then fold the oja.

> > Cooking the Tamales
> >
I use a tamale pot, it is like a Large soup pot and has an insert with
holes in it that steams the tamales.
Place tamales in large pot with water, with steamer inside, stand tamales
upright and pack together, the bottom of the tamale should be in the down
position.  Steam tamales for about 2 hrs or so or until you can remove the
tamale from the oja cleanly, meaning masa does not stick to oja when you
unwrap.
> >
Other Info
> >
Depends on how much meat you put in your tamales, as to how much you will
actually need.  A average amount is about 1 lb of cooked meat mixture to 1
lb maybe more of masa.
 
It is best to freeze the tamales uncooked as they will have that fresh cooked
flavor when you steam them. Just thaw and steam.