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Grandma Anita’s Tamales (2 versions)

Source of Recipe

Grandma Nita


List of Ingredients

25 lbs. picnic and/or shoulder butt pork roast or if making chicken & cheese as well, add total lbs. and make equal amount of masa.
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. Salt

Cover roasts with water & bring to a boil.
Boil with garlic for 3 hrs. with garlic & salt.
Turn every ½ hour and add water as needed.
Remove foam as cooking.

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3 bags of dried corn husks

Soak husk in cool water the night before to soften a bit. Clean all seeds & corn silk & drain to remove excess water.


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*There are 2 ways to make the sauce. Below are both ways.


1. 2 bags California dried chili & 2 bags New Mexico dried chili

Put newspaper down and clean chili by splitting them open, cleaning out the seeds & removing the top w/ stem.
If you don’t want it too hot, remove the veins as well!
As each is cleaned, place it into a pan of cool water.

When finished, rinse & put in new pot of water & boil for 30 mins.
or until softened.
Put softened chili in blender (¼ at a time) with 1 ¼ C water with each batch.
Liquefy until very fine. Strain in colander to remove peeling.



OR

2. Open 5 - 28 oz. Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce
(much easier!! J )

Save a cup or so of the sauce to add to the masa.
Next ingredients to add to the sauce…

Ground cumin (good pinch)
1 large clove garlic, mashed
2 tbsp. Flour
Ground oregano (good pinch)

Ground cumin & garlic (mortar & pestle).
In large pot, heat 3 tbsp. Oil until very hot.
Add flour & brown.
Add chili & oregano. Bring to a boil and heat through.
Add shredded or cut up meat & bring to a boil.
Turn down & simmer at least an hour or longer.
Cool until easy to handle.

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Remove corn husks from water & let drain.

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25 lbs. Masa (prepared)

Work (mix with your hands) the masa until a small pinch floats when dropped in a glass of cool water. (quite a while!)
Add reserved sauce to masa & mix well.

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Spread masa (with back of spoon or spatula) onto husk, about 1” from larger end of husk & about 2” from smaller end of husk (this is the end you will fold over).
Add 2 tbsp. or so of the meat/sauce mixture in center.
Add 1 olive and/or 5-6 raisins on top.
Bring up sides of husk to cover & fold up the small end of husk.


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Steaming:

Steam at med/high (boiling).
You can use a large pot with a steamer or upside down pie tin with small holes punched through for steam to escape.
Add about 6” water & place tamales standing upright (folded side down) & cover.
The tamales should not be in the water! Check to see if done in about 1 ½ - 2 hours.



* Cute tip!!!

The dime is put in so that when listening to it rattle, you know there is still enough water. If it stops rattling, you will need to add more !

Makes about 10 dozen.

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BUYING GUIDE:

25 lbs. (combined total) 17-18 lbs. picnic and/or shoulder butt pork roast
plus chicken & cheese.
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. Salt

6 small or bags of dried corn husks


9 28 oz. Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce
Ground cumin (good pinch)
2 large clove garlic, mashed
3 tbsp. Flour
Ground oregano (good pinch)

1 lrg. Can Green chili sauce (for chicken filling)
3 lrg. Cans whole green chilis (for cheese filling)

7 cans whole olives
Lrg. Box raisens

25 lbs. Masa (prepared) Equal ratio of filling and masa






Recipe