Email to linda tennessee      

Recipe Categories: lindatn's HOME PAGEAPPETIZERS Beans BEVERAGES Blintzes BREAD BREAKFAST butters CAKESandPIES CANDY CASSEROLES CELEBRITYRECEIPES Cheese Cheesecake COOKIES CookingwithandforKids Crepes CROCKPOT DeepFried DESSERTS DUCK EasyeasyEasy EGGS ETHNIC FISHandSEAFOOD FlavoredButters Fondue Fooddescription FRITTATA FRUIT Herbs HolidayTime Home-made IceCream International JAMSandJELLIES KitchenTips LOWFAT MARINADES MEATS MICROWAVE MISCfunfoods Mixes ONEpancooking Oriental PASTA PICKLES PIZZA Potatoes POULTRY Questionstoponder quiche REQUESTEDREQUESTS RICE ROUX SALADandDRESSING SANDWICHES SAUCES sidedish slimdown SNACKS SOUPSandSTEWS sourdoughstarter Spices Stir-Fry SUBSTITUTIONS tarts TeaPartyTime Tennessee thequotOTHERquotedibles VEGETABLES VEGETARIAN WeightWatchers

Home made Tamales

List of Ingredients




Tamales are traditionally prepared for special occasions or fiestas, but creating them becomes an event in itself. Family and friends come together to share in the fun of assembly line style preparation: they get the husks ready, spread them with masa, fill, fold and stack `em in the steamer.

Corn Husks:


One Package Dried Corn Husks (purchase in the International Section of your supermarket, or in craft stores)

(Note: you can substitute 4-1/2 inch squares of parchment paper or aluminum foil for the corn husks if you prefer).

To Prepare Tamale Wrappers:

Soften the corn husks in a large bowl of warm water for about two hours When husks are softened, carefully separate them from each other and remove from the water. Flatten the husks by lightly patting them dry on a kitchen towel. One husk without holes or rips will be needed for each tamale. While the husks are moist, trim them with kitchen scissors to approximately 4-1/2 inch squares.

Peel off several narrow, ribbon-like strips about 1/4-1/2-inch wide from an imperfect husk to use as ties to secure wrappers when the tamale is filled. (Note: if using parchment or foil wrappers, cotton household string can be used for tying.)

Tamale Dough Ingredients:


1 Cup Instant Grits

1/2 Cup Masa Harina Flour (available in International section of most supermarkets)

1/2 Cup Lard

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Tablespoon Ground Chili Powder (optional)

1 Cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock

To Make Tamale Dough:

Mix the grits and Masa Harina together in a bowl with a spoon. Place the softened lard in a separate medium bowl and whip with a hand mixer (or a food processor) until fluffy. Add 1/2 cup of grit and Masa Harina mixture and continue to beat until smooth. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Slowly add the stock to the mixture, continuing to blend. The finished dough should have the consistency of cooked oatmeal.
(To test the readiness of the dough, place a small amount on the surface of cold water in a small container. If it floats, the dough is perfect, but if it sinks a couple more teaspoons of lard should be mixed in. Re-test for readiness.)


Picadillo Filling:



1 Tablespoon Oil

1 Medium Onion, minced

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1-1/2 Pounds Finely Ground Pork

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Pepper

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

1 (28-oz.) Can Tomatoes, pureed or diced

1/4 Cup Raisins

1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup Slivered Almonds, toasted

(Note: BBQ Sauce can be added to the ground pork as an American alternative short-cut for filling, eliminating the other ingredients. Re-fried beans can also be added to the Picadillo mixture.)

Heat oil in a large skillet, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add pork and sauté until lightly brown, stirring frequently. Pour off excess oil and add all remaining ingredients. Simmer the mixture until thickened, stirring occasionally. Cool before handling.

To Assemble the Tamales:

Spoon about 2 Tablespoons of the readied dough onto the wrapper and spread it out into a 3-1/2-inch by 3-inch rectangle. Spoon one heaping tablespoon of filling onto the center of the rectangle of dough. As you roll the wrapper and fillings lengthwise into a tube form, the dough should encase the filling like a "sleeping bag". Tie both ends snugly. Place the finished tamale into a steamer with a cover over medium-high heat. Steam for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, remove tamales, and serve with wrappers closed. Each person can unwrap their own.


Recipe