Prep Time: 2 hrs | Cook Time: 4 hrs | Total Time: 6 hrs | Servings: 12 people
This recipe is the real deal! And the best homemade tamales (both chicken and pork).
Ingredients
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CHICKEN FILLING:
1 pound tomatillos (10 to 12), husked, stemmed and rinsed
3 jalapenos fresh, stemmed
4 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
1½ tablespoon olive oil
3½ c. chicken stock
Salt about 2 teaspoons
4 c. chicken, coarsely chopped cooked, roughly chopped, a roasted chicken from the supermarket works well
⅔ c. cilantro fresh, cilantro
PORK FILLING:
16 medium guajillo and/or ancho chiles dried, stemmed, seeded, and torn into rough pieces
4 tomatillos
4 cloves garlic minced
½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
¼ teaspoon cumin ground
1½ pound pork boneless, shoulder or butt works well, cut into 1/2” cubes
Salt
BATTER:
2½ c. pork lard melted or shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoon baking powder
7 c. masa harina mixed with 4 1/2 c. hot water
2½ c. chicken stock
1 16-ounces package dried corn husks
How to make Authentic Homemade Tamales
READY THE HUSKS:
Step 1: In a large bowl, add the husks. Alternately, you can put the husks on your kitchen sink with the stopper in. Fill it in with water, weighing the husks down with heavy pots.
Step 2: For at least 2 hours, allow the husks to soak.
CHICKEN FILLING:
Step 1: In a medium saucepan, place the tomatillos and jalapenos. Cover them with water and bring them to a boil. Now, decrease the heat to a smooth simmer for about 20 minutes.
Step 2: In a blender, add the cooked veggies and garlic. Pulse to a smooth puree.
Step 3: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the puree and stir for about 10 minutes until thick and a bit darker.
Step 4: Pour in 2 cups of the stock. Allow simmering for about 15 minutes over medium heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Step 5: Generously season with about 2 tsp salt.
Step 6: At this point, stir in the chicken and cilantro. Take away from heat.
PORK FILLING:
Step 1: Into a medium saucepan, add the peppers and the tomatillos. Pour enough water to cover the peppers and the tomatillos. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to a smooth simmer for about 20 minutes.
Step 2: Into a blender, add the peppers, tomatillos, garlic, black pepper, and cumin, then puree. Work in batches if needed.
Step 3: Through a medium-mesh strainer, strain the mixture into a medium saucepan.
Step 4: To the saucepan, add the meat, 3 cups water, and a tsp salt.
Step 5: Over medium heat, simmer for about an hour and a half, stirring regularly, uncovered until the pork is fork-tender and the liquid reduced to a thick sauce.
Step 6: Break the pork using a fork into small pieces.
Step 7: Season according to taste.
Step 8: Allow the pork filling to cool.
DOUGH/BATTER:
Step 1: Add the wet masa, salt, and baking powder to a large pan. Then, mix using your hands.
Step 2: Pour the melted lard into the mixture and continue mixing until incorporated.
Step 3: Pour in the broth, a cup at a time while continuously mixing with your hands until you get a cake-like batter that can hold a shape in a spoon. Adding more stock if needed.
FORMING THE TAMALES:
Step 1: Rip the corn husk into string size pieces.
Step 2: Using a dishtowel, pat of the corn husk.
Step 3: Now, flatten the husk. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the batter using a spoon.
Step 4: spread the batter in the upper, wider portion of the husk to the size of about a postcard, leaving about an inch of space on the long side of the husk.
Step 5: Spread about 2 tbsp of the chicken mixture down the middle of the batter.
Step 6: Start folding over the right third of the husk, then the left side, and the bottom.
Step 7: Do the same process, alternating between chicken and pork filling.
Step 8: Tie the pork tamale with a string and place it on a large baking sheet.
STEAMING THE TAMALES:
Step 1: On each layer of the steamer, place the unused corn husks. And over the tamales, place the corn husks.
Step 2: To the steamer, add water, then cover.
Step 3: Over constant medium heat, heat and steam the tamales for about 1 1/4 hours, adding more water as needed.
Step 4: To check if the tamales are done when the husk easily peel away from the masa.
Step 5: Allow the dough to firm up by letting the tamales stand for at least half an hour.
Step 6: If you want the best tamales. First, cool them completely and warm again in a microwave.
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 399mg | Potassium: 505mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 154IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
Ingredients
- CHICKEN FILLING:
- 1 pound tomatillos (10 to 12), husked, stemmed and rinsed
- 3 jalapenos fresh, stemmed
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
- 1½ tablespoon olive oil
- 3½ c. chicken stock
- Salt about 2 teaspoons
- 4 c. chicken, coarsely chopped cooked, roughly chopped, a roasted chicken from the supermarket works well
- ⅔ c. cilantro fresh, cilantro
- PORK FILLING:
- 16 medium guajillo and/or ancho chiles dried, stemmed, seeded, and torn into rough pieces
- 4 tomatillos
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ¼ teaspoon cumin ground
- 1½ pound pork boneless, shoulder or butt works well, cut into 1/2” cubes
- Salt
- BATTER:
- 2½ c. pork lard melted or shortening
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 7 c. masa harina mixed with 4 1/2 c. hot water
- 2½ c. chicken stock
- 1 16-ounces package dried corn husks
Instructions
READY THE HUSKS:
Step 1: In a large bowl, add the husks. Alternately, you can put the husks on your kitchen sink with the stopper in. Fill it in with water, weighing the husks down with heavy pots.
Step 2: For at least 2 hours, allow the husks to soak.
CHICKEN FILLING:
Step 1: In a medium saucepan, place the tomatillos and jalapenos. Cover them with water and bring them to a boil. Now, decrease the heat to a smooth simmer for about 20 minutes.
Step 2: In a blender, add the cooked veggies and garlic. Pulse to a smooth puree.
Step 3: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the puree and stir for about 10 minutes until thick and a bit darker.
Step 4: Pour in 2 cups of the stock. Allow simmering for about 15 minutes over medium heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Step 5: Generously season with about 2 tsp salt.
Step 6: At this point, stir in the chicken and cilantro. Take away from heat.
PORK FILLING:
Step 1: Into a medium saucepan, add the peppers and the tomatillos. Pour enough water to cover the peppers and the tomatillos. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to a smooth simmer for about 20 minutes.
Step 2: Into a blender, add the peppers, tomatillos, garlic, black pepper, and cumin, then puree. Work in batches if needed.
Step 3: Through a medium-mesh strainer, strain the mixture into a medium saucepan.
Step 4: To the saucepan, add the meat, 3 cups water, and a tsp salt.
Step 5: Over medium heat, simmer for about an hour and a half, stirring regularly, uncovered until the pork is fork-tender and the liquid reduced to a thick sauce.
Step 6: Break the pork using a fork into small pieces.
Step 7: Season according to taste.
Step 8: Allow the pork filling to cool.
DOUGH/BATTER:
Step 1: Add the wet masa, salt, and baking powder to a large pan. Then, mix using your hands.
Step 2: Pour the melted lard into the mixture and continue mixing until incorporated.
Step 3: Pour in the broth, a cup at a time while continuously mixing with your hands until you get a cake-like batter that can hold a shape in a spoon. Adding more stock if needed.
FORMING THE TAMALES:
Step 1: Rip the corn husk into string size pieces.
Step 2: Using a dishtowel, pat of the corn husk.
Step 3: Now, flatten the husk. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the batter using a spoon.
Step 4: spread the batter in the upper, wider portion of the husk to the size of about a postcard, leaving about an inch of space on the long side of the husk.
Step 5: Spread about 2 tbsp of the chicken mixture down the middle of the batter.
Step 6: Start folding over the right third of the husk, then the left side, and the bottom.
Step 7: Do the same process, alternating between chicken and pork filling.
Step 8: Tie the pork tamale with a string and place it on a large baking sheet.
STEAMING THE TAMALES:
Step 1: On each layer of the steamer, place the unused corn husks. And over the tamales, place the corn husks.
Step 2: To the steamer, add water, then cover.
Step 3: Over constant medium heat, heat and steam the tamales for about 1 1/4 hours, adding more water as needed.
Step 4: To check if the tamales are done when the husk easily peel away from the masa.
Step 5: Allow the dough to firm up by letting the tamales stand for at least half an hour.
Step 6: If you want the best tamales. First, cool them completely and warm again in a microwave.
