The five steps to my tamales

GROCERY LIST:

2 packs of 4lbs of carnitas (so, 8lbs)
chili powder
cumin powder
garlic powder
black pepper
salt
paprika
red pepper
vegetable or corn oil
corn husks (1 package was more than enough)
1 4lb bag of corn MaSeCa masa
2 10oz cans of enchilada sauce (I used Gebhardt enchilada sauce)
water

Step One: PREPARE THE MEAT and HUSKS

Cook the meat.  I cubed my meat first and then used a roaster oven (set on 300 degrees for about 5 hours).

Once the meat is finished cooking, remove from heat to cool for handling.  Now, place your corn husks in hot water to soak and soften (about half the package will be more than enough for this recipe).  The corn husks float so I put them in a pan of hot water (in the sink) and placed a heavy pot (or glass mixing bowl) on top of them to hold them down under the water.

Now prepare the meat.  I began grinding my meat in the new fancy, schmancy electric meat grinder the hubby bought for me, but I like my tamale meat to look "normal" (not so chewed) so I mixed my ground meat with whatever meat pulled apart easily and small enough (the larger chunks were ground). So, my final product was about 90% ground meat and 10% just small pieced pulled pork.

This was my first try at tamales and my goal was to make yummy tamales with as little work as possible (because they are a lot of work).  So, I tried two different meat recipes: one with a variety of seasonings, and the other with just (our favorite canned - see photo) enchilada sauce. So, I divided the meat evenly into two separate containers.


For the first batch I mixed in about 1 1/2 cans of the enchilada sauce so that all the meat is coated but not runny with the sauce.

For the second batch, I added 1/2 corn (or vegetable) oil into the meat. Then I blended the following dry seasonings in a separate bowl and added them to the meat.

3 T. chili powder

3 T. cumin powder

3 T. garlic powder

1 T. black pepper

1 T. salt

1 T. paprika

1 tsp. red pepper

Step Two: PREPARE THE MASA
Now that the meat mixtures are complete, set those aside and begin the masa preparation.

I began with only about 1/2 of the bag of masa (but ended up mixing another batch after this one ran out). So, in a LARGE bowl, pour about 1/2 bag of masa and add in the following seasonings:

1 T. paprika

2 T. cumin powder

2 T. garlic powder

3 T. salt

2 T. chili powder

Stir the dry mix to blend and then add 2 1/2 cups of vegetable or corn oil and blend.  Now add water and blend until the consistency is liked to that of peanut butter (I estimate that I used about 4-5 cups of water). I've read that a quarter-sized ball of masa should float in cold water when it's the right consistency.

Step Three: TIME TO ASSEMBLE THE TAMALES

Husks have a "ridged" side (the outside) and a "smoother" side (the inside).  Lay the husk so that the masa can be spread to the inside (or the smoothest side) of the husk.  Some peeps use a putty knife, we used our hands to press the masa around on the husk so that it is somewhat squared and a thickness, or thinness, to preference. Place about 2 teaspoons more or less, again to preference, down the middle of the masa.  Then wrap so that the masa envelopes the meat.  Fold up the bottom of the husk and set aside.  Here is a link to Frieda's how to on tamales.









































































My daughter preferred the tamales made with the enchilada sauce as there was no spice at all with those but good flavor.  And the rest of us liked either. I'm wondering if I should try combining the two recipes next time to include the enchilada sauce in the meat and the spices, hmmmm...

Step Four:  STEAM THE TAMALES

A tamale steam pot will have a shelf that sits inside the pot.  Add water into the steam pot but only to just below the shelf so that the water does not make contact with the tamales.  Place your tamales standing up inside the pot atop shelf.  If the tamales fill the shelf you can lay more on top of those tamales. If you have too few and they do not fill the shelf, stuff a ball of foil in the middle to help keep them standing.

Bring the water to a boil, then turn down the heat. and replace the lid on the pot.

Steam for about 1-2 hours.  You can test to see if they are done by checking to see if the masa separates from the husks easily.

Step Five:  EAT THE TAMALES
I trust you can take it from here... HAPPY EATING!

Make it an occasion and invite family and friends over to help with the "FUN"!

...but what do I know?

When my father passed away, 11 years ago, I was coming into myself spiritually. After he passed, I experienced, what I believe to be, a visit from my dad in spirit.

The hardest part about my mother's passing is that I've been experiencing a lot of doubts about God and the afterlife. I think this stems from the fact that I have never been one to embrace something just for the sake of making it easier on myself.

I remember as I sat in mom's hospital room watching her sleep, I wondered what she must be thinking about her impending death.  Did she worry about her faith?  Did she question the afterlife? God?  I would have if I were in her situation.  Shoot, I was already as I watched her wither closer to death each day.

I was raised strict Baptist, but the black sheep in me questioned everything.  What if God and religion was concocted for those too weak to face death without it?  What if when we die, that was just all there were?

I want to believe in life-after-death and God, but I don't want to believe in it simply because it makes me feel better.

For example when daddy passed, apparently he was having a heart attack. It was in the midst of this attack that he slipped from the seat of the tractor and ended up underneath.  The detective told our family that dad had hit his head on a tree branch, died, and was already gone by the time he'd hit the ground.  Now, if you knew my dad, you would know how utterly ridiculous this hypothesis was.  My dad had been through some crazy shit and he was such a strong man physically, with a hard head! No stupid ass tree branch could have killed him. So, against everyone's wishes, I obtained the autopsy report.  I did this because in my mind I felt that if he had to go through it then I could, at the very least, know what he had experienced, whether it haunted me or not - I had to know truth! 

It took a long time, and a lot of talking to myself and to friends about my dad's death to finally be able to embrace it for what it was.

So, here I am.  And I remember sitting in the hospital room with my mom and she had been informed that she was going to die soon, and I watched her sleeping and thinking about what she must be going through mentally as well.  How does one prepare oneself to die?  She was raised in a very strong religious background.  She never questioned her faith.  Did she now?  If so, she never let it show.  I did.  What if? What if people created this idea of a God to ease there sorrows and fears about death?  What proof was there really?  The bible?  *scoffs*  This is me: you can not prove God because of a book written by men who felt they were being "led by God".  This book, at the time it was being translated was written in a language so old that no one currently spoke the language or fully grasped it. This book, that has been so carefully canonized. This book, that Catholic religious leaders called for it's translation also threatened it's translators with death.  This book which differs from religion to religion in literal form and translation - and whose to say which religion is right?  So don't talk to me in Bible.  Talk to me in Love.

Don't get me wrong! I don't hate the Bible!  It's a good foundation.  I simply don't believe it is always to be taken literally, and often the Bible is it's own best source of contradiction.

I used to feel God was in the wind, the leaves, the grass, the sky.  But now, since mom's death, I just don't know anything.