shredded pork tamales ~ part 2

Guest Blogger: ChefBliss.com
We have the meat prepared and are now ready to mix the masa and assemble the tamales:

I found the corn husks in the Mexican food section at our local grocery store. Soak the husks in warm water for about 30 minutes. You may need to use something to keep them under water. As you are checking them, remove all the corn silk, and if it's stuck don't pull. Wait until they have soaked to finish pulling them off. The brand I bought were very easy to clean the silks off of. Some are just too small to use, some are huge and can be gently torn in half.

As I was researching masa recipes there were so many and they were so varied. All recipes called for lard, butter or a combination of the two. I decided to use coconut oil for a healthier version.

My Masa Recipe is:
*2 cups masa flour
*1/2 tsp salt (optional)
*6 TB melted coconut oil
*2+ cups broth (saved from the meat)

Mix all together. Start with 2 cups of broth and add more as needed. Take a corn husk and wipe the water off. Take some masa and pat down on the husk. Spread out to one side, leaving a border on the other side. Make sure to leave room at the bottom to create a tail.

I thought I might be putting it on too thick. However, once all was said and done they were really good and only one or two didn't have quite enough meat. But I love the masa, so I was happy. I found that it was easiest to use my hands, rather than a spoon, and it they were damp it was easiest.

Place the meat down the center. Roll the "full side" in first, then the "border" side in. Fold up the end. Seal the top together with your fingers. Place tamales into a steamer with water in the bottom. With water boiling, steam for one hour.

A few notes:
*Several recipes and my mom all said you only need a bit of water. However, the water had other ideas. Check it or use a penny. When the rattling stops you need more water.
*I used two pans, one I left a whole in the center and the other I filled as much as possible.
*The tamales were various sizes, depending on the size of the corn husks.

The tamales were wonderful! And having leftovers is the best part! We served them with a cilantro lime sour cream and various salsas. By taking out the lard and butter I felt really good about them too. What would I do next time? Not much different, but I want to cook the pork in the slow cooker and also try shredded beef and chicken. And please pardon me if my tamale terminology was not spot on.

And now for the Fabulous Recipe Award:

Teresa at Mexican-American Border Cooking was my inspiration for the pork filling. She had a three day post for tamales and some great ideas for sauces, and even a sweet tamale. Her posts were fun, informative and very easy to read. So I am proud to give her the Fabulous Recipe Award! Thanks Teresa! And I apologize for not putting this on the post yesterday, since it really was all about the meat! The award on my sidebar is a smaller size so you can take it from there!

For the masa mix I tried the recipe on the flour package (too dry) and a recipe from Food Network (very moist). So I tried my own combo and it was great. I don't think Food Network wants an award, but it would be fun to give it to them!

shredded pork tamales ~ part 1

For years I have wanted to learn how to make tamales. I have dreamed of this moment, believe it or not! When I was nine, we were on a train, traveling to Machu Pichu in Peru. It was freezing cold. So cold that we bought woolen ponchos (made from Llama fur) and slept huddled together to keep warm. Our train came to a stop in the middle of nowhere, but on one side of the train were shacks. I knew, even as a child, that I was in the middle of severe poverty. Women boarded the train to sell tamales to the passengers. When their wares had been sold, they disembarked and the train began moving again. I remember those tamales as being so delicious. So tasty. I remember my parents exclaiming their delight and wishing they had bought more.

Now tamales are hard to find at a decent price and they are not always that great. Since I had a little time on my hands I thought I would give it a go. I started researching recipes from various sites. So many of them have the same idea, but all are different. I settled on one to use as my guide for the meat and several to use as my guide for the masa.

One thing I know for sure: they are TASTY!


Here is how I made my Delicious Tamales
(Adapted from several sources, listed below):
*6 lb. pork shoulder roast
*1 onion, chopped
*6 to 8+ garlic cloves, minced/chopped
*2 1/2 tsp. cumin
*1+ TB salt
*1/3 cup chili powder

I started with a 6 pound pork shoulder. In a large dutch oven melt some coconut oil to brown the pork. As it is browning on the second side, add the onions. Allow them to brown while you add the remaining ingredients and water to cover the roast, approximately 12 cups for this one. Boil for about three hours until it is fork tender.

Once the meat is done, strain it, and make sure to keep the liquid. Allow the meat to cool until you are able to shred by hand, or use two forks. Discard fat and bones. Once the meat is shredded you can "season" it with chili sauce. I used two variations: for one I put in some of the drained broth. For the other half I used a chili sauce made from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, blended in our magic bullet (trust me, it's great!) with some water until it is a puree.

Tomorrow we will make the masa and assemble and cook the tamales. And eat them too! See you then!

delicious pea soup

Guest Blogger: ChefBliss.com
I found a recipe on a blog (more on that later in the post!) and got to work. I made slight adaptations to fit our eating habits and it was great!

I turned the pot on medium, put in a tablespoon or two of coconut oil and the ham bone (with the ends torn off and tossed in), and let the coconut oil melt while I chopped the vegetables.

Start with one onion, roughly chopped. While that sautees and softens, chop and add in 1 carrot,1 large celery rib and 6 cloves of garlic (bashed more than chopped!), and 20 grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Add enough water to cover. This bone was so large it filled the pot, as well as requiring a large quantity of water.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for one hour. Strain the mixture and make sure to KEEP the stock, as this is the base for your soup. Silly reminder, I know, but I had visions of it going down the drain!

I had a total of 19 cups of stock to which I added: (Adjust based on the amount of stock you have)

2 Tablespoons dried Thyme
10 carrots, a combination of diced and chopped (2 pounds total including the original carrot)
6 cups shredded and diced ham (the remaining ham plus what came off the bone after it was boiled)
20 grinds of freshly ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons diced garlic
20 grinds of dried garlic (you can also just add dried or powdered garlic)
5 celery ribs, chopped
2 pounds dried peas (I began with the ratio of a half pound per 5 cups of stock, but added in two cups the next day to thicken it some more.)

Stir everything together, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook slowly for about 45 to 60 minutes. The beauty of this soup is that just when you think you've got some runny soup it all comes together. And it's even better the next day!

Wait until it's (almost) done to add salt and only if needed. Delicious! You can adapt the ingredients up or down, depending on the size of your ham bone and the amount of stock you have.

This pea soup recipe was adapted from Sue at Time in the Kitchen's blog post, Hordes of Split Pea Soup. I was excited when I found the recipe, and we are really enjoying the soup! The whole family gives it a big thumbs up! We are thrilled to present our first Food Love Blog Award to Time in the Kitchen! I say "we" because the whole family gets to vote!

Enjoy!