Beat them and then tie them up - the cartel special
Tamales are a team sport in Mexico, so rope in some friends for the assembly line. Slow-cooked red chile pork, masa whipped until it literally floats, and little corn-husk parcels steamed until tender. The first unwrap is the moment of truth.
The challenge
- Grinding fresh masa
- Fluffy masa consistency
- Wrapping without tearing
- Steaming without waterlogging
- Filling-to-masa ratio
Making tamales from scratch means grinding corn into masa, then beating it with lard until fluffy enough to pass the float test. Soaked corn husks get spread with masa and filling, folded carefully to avoid tearing, then tied and stood upright in a steamer.
The steaming process is finicky: you need enough water for steam but not so much that it touches the tamales directly. Getting the masa texture right and the filling ratio balanced takes practice, and you won't know if you've succeeded until you unwrap the first one after an hour of steaming.
Prep: 2 hours, plus overnight if making masa from scratch Β Β·Β Cook: 3 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the red chile pork
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) boneless pork shoulder, in 5 cm (2 in) chunks
- 1 onion, halved, 4 garlic cloves and 2 bay leaves
- 6 dried guajillo chillies and 2 dried ancho chillies, stems and seeds removed
- 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- Salt
For the masa
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) fresh masa for tamales, or 600 g (4 1/2 cups) masa harina mixed with 750 ml (3 cups) warm pork broth
- 250 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) good-quality pork lard, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 250-375 ml (1-1 1/2 cups) warm pork broth (from cooking the pork)
For from-scratch masa (optional)
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) dried white field (dent) corn
- 2 tbsp (20 g) cal (food-grade calcium hydroxide)
To wrap
- 30 dried corn husks (a few extra for tearing and lining the steamer)
Method
- Grind your masa (if going the full mile)The day before, rinse the corn and put it in a large non-reactive pot with 3 litres (3 quarts) water and the cal. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-40 minutes until the skins rub off easily between your fingers. Cover and leave overnight. Next day, drain and rub the corn under running water to remove most of the skins. Grind in a hand or electric corn mill, adding the smallest splash of water, until you get a smooth, damp dough. A high-powered food processor can work in small batches; scrape and pulse until it's fine and holds together.
- Cook the porkPut the pork, onion, garlic, bay and 1 tsp salt in a pot, cover with 2 litres (2 quarts) water and simmer gently for 2 hours until it shreds easily. Skim occasionally. Lift out the pork and shred it; keep the broth.
- Soak the husksWhile the pork cooks, put the husks in a large bowl, cover with very hot water and weigh them down with a plate. Soak for at least 1 hour until soft and pliable. Pliable husks are the key to wrapping without tearing.
- Make the red chile sauceToast the chillies in a dry pan for 20-30 seconds per side until fragrant (don't let them blacken). Soak in hot water for 15 minutes, then blend with 250 ml (1 cup) pork broth, the cumin, oregano and 2 cooked garlic cloves from the pot until very smooth. Strain, then simmer in a pan with 1 tbsp lard for 10 minutes. Stir half the sauce into the shredded pork and season; keep the rest.
- Whip the masaBeat the lard in a stand mixer on medium-high for 3-4 minutes until white and fluffy. Mix the baking powder and salt into the masa. With the mixer running, add the masa a handful at a time, alternating with splashes of warm broth and 2-3 tbsp of the leftover chile sauce. Keep beating for 8-10 minutes until it's soft, light and spreadable like thick hummus.
- Do the float testDrop 1/2 tsp of masa into a glass of cold water. If it floats, you're ready. If it sinks, beat for another 2-3 minutes and test again. Taste it too: it should be well seasoned, slightly saltier than you think.
- Spread and fillPat a husk dry and lay it smooth side up, wide end towards you. Spread about 3 tbsp masa in a thin, even layer over the top two-thirds of the wide end, leaving a 2 cm (3/4 in) border at the sides. Spoon about 1 1/2 tbsp filling down the centre. That roughly 2:1 masa-to-filling ratio keeps it balanced and stops it bursting.
- Fold and tieBring the long sides together so the masa wraps around the filling, then roll the husk in the same direction. Fold the narrow tail up underneath. Tie loosely around the middle with a thin strip torn from a spare husk. If a husk tears, patch it with a second one rather than overfilling.
- Set up the steamerFill a large steamer pot with water to just below the rack, about 5 cm (2 in), making sure it won't touch the tamales. Drop a coin in the water: if it stops rattling, the water is low. Line the rack with a few husks.
- SteamStand the tamales upright, open end up, packed snugly so they support each other but aren't squashed. Cover with more husks and a damp tea towel, then the lid. Steam over medium heat for 60-75 minutes, topping up with boiling water around the edges (never over the tamales) as needed.
- Test and restPull one out and let it sit for 5 minutes. If the husk peels away cleanly and the masa is firm and not sticky, they're done. If not, steam for another 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let them rest in the pot, covered, for 15 minutes before serving with the remaining chile sauce.
- Interrogate the guestsHand everyone a tamale and make them unwrap their own. Anyone who tries to eat the husk gets reported straight back to the cartel. Pass the salsa, keep the questions to a minimum.
Tips from the trenches
- Use real pork lard, not the shelf-stable blocks if you can avoid them. Fresh rendered lard makes the lightest, tastiest masa.
- Thin masa is better than thick. A heavy layer stays dense and doughy in the middle.
- The coin trick in the steamer is an old-school alarm: when it stops rattling, add more boiling water.
- Tamales freeze perfectly. Steam from frozen for 25-30 minutes to reheat.
βCooking is one of the strongest ceremonies for life. When recipes are put together, the kitchen is a chemical laboratory involving air, fire, water and the earth.ββ Laura Esquivel
