Christmas Eve Tamales

1. COOK THE TAMALE MEAT

Cook and Shred Pork Roast:

Cut the roast into fist size chunks. Put the chunks into a pan, and cover with water. Boil for about 2 1/2 hours or until it becomes really tender.

After the meat is really tender, take it out of the broth to cool (save the broth because you will need it for the Masa).

After the roast chunks are cool enough to handle easily, shred them with your fingers. Try to remove and discard the fat as you go. If you have cooked the roast chunks thoroughly, it will be easy to shred into small pieces with your fingers.

Cook and Shred Chicken:

Cover the chicken with water in a large pot, and boil for 2 hours, or until the chicken is done and tender.

Take the chicken out of the broth and allow the chicken to cool. (save the chicken broth as well). Remove and discard the skin.

Take the chicken meat off the bones and shred it into very small pieces. Discard any large chunks of fat.

Combine Pork and Chicken:

Combine both meats in very large pan, and mix together. Make sure that the meats are thoroughly combined and mixed well.

Add the Spices and Seasonings:

Mix the oil and seasonings listed below in a small pan and gently warm on the stove.

When the oil and seasonings mix is warm, then pour it over the meat and mix with your hands until it is completely distributed through the meat. It takes a good 10 minutes to get the mixture completely uniform.

Spices and Seasonings:

1/2 cup corn oil

6 tblspn chili powder

3 tblspn garlic powder

3 tblspn ground cumin

1 tblspn (or less) black pepper

2 tblspn salt

Put the meat in the refrigerator covered until ready to make the tamales. Put both the chicken broth and roast broth into the refrigerator as well.

2. MAKE THE MASA DOUGH MIX

Start with 2 lbs. of the Masa flour. Now, skim the fat off the broth that you saved from the pork and chicken you made earlier. Throw the fat away, and save the broth. Warm up the broth from the pork and chicken. Don’t get it too hot, just warm.

Now put the 2 lbs. of Masa in a large bowl. Add the following dry spices to the Masa:

3 tblspns paprika

3 tblspns salt

1 tblspn cumin seeds

3 tblspns chili powder

3 tblspns garlic powder

Mix the spices above into the Masa until it is completely incorporated.

Now add:

2 cups of canola oil

to the Masa and Spice mixture. After adding the oil, begin to slowly work in 2 quarts of the warm chicken/pork broth, about a cup at a time. Work the mixture with your hands to make dough. Slowly add the warm broth one cup at a time as you continue to work the mixture with your hands. If it is too dry, add enough warm water to get it right for spreading. It should be about as thick as peanut butter.

3. PREPARE THE CORN HUSKS

Soak the husks in a sink full of warm water for about 2 hours. You will need to carefully separate them when they get soft. Try to not tear or damage the corn husks. It is easier to make the tamales if the husks are in one piece.

4. BUILD THE TAMALES

After the corn husks are soft, take some of them out of the water, shake the water off, lay them on the counter on a towel.

Pick up a husk, lay it across the palm of your hand with the small end toward your fingers. Scoop up about 1/2 c of the Masa dough with a spatula, and then smear it on the husk.

Cover the left 2/3 of the husk with Masa, leave 1/3 on the right uncovered. Similarly, cover the bottom 2/3 of the shuck, and leave the top 1/3 uncovered. You need to leave the top and side uncovered so you can fold it up later.

Now, go to the next husk and do the same, laying them out on the counter as you put the masa on them. I like to do 5 or ten at a time like this.

When you have covered 5 to 10 of the husks with Masa, it is time to add the meat. Take about 1 tablespoon of meat, and lay it on the masa about 1 in. from the left edge.

Starting on the left side (the side where the Masa dough goes all the way to the edge), roll the tamale all the way to the right edge. Now, fold the top of the husk over like an envelope and lay tamale on the counter with the fold on the under side. Roll the next one the same until all your husks with masa on them are rolled.

Now, get more husks and put masa on them the same way. Then roll the meat in them. Keep doing this until all the tamales are built. You will have about 4 dozen or more.

5. COOK THE TAMALES

To cook the tamales, You need a very large pot that has something in the bottom to keep the tamales out of the water while they steam, like a steam basket. Add about 3 pints of water to the pot, then start stacking the tamales upright until full. The envelope end of the tamale will be on the bottom, the open end of the tamale should be on top. Continue to fill the pot. The tamales need to pack tight enough that they do not fall over and begin to unfold.

Cover the pot, and bring the water to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low and cook for at least 2 hours. Check water several times and add more if it is getting low, you DON’T want to boil it dry. When done, take one tamale out and leave it on the counter for about 5 minutes to test. Unwrap it and it should be firm, with no raw masa. When done, remove all the tamales and let them cool on the counter, then put in bags for the freezer, 6 to a bag.

Other fillings may include roasted pumpkin or seasoned black beans.