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You Asked For It

Traditional tamales are a cause for celebration

By ELLEN FOLKMAN
Published August 16, 2006

Sharon Minar wanted a recipe for tamales in corn husks, so Cynthia Shea shares a recipe for traditional pork tamales that she got from www.foodnetwork. com.

Traditionally, tamales are made in large quantities for special occasions and large celebrations, and in keeping with tradition, this recipe makes 4 dozen to 6 dozen. But they needn't be eaten in one sitting: They freeze nicely and can be enjoyed over a period of time.

If you're interested in making them, grab some friends and family and plan a day of it.

Be sure to read through the recipe completely before starting. It is very involved and requires many steps. The good news is some parts can be done ahead of time.

TRADITIONAL PORK TAMALES

Pork butt:

2½ pounds boneless pork butt in one piece, trimmed of all but a thin layer of fat

1 whole head garlic, unpeeled, cut crosswise in half

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

4 large bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

Masa:

10 pounds masa cornmeal flour

¼ cup water

3 heaping tablespoons baking powder

¼ cup salt

4 cups vegetable shortening, boiled and cooled

Chili sauce:

5 whole dried California chilies

2 whole dried New Mexico chilies

2 whole dried pasilla chilies

2 pounds tomatoes

4 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

3 tablespoons salt

3 cups water (stock saved from boiling chilies and tomatoes)

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

Tamale assembly:

4 to 6 dozen dried corn husks

Green olives

Potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces

Carrot sticks, peeled and cut into small pieces

Pork butt: Place pork butt in a large Dutch oven or medium-size stock pot. Add garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt. Add enough cold water to cover by at least 3 inches. Bring to a boil on high heat, quickly reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer, partly covered, skimming any froth from the top during the first 15 minutes of cooking. A piece this size should be well-cooked but not dried out in 1½ to 2 hours. Remove from stock and let cool to room temperature. When cool, pull meat into fine shreds.

Strain and degrease the stock. It will be easier to remove fat when thoroughly chilled. This can be kept, tightly covered, 2 days in the refrigerator, if degreased at once, or up to 1 week if you leave the top layer of fat on it until ready to use. The stock also freezes well.

Masa: Place 10 pounds of masa in a large plastic mixing bowl. Mix ¼ cup water with baking powder in a cup held over the bowl with the dry masa until it fizzes, then pour mixture evenly over masa. Add ¼ cup salt and work masa with hands to mix evenly. Melt 4 cups vegetable shortening in large saucepan and allow to cool. Pour evenly over masa and knead masa with hands again. When it starts to feel thick and compact (like fudge) it's ready. Pat down in bowl and set aside.

Chili sauce: In a large saucepan, boil chilies and tomatoes together for about 10 minutes or until softened. Drain the chilies and tomatoes and reserve the water (stock). Set stock aside. Rinse seeds out of boiled chilies at sink. Grind garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and whole cumin with mortar and pestle. Put chilies, tomatoes, 3 additional tablespoons salt and ground ingredients together in blender and blend well. Add 2 cups of the reserved water (stock).

In a heavy medium-size saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening over medium-high heat until rippling. Add flour, stirring constantly until golden. Add strained chili puree to the pan and reduce heat to low. It will splatter, so be careful. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the raw taste is gone and the chilies have mellowed, about 10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded pork with the chili sauce.

To assemble the tamales: Soak dried corn husks in warm water for about 1 hour until soft. Spread masa mixture evenly onto husk using a wooden spoon. Fill with about 2 tablespoons pork mixture and top with 1 green olive, 1 slice of potato and 1 carrot stick. Fold and tie ends with pieces of corn husk. Steam for 1½ hours.

To steam: To make a steamer, place a metal rack (such as a cooling rack) in the bottom of a large stock pot or canner. Water level should be below the rack. Lay extra corn husks over the rack. Stand the tamales on the folded edge in the steamer (the open edge will be facing upward). First fill the bottom of the steamer, then start stacking the tamales on top of one another. Place any extra husks on top of tamales, cover with pot lid and steam 1½ hours. Replenish the boiling water if necessary during steaming time. The tamales are done when the husk peels away easily from the filling.

Yields: 4 dozen to 6 dozen.

Recipe requests

Don Thomas is looking for a recipe that was published in the Tampa Tribune in the 1990s. It was for Spanish chicken and the ingredients include artichokes, heart of palm, olives and white or yellow rice. Don says it's a quick, easy meal to prepare and serves 6 to 8 people.

Florence Hyde has searched her many cookbooks for a recipe for chicken Marsala but has yet to find one. She hopes readers will share their favorites.

Marie Etlinger would like a recipe for fudge that she remembers from her childhood. She remembers some of the ingredients being brown sugar, milk, vanilla, butter and walnuts.

Marilyn Bridgan fondly remembers the deep dish apple pie from the former Aunt Hattie's restaurant in St. Petersburg. Marilyn now lives in Tacoma, Wash., and would like to have the recipe. Her deep dish pie pan is waiting.

You Asked for It is a reader mail column. Send requests to You Asked for It, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or e-mail them to youaskedforit@knology.net Please put "Recipe request" in the subject line. Be sure to include your full name, city and phone number.

[Last modified August 15, 2006, 09:44:09]