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Lyle's Old Time TAMALES

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs Pork cut into 3 inch pieces
  • 2 small onions quartered
  • 2 tsp Salt
  • 1/3 cup cooking oil
  • 6 cups water or chicken stock
  • 4 Cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 Tbsp Cumin Comino seasoning
  • 1/2 lb dried Ancho Peppers
  • Boiling water to soak peppers
  • 2 1/2 cups Masa
  • 1 1/2 cups instant grits
  • 1/2 cup water from soaked peppers & meat stock
  • 1/2 cup lard
  • 2 Pkgs Corn Shucks

Instructions

Step 1: Ancho Peppers

  • Soak Ancho’s in a pot of water for 6-8 hours. Drain remove seeds and stems but reserve the liquid. Process the drained peppers in a blender with some of the liquid. Using a seive pour the mixture through the strainer and set aside.

Step 2: Meat

  • For this recipe, we will be using a hotpot to save time, however, you can use a crockpot or large pan and roast in the oven.
  • Add the pork, onions, salt/pepper, and water/stock to your hotpot. Set your temperature according to the manufacturer’s instructions for cooking pork shoulder.
  • Once the pork is done, remove from the liquid and either shred or cut into small pieces.
  • Next, in a large skillet, add cumin, the oil, minced garlic, (please note that I didn’t use garlic because of my allergy.), and meat. Once the garlic has cooked a few minutes, pour half of the Ancho mixture over the meat. Set it aside.

Step 3: Corn Shucks

  • Soak shucks in hot water.

Step 4: Masa Dough

  • Mix masa & grits with enough the pepper liquid & meat juice to be like a pie dough.

Step 5: Assemble and Cook

  • Spread masa-grit mixture on corn shucks. Then spoon some meat mixture on shucks. Roll shucks, folding bottom. Then place in a steamer on the rack (you can use a colander). Put the plate upside down at the bottom of a large roasting pan. Cook 30 to 40 minutes, until shucks loosen easily from tamale.

Notes

Recipes provided by Lyle Oelfke