Southwestern Recipes
Pork Tamales
Ingredients
- 1 (5 pound) pork shoulder
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup ground red chile
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 6 cups Masa Harina
- 1/2 cup lard
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 pound dried corn husks
Instructions
- Cover the pork with water in a large pot. Add garlic, and bring to a boil. Simmer gently, covered, until meat is tender. Cool slightly. Discard the garlic. Chop the meat and set aside.
- Mix chile powder, Mexican oregano, and flour with 2 cups of the meat stock and add to the chopped meat. Bring to a boil and simmer gently until mixture is thick. Cool.
- Beat lard until light and fluffy. Blend in Masa Harina. Add enough meat stock or water to make the mixture soft and pliable. The dough is ready when a small lump floats slowly to the bottom of a glass of water, so test it several times to ensure that it is at the exact point.
- Soak the husks in hot water until they are soft. Drain.
- Spread a thin layer of masa on a husk. Put a heaping tablespoon of meat mixture down the center of the masa. Roll the husk carefully around the meat filling. Wrap another husk from the opposite side. Tie ends with string.
- Stand the tamales on end on a layer of corn husks in a steamer. Steam for about 1 hour.
- Drain and serve with more red chile sauce and beans.