Smoked Pork Tamales
For a lot of y'all, Christmastime means tamales. There's nothing quite like a homemade tamale. For those of you who don't have somewhere nearby to get some, this recipe is for you. This recipe is authentic, delicious, and can be made indoors or outdoors. Get that smoker ready (we also have slow cooker alternative directions below).
You can make tamales with any type of meat you have - brisket, game, etc. I prefer pork butt, cut into smaller pieces for a faster cook. For seasoning, use my Mesquite Seasoning or an alternate southwest seasoning blend with ancho chile powder. Season well, rubbing into both sides of each chunk of pork butt.
Smoking Pork for Tamales
I'm using a disposable foil pan, but you can use any large roaster. Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the pan and add the onion, garlic, cumin, and bay leaves. Stir well, and place the pork pieces in the bottom of the pan. Pretty easy so far, right?
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Preheat the smoker to about 275 degrees. I'm using hardwood lump charcoal and a few pieces of hickory for flavor. Smoke for 45 minutes, then cover the pan well with foil and cook for an additional 3-4 hours. Take your time on this - it's done when the meat is fork tender.
Tip: You can smoke the pork the day before you make the tamales.
When the pork is fork tender, shred well. Save the broth that you cooked the pork in - you're going to use it later when we steam the tamales.
The Best Cut of Pork for Tamales
Tip: For added flavor, mix some roasted diced Hatch Green Chile into the shredded pork.
Soak the Corn Husks
Two hours before you're going to start assembling the tamales, submerge the corn husks into hot water. Make sure they stay all the way in there, soaking water up for the entire two hours. You can put them in a stock pot or large bowl - just so long as there is something in there holding the corn husks down. When it's time to use the corn husks, let them sit in a colander for a bit and drain really well.
Authentic Chili Sauce
The red sauce that makes these tamales so delicious is made from a mix of fresh and dehydrated chilis. The three dried chilies I like best are guajillo, ancho, and poblano. Do your best to remove the seeds and stems.
Seed and stem the jalapenos and serranos - you can add or remove peppers based on how much heat you like.
In a large stock pot, put some water to boil. Add all of the chilies, dried and fresh. Add the white onion, garlic cloves, and boil for 15 minutes or so until everything is tender.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the boiled chilies and onion from the pot and into a blender. You don't have to strain off all of the liquid - this broth has a lot of great flavor, and if the blended chilies aren't smooth enough, we can add some of it to smooth it out a little. The final texture should be a little thicker than a pizza sauce.
Use a colander or sieve to strain any remaining seeds or stems out of the sauce. This will leave a smooth, flavorful tamale sauce that you just might want to eat with a spoon. I know I do.
How to Make Masa For Tamales
A long time ago, a friend of mine who has made a lot of tamales told me that the key to making Masa perfect was to treat it just like concrete. Funny, I've worked with a lot of concrete in my time, so this made a lot of sense.
Start by taking two and a half cups of masa flour. Don't pack it, keep it nice and light. Add the salt and coarse ground pepper.
Melt about three cups of lard (Manteca). Add a cup of the lard and cup of the broth from the steamed pork. Mix well. Add about two tablespoons of the chili sauce and mix well. Once everything is well mixed, knead the masa dough with your hands for about two or three minutes. Put some love into it.
When the masa consistency is thick enough to spread over the corn husks but not so thick that it clumps up, you're ready to assemble the tamales. You can add liquid or masa flour as needed if your consistency is off.
Assembling the Tamales
Start by taking a corn husk and lay it out on the table, rough side down. Spread a tablespoon of masa from the middle of the corn husk, pushing it out to the edges with your spoon. You want this to be just over 1/8" thick.
Tip: Keep a bowl of water nearby to use to wet your fingers or your utensil if the masa gets sticky.
Once the masa covers the corn husk, add some of the shredded pork. Roll up tightly, so that the masa completely encases the pork, and fold the bottom under. I like to steam these with the folded side down and the tamales standing up all together.
Repeat, repeat, repeat - until you've got enough tamales to steam a batch. You'll have enough when the steamer pot can't hold any more.
Steam the Tamales
I'm using a tamale steamer pot - any metal plate you have where the holes are small enough that the tamales won't fall through and can sit a couple inches up in a stock pot will work just fine. Fill the pot with water just up to the bottom of the steamer plate.
Tip: Place three pennies in the water before you start steaming the tamales. They'll jingle in there, and when they stop, you know you're out of water.
When the tamales are assembled, place them folded side down but standing up in the steamer pot.
Tip: Place your unused husks over the top of the tamales to seal in the steam.
Steam for an hour or so. How do you know that the tamale is done? Slowly unroll the corn husk. If the masa doesn't stick to it, it's done. Let rest for about 15 minutes, and then you're ready to serve.
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