posted by BarbCA 01-06-103 4:55 AM
Tamales Colorado
For the masa:
1 1/2 kilo of good masa for tortillas,
750 grams of lard,
1 cup of meat broth
salt to taste
For filling:
1 kilo of pork cut in pieces,
1 onion, quartered,
4 cloves of garlic,
2 cloves
2 peppercorns Salt to taste
For the sauce:
12 ancho chili peppers, seeded, deveined and soaked in very hot water (I usually use ½ anchos and ½ guajillos. You can add cayenne or chiles de arbol to make it hotter if desired.
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves of garlic,
1 teaspoon of pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
2 bay leaves
2 cups of the broth from the meat
Salt to the taste,
100 grams of lard
100 corn husks
Salt to taste
Makes 60 to 70 pieces.
Blend the masa and the lard until well-mixed by hand or electric mixer (if it is by hand 20 minutes). Beat in broth until it is spongy. Continued beating vigorously until a small piece of this mixture floats in a cup of cold water, add salt to taste and mix well. You can add some of the sauce if you like to give it a red color.
Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of mass on the middle of each cornhusk. Place a spoonful of filling on each, fold over sides and turn up bottom. You can tie them with a thin strip of cornhusk if desired.
Line a steamer or rack in a large kettle with a tight lid with some of the remaining husks. Place tamales upright in the steamer pack closely but not tight. Steam for about 1-1/2 hours or until the husks come off easily. If using an electric mixer be careful not to overload it.
Filling: Cook the meat with all the ingredients until very tender, drain and shred.
Sauce: Blend the soaked chiles with all the other ingredients and enough of the soaking water to blend easily. Push through a strainer to get out the bits of chile skin. Heat the lard in a heavy pan until smoking hot. Pour in the chile mixture all at once. (Stand back it will spatter! It’s supposed to.) Cook, stirring until it darkens and thickens. Add enough of the pork broth to make a sauce like thick cream. Let simmer for a few minutes and taste for salt. Mix in sauce into the meat to make it moist but not soupy. I put as much sauce as I can without it leaking out.