Post by alabamaoutdoors on Aug 4, 2010 11:13:34 GMT -5
These things are delicious, but they take a long time to get prepared and cooked. It took my dad, brother, and I 2 hours to get them made, and then they have to cook for another 2.
Aunt Miriam's Hot Tamales
Filling:
4 medium onions
1 1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
3 tbsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. red pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. black pepper
3 1/2 tbsp. cumin powder
2 1/2 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 (6-oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped garlic
5 lbs. ground chuck
Sauce:
3 qts. hot water
18 oz. tomato paste
3 tbsp. chili powder
3 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. red pepper (or more, according to taste)
Also:
5-lb. bag of yellow cornmeal
2 packages corn shucks
Cotton string (only cotton, see note, cut in 18-inch lengths)
Chop onions in a food processor until they are mushy (I use a Blender because I don't have a food processor), then add the next 10 ingredients. Process to blend. Use rubber gloves to mix onion mixture with ground chuck. Set aside.
To make the sauce, mix everything well with wire whisk. (Saed makes an extra half batch of sauce to add to the tamales when she freezes them, but that's personal preference.) You can make this ahead.
To assemble: Soak husks in hot water until clean and pliable. Put a clean cloth on the table and mound with cornmeal (or each person can have a clean dishtowel of cornmeal). Pinch off a piece of meat about the size of a ping-pong ball (a heaping tablespoon) and begin rolling it in the shape of a cigar in your hands. When elongated, transfer to towel of cornmeal and continue to roll, lengthening to about 4 to 5 inches and coating with cornmeal.
Continue until all meat is used, stacking on a cookie sheet.
Lay pliable shucks out on a counter in one-dozen batches. Sift cornmeal lightly over husks to prevent sticking. Place meat on the edge of the wide end of the shuck and bring the narrow end over the meat, tucking beneath it. Roll up until tightly secured and set aside until you have three tamales. Tie three to a bundle with a string at each end of bundle.
To cook: Stand upright in a pot with with the open end up. Gently pour sauce over tamales until just covered, then cook covered at a gentle simmer -- do not boil -- for 2 hours. Makes 7 to 8 dozen.
To store: Put 12 tamales in a 1-quart freezer bag and pour in thickened sauce from pot, plus additional sauce if you want more.
Aunt Miriam's Hot Tamales
Filling:
4 medium onions
1 1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
3 tbsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. red pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. black pepper
3 1/2 tbsp. cumin powder
2 1/2 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 (6-oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped garlic
5 lbs. ground chuck
Sauce:
3 qts. hot water
18 oz. tomato paste
3 tbsp. chili powder
3 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. red pepper (or more, according to taste)
Also:
5-lb. bag of yellow cornmeal
2 packages corn shucks
Cotton string (only cotton, see note, cut in 18-inch lengths)
Chop onions in a food processor until they are mushy (I use a Blender because I don't have a food processor), then add the next 10 ingredients. Process to blend. Use rubber gloves to mix onion mixture with ground chuck. Set aside.
To make the sauce, mix everything well with wire whisk. (Saed makes an extra half batch of sauce to add to the tamales when she freezes them, but that's personal preference.) You can make this ahead.
To assemble: Soak husks in hot water until clean and pliable. Put a clean cloth on the table and mound with cornmeal (or each person can have a clean dishtowel of cornmeal). Pinch off a piece of meat about the size of a ping-pong ball (a heaping tablespoon) and begin rolling it in the shape of a cigar in your hands. When elongated, transfer to towel of cornmeal and continue to roll, lengthening to about 4 to 5 inches and coating with cornmeal.
Continue until all meat is used, stacking on a cookie sheet.
Lay pliable shucks out on a counter in one-dozen batches. Sift cornmeal lightly over husks to prevent sticking. Place meat on the edge of the wide end of the shuck and bring the narrow end over the meat, tucking beneath it. Roll up until tightly secured and set aside until you have three tamales. Tie three to a bundle with a string at each end of bundle.
To cook: Stand upright in a pot with with the open end up. Gently pour sauce over tamales until just covered, then cook covered at a gentle simmer -- do not boil -- for 2 hours. Makes 7 to 8 dozen.
To store: Put 12 tamales in a 1-quart freezer bag and pour in thickened sauce from pot, plus additional sauce if you want more.
Just another night at work for me and Monty will be back here again bright and early. 
