Red Pork Chile Tamales

"These are the most popular of all the different types of tamales.  The pork can be cooked the day before making the tamales; likewise the sauce..  Serve this traditional tamale with a traditional side dish: Spanish rice and refried beans or a pot of beans."  from Tamales 101

• 4-1/2 to 5 pounds boneless pork butt
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 2-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 10 cups Red Pork chile sauce
• 30 cups basic fresh masa
• 48 to 60 dried corn husks, soaked, washed, and drained
• 2 (14-ounce) cans pitted whole black olives (48 to 60 olives)

METHOD

Place the pork, onion, and garlic in a large pot and cover with water.  Over high heat, bring to a boil.  Decrease the heat to medium, cover, and let simmer for 2 hours, checking after 1 hour and adding water if necessary to cover the meat.  Add the salt and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour more, until tender.  Carefully remove the meat from the pot and place on a large platter to cool.  Cover the stock and refrigerate or freeze for 20 minutes, or until the fat has solidified.  Skim the fat from the stock and discard.  Reserve the stock for use in the sauce and the masa.  Cut the pork butt into 1- inch cubes.

Prepare the sauce and then prepare the masa.

To assemble the tamales, spread 1/3 to 1/2 cup masa on the smooth side of a corn husk.  Place four or five cubes of the pork in the center of the masa and top with 2 heaping tablespoons of the sauce and one or two olives.  Fold the tamale. Repeat for the remaining tamales.  Steam the tamales for 1 hour.

Makes 4 to 5 dozen tamales

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Reprinted with permission from ©Alice Guadalupe Tapp, Tamales 101:A Beginner's Guide to Making Traditional Tamales, published by Ten Speed Press

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      back to pork recipes        this recipe from www.inmamaskithchen.com

 

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