Best Masa Potato And Cheese Snacks Oaxaca Style Recipes

TAMALES OAXAQUEñOS (OAXACAN-STYLE TAMALES)

Steps:

• Beat 9 ounces lard in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add salt and continue beating for a few minutes. Add masa harina and beat well until combined. Add chicken broth, 1/4 cup at a time, beating until masa has a smooth and workable consistency similar to cookie dough, about 3/4 cup total. Test if the masa is ready by dropping a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water; if it floats, it's ready, if not, beat the dough a little longer.
• Combine tomatillos, ancho chile pepper, mulato chile pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano in a blender; blend until smooth.
• Heat remaining 2 ounces lard in a skillet and cook tomatillo sauce until lightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add shredded chicken and a little of the remaining chicken broth. Cook over low heat until chicken filling has thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons masa mixture onto 1 banana leaf, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of the chicken filling in the center of the masa mixture. Fold sides of banana leaf together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the banana leaf over the seam of the 2 folded sides and tie together with kitchen string. Repeat with remaining banana leaves.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the leaf, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

MASA POTATO AND CHEESE SNACKS, OAXACA STYLE

Steps:

• 1. In a medium saucepan, boil the potatoes in water to cover until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well, and put in a wide shallow bowl. Coarsely and gently break up the potatoes with a fork. Cool the potatoes to room temperature, and allow the steam to dissipate. 2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the masa harina with the water. With clean hands, work the dough together until smooth and soft but not sticky. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying. 3. Put the cotija cheese in a food processor bowl, and pulse until finely crumbled. Add the prepared masa dough and salt. Pulse to mix. Add the potato and pulse to combine with the dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky. (Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if too stiff.) 4. Remove the dough to a flat working surface, and divide the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Cover with plastic wrap. To form the molotes, press 1 ball of dough into a 3-inch circle and put 1 stick of the cheese across the center. Wrap the dough around to enclose the cheese. Seal the ends well, with no cheese peeking through, and gently shape the molote to resemble a torpedo. Lay the molote on a baking sheet and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough. 5. In a medium skillet, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil until hot. Fry the molotes, 3 or 4 at a time, frequently turning them, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a 200° oven. Serve warm. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.