QUICK PRESSURE COOKER TAMALES

Quick Pressure Cooker Tamales image

The instructions for making the masa use stand-up mixer (and I did), but you can certainly knead the dough vigorously by hand for about 15-20 minutes. If you're lucky enough to live near a Mexican market, you may be able to purchase already mixed masa dough that is ready to go in your tamales!

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 7

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Ingredients

1 pack corn husks
1 recipe pressure cooker Carnitas, or your favorite filling
3 cups masa harina
1 cup vegetable shortening (or other fat such as olive oil, corn oil, butter, lard)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
About 2 cups liquid (water, stock or a portion of the carnitas cooking liquid)

Steps:

Rinse the corn husks and put them in a large shallow dish, like a casserole, and pour enough boiling water to cover. Use a heavy object, like the top from a pan, to keep the husks immersed.
In the bowl of your mixer add masa harina, shortening, baking powder and salt. Using the paddle attachment, slowly incorporate the ingredients and pour in about half the water into the bowl of a stand up mixer. With paddle going slowly, drizzle about 1½ cups of the liquid. Masa should have a very soft "play-doh" type consistency - combined and sticky to the touch, not runny or crumbly. More or less liquid can be added to achieve the desired masa consistency.
Lay out your work area with corn husks, filling, masa and either the cooking liquid from Carnitas or chile sauce.
Just before starting to construct the tamales, flip the corn husks around so the ones that were soaking on the bottom are now on the top.
Lay out one or three corn husks and wipe them down with a kitchen towel to dry and spread an even layer of masa in the middle top ⅔ of the husk.
Place a small amount of meat (or filling of your choice) in the middle. Wet with carnitas cooking liquid or chile sauce.
Carefully fold closed, and then fold the bottom part, without squeezing. Leave the tops open.
Add 2 cups of water to the pressure cooker, add the steamer basket, and place the tamales open-side up. It may take a bit of arranging and some may be diagonal but no horizontal tamales!
If not all can fit, cook in two batches. If you have just a few, tie them together in groups of threes with kitchen string (Alton Brown -style) so that they form a bit of a tripod can stand up on their own.
Close and lock the pressure cooker lid. Turn the heat up to high and when the cooker reaches pressure, lower to the heat to the minimum needed to maintain pressure. Cook for 15-20 minutes at high pressure.
Open with the Natural release method - move the pressure cooker to a cool burner and wait for the pressure to come down on it's own (about 10 minutes).For electric pressure cooker, disengage the "keep warm" mode or unplug the cooker and begin counting 10 minutes of natural open. Then, release the rest of the pressure using the valve.
Serve hot tamales in their wrappers.Makes 36-40 tamales - depending on the size.