TAMALES

TAMALES image

Categories Beef Fry Quick & Easy Buffet Winter

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

FOR THE FILLING:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, cored and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 teaspoon each paprika, cumin, and salt
1/4 teaspoon each red pepper flakes and pepper
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
FOR THE DOUGH:
2 (15-ounce) cans hominy, drained
6 ounces Monterey Jack, shredded
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon each yellow mustard, baking powder, and hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps:

First, prepare the filling. Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the tomato and continue cooking until a sauce has formed, about 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Add the beef to the mixture and cook, breaking it into smaller pieces, until the meat loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chicken broth and continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool. Make the dough. Put the hominy in a food processor and pulse it until it's smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 1-1/2 minutes. Add the cheese and butter and pulse until well blended, about 30 seconds more. Add the eggs and the yolk and pulse again. Add the mustard, baking powder, salt, and hot sauce and process until a light, fluffy dough has formed. Transfer the dough to a cake pan, spread it over the bottom, and divide it into 10 portions. FOR THE ASSEMBLY: 10 (10- by 12-inch) sheets parchment paper and 10 (30-inch) lengths kitchen twine To assemble each tamale, place half a portion of dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper. Flatten the dough into a 3- by 5-inch rectangle, then spread 1/4 cup of filling onto the center of the rectangle. Cover the filling with the other half of the dough and pat it down. Tightly fold the parchment paper around the tamale and secure it with twine (see How to Wrap a Tamale). Fit each of two large pots with a steaming basket or colander. Add water to each pot, filling it to just below the bottom of the basket. Remove the baskets and bring the pots of water to a boil. Loosely arrange five tamales in each basket, leaving space for steam to circulate as the tamales cook. (Cont'd above)