Best Tamales With Jalapeños Cheese And Corn Recipes

FRESH CORN TAMALES WITH CHEESE & JALAPEñO RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Steps:

• Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter. Using a sharp knife, remove the kernels from ear of corn. Transfer the corn to the food processor and process until coarsely chopped. If you like it a little smoother, you can process a little longer, set aside. Combine masa harina, chile ancho powder, garlic powder, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Gradually add warm chicken broth and using your hand, work into a soft dough. In another glass bowl, melt the shortening or manteca in the microwave for a minute or so. Add the shortening and the reserved corn to the masa and work with hands until mixed well. If masa seems too thick add a little more chicken broth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. While the masa chills, add the corn husk to a large pot or storage container. Cover completely with really hot water. Use a heavy bowl to weigh down the husk to make sure they stay immersed in the water. Let them soak for a good hour, rotating them halfway through soaking time. Slice the cheese (both kinds) into 2 inch x 1/4 inch strips, set aside. Remove the stems and seeds from the jalapeños and slice each pepper into 8 equal strips, set aside. When ready, take a few of the husks at a time, shake off excess water, if they are more than 4 inches wide, just tear off the side a little. Place the corn husk, smooth side up, in the palm of your hand with the wide side closest to you. With a spoon, spread about 3 to 4 tablespoons of masa all over the bottom half of husk. Add a strip of each kind of cheese and 1 strip of jalapeño lengthwise down the center of the tamale. Fold one side in first, then the other side (it should overlap a little on the first fold). Fold down the empty top section down and lay tamale seam side down until ready to cook. Repeat until all done. Prepare large pot to steam tamales, take a metal steamer that expands out, place it in pot. Fill bottom of pot with about 5 cups of water. Arrange all of your tamales standing up (open side up) around the metal steamer. Insert a smaller, heat-proof bowl in the center of pot to keep the tamales upright. Cover with foil paper, add lid, turn heat to high to get a quick boil going. Reduce heat and steam tamales for 1 hour. Set the timer for 30 minutes at which time you will add another 2 cups of hot water to the pot. Remove from heat and let them sit, covered, until ready to serve. As they cool, they will become more firm. Serve with your favorite salsas and toppings for garnish. NOTES: To check if tamales are done, after steaming for an hour pull one tamale out and let it cool. If the corn husk pulls away easily from the masa, your tamales are done. Whenever I prepare tamales filled with cheese, I like to wrap them in deli paper or foil paper individually as I fill them. This will prevent the cheese from running into the pot. It's optional, but it works well for me. This makes a big batch, but the tamales freeze well. Just make sure they cool completely before wrapping in foil paper and storing in freezer bag. I bundle only 6 tamales per bunch. It Makes for easy defrosting.

FRESH CORN TAMALES WITH CHEESE

Steps:

• 1. Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter. Using a sharp knife, remove the kernels from ear of corn. Transfer the corn to the food processor and process until coarsely chopped. If you like it a little smoother, you can process a little longer, set aside.
• 2. Combine masa harina, chile ancho powder, garlic powder, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Gradually add warm chicken broth and using your hand, work into a soft dough.
• 3. In another glass bowl, melt the shortening or manteca in the microwave for a minute or so. Add the shortening and the reserved corn to the masa and work with hands until mixed well. If masa seems too thick add a little more chicken broth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• 4. While the masa chills, add the corn husk to a large pot or storage container. Cover completely with really hot water. Use a heavy bowl to weigh down the husk to make sure they stay immersed in the water. Let them soak for a good hour, rotating them halfway through soaking time.
• 5. Slice the cheese (both kinds) into 2 inch x 1/4 inch strips, set aside. Remove the stems and seeds from the jalapeños and slice each pepper into 8 equal strips, set aside.
• 6. When ready, take a few of the husks at a time, shake off excess water, if they are more than 4 inches wide, just tear off the side a little. Place the corn husk, smooth side up, in the palm of your hand with the wide side closest to you. With a spoon, spread about 3 to 4 tablespoons of masa all over the bottom half of husk. Add a strip of each kind of cheese and 1 strip of jalapeño lengthwise down the center of the tamale. Fold one side in first, then the other side (it should overlap a little on the first fold). Fold down the empty top section down and lay tamale seam side down until ready to cook. Repeat until all done.
• 7. Prepare large pot to steam tamales, take a metal steamer that expands out, place it in pot. Fill bottom of pot with about 5 cups of water. Arrange all of your tamales standing up (open side up) around the metal steamer. Insert a smaller, heat-proof bowl in the center of pot to keep the tamales upright. Cover with foil paper, add lid, turn heat to high to get a quick boil going. Reduce heat and steam tamales for one hour. Set the timer for 30 minutes at which time you will add another 2 cups of hot water to the pot. Remove from heat and let them sit, covered, until ready to serve. As they cool, they will become more firm. Yields up to 10 servings, 4 tamales per person. Serve with your favorite salsas and toppings for garnish.
• 8. Notes & Tips: To check if tamales are done, after steaming for an hour pull one tamale out and let it cool. If the corn husk pulls away easily from the masa, your tamales are done. Whenever I prepare tamales filled with cheese, I like to wrap them in deli paper or foil paper individually as I fill them. This will prevent the cheese from running into the pot. It's optional, but it works well for me.

JALAPENO AND CHEESE TAMALE RECIPE

Steps:

• The first step in this Jalapeno and Cheese Tamale Recipe is to prepare the corn husks. It is an important step because the husks not only provide flavor to the tamale but shape and consistency. The best way to clean the husks is to boil them for 5 minutes or run cool water on top of them.
• Lay them out to dry in a clean area or a plate. You can cut the husks if they are too big, or wrap them tightly once it is time to shape the masa.
• The most important part of this recipe is the masa to make tamales. The masa in this Jalapeno and Cheese Tamale Recipe should be thick and smooth. Take the wet and dry ingredients (not including the cheese or the jalapenos for the filling) and whisk them together.
• In order for the masa to work, it should be sticky and shape well with the husks.
• During the third and final step, you will be filling the corn husks with the masa. It is easiest to do this using a spoon. Take a spoon or two of the masa and spread it in the center of the husk. Make sure that the smooth side of the corn husk is facing up.
• Then, add the filling. You can sprinkle the cheese or melt it beforehand. However, the heat of the steam and boiling water will likely melt the cheese. Make sure at least one jalapeno is in each tamale to bring an extra kick of spice and flavor. Fold the tamales to create a tube-like shape from edge to edge.
• Afterward, boil hot water and stack the tamales inside with the husks. Add the top and boil for approximately 60 minutes. Afterward, lower the heat and allow the steam to come out for 20 minutes. Always wait to cool the tamales before serving.

TAMALES WITH JALAPEñOS, CHEESE, AND CORN

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the tamale dough and keep it at room temperature. Soak the corn husks in hot tap water for 2 hours. 2. Remove the corn husks from the water and put on a plate. Cover with a clean damp kitchen towel to keep moist. Put 1 husk on a flat surface. Put about 3 tablespoons dough in the center of the husk and spread into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle to within 1 inch of the wide end and about 3 inches from the pointed end. Put about 1 teaspoon corn kernels on the dough and press them into the dough. Add 2 to 3 strips of chile, and 1 teaspoon cheese. Overlap the sides of the husk over the filling. Fold the pointed end toward the wide end and put on a plate, folded side down. Repeat with the remaining husks and filling. 3. Put about 3 inches of water into a large steamer and drop in a coin. (A rattling coin means there's still water in the pot.) Line the steamer rack with extra corn husks. Arrange the tamales folded ends down on the husks. Cover with more corn husks or aluminum foil. Tuck a kitchen towel on top and put on the lid. Bring to a boil. Steam the tamales 1 hour or until the dough is firm and the husk pulls away from the dough. Do not let the steamer boil dry. If the coin stops rattling, very cautiously add hot water. Serve the tamales with fresh tomato salsa to be added at the table. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.