The Mexican Slow Cooker: Recipes for Mole, Enchiladas, Carnitas, Chile Verde Pork, and More Favorites (17 page)

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Authors: Deborah Schneider

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TAMALES 101

The tamal is
the
iconic Mexican food. It has been made in various forms for thousands of years in nearly every region of the country. Only a few basic ingredients are involved, but they must be handled correctly to make a masa that will both be tender
and
hold together. Most difficult of all is the cooking, for tamales have to be cooked just right, with a consistent temperature and moist heat. Cooking them in a traditional stove top
tamalero
steamer can be tricky, as it demands that you nurse along a steamer of boiling water and hope that the water doesn’t evaporate, all without being able to peek, which drops the temperature and makes the tamales heavy. Too
much
steam also results in leaden tamales. As it turns out, the even, moist heat of the slow cooker is ideal for slowly steaming the rich tamal masa to tender, fluffy perfection, and it’s worry-free, too; you can leave it alone for a few hours with a clear conscience.

If you are going to the trouble of
making tamales, you may as well make a lot. They freeze well, though there never seems to be that many left over. Tamales are an ideal social cooking project. Invite a few friends to your home or recruit your family to help you fill, fold, and tie the dozens of corn husk packets.
Torta de Tamal
is the answer if you want to enjoy the taste of tamales without the fuss of wrapping and steaming them individually. If you happen to have some extra
guisados
tucked away in the freezer, this is one of the easiest recipes in the book to assemble.

Let’s explore the tamal-making process.

Tamal Wrappers

Dried corn husks
(hojas)
are available in packages at Mexican markets, usually near the produce area. One package will include both large and small husks and usually makes
about 50 tamales (you will overlap the smaller husks to make wraps of the appropriate size).

Any type of tamal can be wrapped in banana (plantain) leaves instead of corn husks, forming square and flat little packages. The leaves, which are usually available fresh in Latin or Mexican markets, impart a subtle, pleasant aroma to the tamales as they cook. Banana leaves are very long—
4 to 6 feet—and are sold rolled up. Package size varies from store to store and from fresh to frozen, but assume you will get about 8 (12-inch) squares per pound of banana leaf.

Frozen banana leaves, which are sold in some Latin and many Asian (especially Filipino) markets, can also be used. They should be rinsed and dried, but they don’t need to be toasted before using them. They look darker than fresh leaves, but they will taste exactly the same.

Preparing Corn Husk Wrappers

To prepare corn husks for wrappers, remove them from the package and gently loosen them from one another, but keep them aligned in their stack. Place the husks in a large bowl and soak in several changes of hot water for a total of 15 minutes, pushing them down gently to make sure the water penetrates the whole bundle. Drain well. If they seem gritty, rinse each husk individually after soaking and then drain again.

Preparing Banana Leaf Wrappers

To prepare banana leaves for wrappers, carefully unfold the banana leaf and, using scissors, remove the tough fiber along the top and bottom. Tear the leaf into 12-inch pieces, then rinse and wipe dry. To make tough leaves flexible, draw them quickly across a gas flame on both sides until shiny and soft. Using scissors, cut the leaves into 10-inch squares.

Tamal Masa

Tamal masa is prepared (moist) corn masa mixed with seasonings and leavening and beaten into well-whipped fat such as fresh lard
(asiento)
or vegetable shortening.

Premade tamal masa is often available at Mexican markets, especially around December, or it can be ordered from a
tortillería.
The problem with this is that you have no idea what’s in it or how well it will work. I have consistently good results making my own masa using Maseca brand masa harina, which is readily available.

Masa made with vegetable shortening is the easiest to handle but has little flavor. Using
asiento,
which is more liquid, produces a softer masa. It’s trickier to handle but aromatic and delicious. I like the results I get by using half vegetable shortening and half
asiento:
the masa is easy to work with and the pork flavor is authentic but not overpowering. (Do not substitute hydrogenated white lard, which is sold in 1-pound packages, for the
asiento.
The taste is not the same.) To combine, beat the vegetable shortening first, until creamy, then whip in the
asiento
a little at a time. Tamales made with too little fat will be dry and hard, and vegetable oil cannot be substituted for the solid vegetable shortening or lard.

Whichever type of fat you choose, make sure it is very cold and whip it until it is creamy and fluffy before combining it with the other ingredients. Add the prepared masa a few tablespoons at a time and blend well before adding more.

Tamal Fillings

Most tamales contain only a couple tablespoons of filling enrobed in the masa. The filling should be flavorful and quite thick, so you may need to cook it down in a skillet, stirring constantly, before using it. The meat should be in small pieces or shreds so that it is easier to handle and to eat.

Almost any combination of meat and salsa is good in a tamale, so don’t hesitate to invent your own combinations. The classics are listed with the recipe for
Tamales
.

Cooking Tamales

Tamales must be steamed over boiling water in a perforated vessel. Ideally, you will be able to find (or fabricate) a cake rack, bamboo basket, colander, or other perforated holder that fits snugly into your slow cooker. I use a sturdy disposable aluminum foil pie tin that I’ve poked full of holes about ½ inch apart with a metal skewer. The round pie tin fits perfectly in my round slow cooker, or I can bend it to fit my oval cooker.

Set three upended metal or ceramic ramekins in the cooker to hold the rack over the surface of the water. This allows steam to circulate freely beneath the holder and up into the tamales.

Once you have set up your slow cooker with the rack and ramekins, figure out how much water you need to add to keep the level ½ inch below the rack. Turn the cooker on high and add boiling water until it reaches that level. Set the ramekins and rack into the cooker and cover the rack with a single layer of overlapping corn husks. (A perforated surface, such as a colander or pie tin, does not need to be lined.) Cover the cooker and allow it to preheat while you make the tamales.

Stand the filled tamales on end in the slow cooker, arranging them in circles or in rows. They should be packed tightly enough that they stand on end, but loosely enough so that you can easily remove one for testing. You should be able to cook twelve to twenty tamales at a time in a 6-quart or larger oval cooker.

Cover the tamales with another layer of corn husks, tucking the ends down the sides. Thoroughly wet a kitchen towel and wring it out. Cover the cornhusks with the towel and tuck the ends down the side. Cook, covered, according to recipe instructions.

Tamales

Makes 36 to 48 tamales

In Mexico, tamales are often eaten out of their husks without any salsa early in the day, sometimes accompanied by a cup of Mexican chocolate or a corn
atole
. Later in the day, a tamal may be served with a meat entrée, along with rice and beans, or cloaked in a rich mole sauce.

Leftover tamales can be fried and tucked into a toasted
torta
roll along with lettuce,
crema,
and tomatoes to make the Mexico City specialty
guajolote
(literally, “turkey”). I have also seen tacos made from tamales, and deep-fried tamales are not unheard of. Leftover tamales can be reheated in their husks in the microwave or in a frying pan. They also freeze well—though we never have enough left over to bother.

1 (8-ounce) package dry corn husks, or 2 pounds banana or plantain leaves

MASA
FOR TAMALES

3 cups dry masa harina (preferably Maseca brand)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups warm water

¾ cup cold vegetable shortening

½ cup cold fresh lard

1 cup chilled
Caldo de Pollo

FILLING OPTIONS

Shredded Chicken
and
Salsa Verde

Carne Colorado

Pork
Carnitas
and
Salsa Verde
or
Salsa Roja

Chorizo (straight from the package)

Carne con Chorizo y Papas

Roasted
poblano chiles, torn into strips, and pieces of Chihuahua (menonita) cheese

Frijoles Refritos
with or without cheese

Prepare a slow cooker with a steaming rack as described in
Cooking Tamales
, and prepare the
corn husk
or
banana leaf wrappers
as described.

In a large bowl, whisk together the masa harina, baking powder, and salt until well blended. Add the water all at once and mix with a spoon or your hands until evenly moistened.

In a large bowl, combine the vegetable shortening and lard. With an electric hand beater or stand mixer, whip on medium speed until fluffy and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the masa ¼ cup at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Beat in the cold broth a few tablespoons at a time.

To assemble the tamales using corn husks, spread a clean kitchen towel on a work surface. Spread out one of the prepared corn husks. Dollop about ¼ cup of masa in the center of the husk and spread it to within 1 inch of the sides, 2 inches of the bottom, and 3 inches of the top (the pointed end) of the husk. Place 2 tablespoons or less of
filling down the center of the masa. Fold over the sides of the husk securely but not too tightly so the masa covers the filling. Fold the bottom husk up, then the top down over the bottom flap. Tie loosely with a strip of husk.

To assemble the tamales using banana leaves, spread a rectangle of masa in the center of a prepared square, leaving space around it on all sides. Place the filling down the center of the masa. Fold the leaf so the masa folds over on itself to enfold the filling. Turn up the sides to form a flattish square and tie with string.

Fill the cooker with tamales and cover with a layer of corn husks and a damp towel, as described in
Cooking Tamales
. To steam the tamales wrapped in banana leaves, arrange them in the steamer in flat layers rather than on end.

For both styles of tamales, cover the cooker and cook the tamales on high until one plucked from the center is fairly firm and bouncy or a little spongy. This may take 3½ to 4 hours or longer, depending on the size of the tamales, your cooker, and how often you peek. (It’s best if you don’t open the cooker before the 3-hour mark.) Tamales made with lard will be a little softer than those made with shortening.

The tamales may be kept warm in the cooker on low for several hours. Keep covered.