Try this Chicken and Green Chile Tamales recipe
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups water
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 1.5 pounds skinless chicken thighs
- 4 dried chile peppers
- 2 small cans green chiles
- 3/4 cup montarey jack cheese shredded
- 4 cups maseca brand masa
- 3 tsp salt
- 2 tsp chile powder
- 1 cup corn oil
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 package dried corn husks
- Carbohydrate 23.4367100000507 g
- Cholesterol 282.361250325 mg
- Fat 644.691656250529 g
- Fiber 3.52229997110367 g
- Protein 72.0996855301956 g
- Saturated Fat 54.3188607751395 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1489g)
- Sodium 822.80507907139 mg
- Sugar 19.9144100289471 g
- Trans Fat 29.8843182257626 g
- Calories 6087 calories
Step-by-step
- Place chicken, onion, and garlic in a large stock pot. Cover all the way with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 2 hours or until the chicken is falling off the bone.
- Meanwhile put on a pair of rubber gloves to remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Place the chiles and two cups of water in a small pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat to cool slightly. Place peppers and remaining liquid into a blender and blend till smooth. Strain into a cup and set aside.
- Once chicken is cooked, remove from pot and shred. Pour 1 cup of the red chile sauce on top and mix till combined.
- To make the tamale dough combine masa, salt, garlic, and chile powder in a large bowl. Add the corn oil and mix with your hands. Place the beef broth in the microwave for 2 minutes till warm and add ½ cup at a time to the masa mix. Use your hands to incorporate until the dough is the texture of soft cookie dough.
- Place corn husks in a large bowl of warm water and place either a large pot or heavy cup on top to submerge the husks. Let sit in warm water for at least 20-30 minutes.
- Place a small amount of the masa onto each corn husk and spread out using your fingers to make a small rectangle. The masa should not go all the way to the top of the corn husk, but stop about ¼ inch from the top. Try not to make the masa too thick, it should only be about ¼ of an inch thick at the most.
- Place a tablespoon of the filling into the center of the tamale. Take one side of the tamale and fold towards the center then fold over again. Take the tail end of the tamale and fold up. You can take strips of spare corn husks to tie the tamales if they are too full.
- Place the tamales open side up in a deep steamer. Cover with a damp cloth and then place the lid on top.
- Let steam for 2 – 2½ hours until the masa comes away clean from the corn husk when opened.
Dried corn husks demand complete hydration before assembly; submerge them in warm water for at least thirty minutes underneath a heavy weighted cup to prevent tearing during folding. Masa dough requires precise hydration, achieved by warming beef broth in the microwave for two minutes before incorporating it gradually until the mixture reaches the consistency of soft cookie dough. Spreading the masa requires a light touch, keeping the layer to a maximum thickness of one-quarter inch while leaving a clear margin at the top of the husk to allow for expansion during cooking. Steaming takes between two and two-and-a-half hours in a deep steamer covered with a damp cloth, signaling completion when the dough pulls away cleanly from the corn husk.
Batch production benefits greatly from freezer storage, allowing assembled tamales to be frozen raw for several months before steaming directly from the frozen state with an additional thirty minutes added to the cook time.
