C – These tamales are amazing!
It’s just how I like them, with more filling than masa. Luke did a great job on them. It was way better than the ones that I ate the first time I had tamales. My mom would always bring some home from work. Her coworkers always made them and gave them to my mom. I was so excited.
Little corn husk wrapped packages looked really good until I bit into one. Mostly there wasn’t any filling and there was way too much masa. It wasn’t balanced. I think they did that to save money. Form the tamales making sure you use a lot of masa and a little filling. Not good. I wasn’t a big fan and would run screaming when she brought them home after that. I wasn’t sure if the masa was fresh or the mix wasn’t good. All I knew was I didn’t like it.
When Luke suggested Mexican Cuisine week, I was excited until he mentioned he wanted to show us how to make tamales. I wasn’t too excited. I asked that he make them really balanced, with lots of filling and only enough masa to cover the filling … or, I wouldn’t eat them. He said, “Of course!”
Luke took us on a field trip to a tamale shop in Sacramento. He said it was one of the best in town for tortillas, tamales and masa. The idea of making tamales started to grow on me. It was a small shop, but there were so many people working in the back I knew it had to be good. Luke bought a five pound bag of masa. It was just made and still warm. My excitement grew even bigger.
| Tamales with Pork Carnitas |
- 4 dried corn husks, the bigger the better
- 1 pound masa
- 2 cups pork carnitas
- 2 Tbsp enchilada sauce
- Soak corn husk in cold water to make sure they are rehydrated, softened and workable before use.
- Mix enchilada sauce and carnitas until incorporated. You don’t want to have a lot of sauce just enough to coat the meat and add flavor.
- Place masa in corn husk on the top end of the husk. Spread to just ¼ inch. Make sure it’s even and not too thick.
- Add three tablespoons of meat into the center.
- Fold the seams to meet evenly.
- Fold the bottom up.
- Clean off the top.
- Repeat for the remaining three tamales.
- Using a steamer basket in a large pot of boiling water, place finished tamales in basket. Steam for 40 minutes.
- Remove and let cool.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate and eat the next day. These taste even better the next day.
- Enjoy!
After making the pork carnitas and enchilada sauce, it was time to make the tamales. It looked easy. I loved that Luke put two heaping spoonfuls of carnitas and only ¼ inch of masa in the tamale before he wrapped it up in corn husks. After steaming them for 40 minutes, they were ready. Luke suggest they would be better the next day. I couldn’t wait. They were great. Nice soft masa with LOTS of meat. So flavorful from the meat with the right amount of masa.
I loved them. Thanks, Luke, for making my tamales dreams come true.