Tamales (Mexico)

World-Bites (6) / Tamales

A tamale is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of steam-cooked corn dough with a filling. Their essence is the corn meal dough, usually filled with sweet or savory filling, wrapped in plant leaves or corn husks, and cooked, usually by steaming, until firm. Considered by Mexicans one of their most beloved traditional foods, few countries have such an extensive variety of tamales as Mexico. Almost every region and state in the country has its own kind of tamale. The versatile nature of Tamales allows them to be prepared in more sophisticated ways among Mexican upscale chefs. Today, tamales are mainly consumed as comfort food in Mexico and is also eaten during festivities, such as the Day of the Dead, Posadas and Mexican Independence Day.

Ingredients

Dough

¼ cup water
4 cups freshly grated corn
½ cup ground yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter

Filling

1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1lb ground lamb or chicken
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion finely chopped
½ green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 tablespoons seedless raisins
8 olives, sliced
1 tablespoon tomato puree
2 tablespoons oil

To cook

30 cornhusks or 30 5-inch foil squares
1 bay leaf 1 spring cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin

For dough: Blend water and grated corn to form a paste. Place in a saucepan with cornmeal, sugar, salt and butter. Cook, stirring until mixture thickens and almost forms dough, about 20 minutes. Set aside for at least one hour.
For filling: Mash garlic, salt and pepper together thoroughly to make a paste. Mix into ground lamb or chicken with olive oil and vinegar. Set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is transparent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add meat mixture and brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add eggs, raisins, olives, tomato puree and 1 teaspoon oil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 more minutes.
Grease each cornhusk or piece of foil with oil. Place a heaping spoonful of the corn dough in the middle and spread to within ½ inch of the edges using back of a spoon. Place a spoonful of the meat mixture in the middle of the dough, then fold the husk or foil so that the sides of the corn mixture seal in the meat. Fasten each parcel with piece of string.
Bring 20 cups water to boil with bay leaf, cilantro, cumin and salt. Add tamales and simmer 1 hour over medium heat. Lift out with a slotted spoon, then unwrap and serve hot.