Elva Diaz

This recipe is based on my mom’s recipe. In my family we make tamales every year at Christmas. One year she had assembled many of our favorite family recipes in a book and provided a copy to each of us siblings. When I was a postdoc I started a tradition by hosting a tamalada (tamal making party) the first Saturday of December with friends and colleagues as a way to create community and share my culture. I had a saying that, “You can only eat as many tamales as you make.” My mom would help me with cooking and hosting and I always looked forward to spending this time with her. My mom passed away unexpectedly in 2015. This book is one of my most cherished possessions. I continue the annual tamalada tradition as a way to honor my mom’s memory.

Ingredients for about 200 tamales (half meat, half cheese/chiles)

• 25 lbs of masa preparada (from a Mexican supermarket)

• 15 lbs of meat (pork shoulder is traditional but chicken works fine as well)

• 5 lbs of Monterey jack cheese

• 4 large cans of whole green chiles

• 1 package dried pasilla chiles

• 4 packages of hojas (dried corn husks)

• 5 cans black olives

• 12 garlic cloves

• 1 and 1/3 cup chili powder, plus more for masa

• 2/3 cup flour

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil

• 8-10 cups hot water

• Salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, baking powder, handful of rice

For the meat tamales:

1. Cut meat into 2-inch pieces (or so). Cover with water and add salt and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil and then cook over a low simmer until cooked (at least one hour). I cook the meat the night before the tamalada and leave the meat in the broth to cool overnight. In the early morning (tamal making is an all day event) take the meat out of the broth and shred. Save broth for the masa.

2. Soften the dried pasilla chiles by boiling in just enough water to cover them. Once softened remove seeds and transfer flesh to food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, and set aside. Save the broth for the masa.

3.  Combine 2/3 cup flour and 1 and 1/3 cup chili powder (the ratio can be modified if prefer less heat but need 2 cups total). Heat vegetable oil in a large pot that can fit all the shredded meat. Add the flour/chili powder mixture to hot oil and stir constantly until the mixture is toasted and fragrant but not burned. Add hot water and bring to a boil using a whisk to make a smooth slightly thickened mixture. Add the pasilla chile paste and mix well. Add salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano to taste. Cook for 5-10 min and then add the shredded meat. Stir well to combine the meat with the sauce. Let cool.

4. Put half of the masa in a LARGE bowl. Add some of the meat broth and begin to mix in with your hands. Keep adding broth until the dough is the consistency of porridge. Add some chile powder to give the dough taste and color. Mix a handful of raw rice in the dough for good luck. Dough is ready to be spread when a handful is squeezed and none is left in the palm of your hand.

5. Separate and clean the hojas (corn husks) and then place them in warm water to soften for 10 min or so. Drain and use immediately before they get too dry.

6. To assemble take a corn husk in one hand with the smooth side up (or less rough side up). Put a spoonful of masa in center of husk and spread on the bottom half leaving about half an inch at the bottom. Place a spoonful of meat and add one black olive. Fold one side over and then the other, and then fold the pointed side up. Place on a baking sheet with the open side up.

For the chile and cheese tamales:

1. Put the other half of the masa in another LARGE bowl and add some of the pasilla chile broth. Mix with your hands and add spices as described above.

2. Drain the whole green chiles and cut into half inch strips. Cut the cheese into similar sized strips.

3. Assemble as above with corn husk and masa. Add two strips of green chile and one strip of cheese. Fold as above and place on a separate baking sheet with open side up.

To cook, in a large pot or pressure cooker, place a large ball of aluminum foil or use an inverted cup or bowl.

1. Place the tamales, open side up, around the middle of the pan until full.

2. Pour about 1 cup of hot water into pot, taking care not to get water inside the open tamales. Bring to a boil and then lower temperature to steam tamales for about 30 min. Be careful to check the water level occasionally so that the tamales do not burn.

3. Tamales are done when the dough is no longer mushy and peels away from the husk. The dough will still be soft but will harden as it cools. Let cool slightly before eating.

4. Continue cooking in batches until all tamales are cooked.

I usually serve tamales with rice, beans, and salsa.

Cooked and cooled tamales can be stored in plastic bags in the fridge for a few days. At the end of the tamalada I would always wrap up about 3-4 tamales in foil for my guests to take home.