Chef Tatiana will show us how to make Mexican tamales with a smooth chipotle sauce. Inside the tamales are delicious veggies like mushrooms and corn. The corn adds a subtle sweetness to the savory mushrooms. The inside is also filled with cheese to add creaminess. After preparing the fillings, the corn husk is filled, wrapped up, and steamed. Top your tamale with the delicious chipotle sauce and other toppings like sour cream.
Mexican Tamales
Serves 11–12 tamales
Ingredients:
1 cup of black beans
1 cup of corn
4 cups of mushrooms, sliced
2 ½ cups of hot water
2 sticks of butter
½ small onion, small diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper
2–3 sliced jalapeños, optional
2 cups masa harina, dry corn masa
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp of sugar
2 cups cheddar cheese or Mexican mix cheeses
15 corn husks
Taco Seasoning:
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoke paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
Preparation:
- Cover the husks with hot water in a large bowl and soak them for 30 minutes or leave them overnight.Rinse them and pat dried them with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Tear a couple of the husks lengthwise into 12 strips to use as ties.
- Heat ½ stick of butter in a large pan over high heat until foam form, add onions and garlic and stir for a minute, add mushrooms and taco seasoning and saute for 6 minutes or until brown. Add corn, black beans and jalapenos if using and cook for a few minutes more, remove from the heat and set aside.
- In an electric mixer or by hand with a whisk beat the rest of the butter at medium high speed until light and fluffy about 30 seconds. Mix the masa harina, baking powder, sugar and salt and pepper in a bowl. Beat masa mixture into butter in 3 batches and add hot water, beat until smooth.
- Put 1 husk on a work surface, pointed end closest to you, and, spreading it flat, mound 3 tbsp filling in center and flatten slightly into a rough oval, leaving 1 inch border on both sides and spoon heaping tbsp mushroom filling in strip down center of the dough. Bring pointed end of husk up over the mound of filling to cover, and fold sides of husk over filling to enclose. Gather together the open end of husk at top of the filling, creating a flat pouch, and tie with a corn–husk strip. Assemble 12 more tamales in the same manner.
- Arrange tamales upright in 1 layer in a large pasta pot with a perforated steamer insert so they resemble falling dominoes in rows. Set steamer over boiling water in pot and cover with a folded kitchen towel. Steam tamales, tightly covered with a lid, adding more water as necessary, until filling is tender, about 40 minutes. Wait a few minutes before eating them.
