The Steps:

Welcome to the  My Hot Tamale, Recipe Page. We are going to take you step by step though the process.  We don't simply give you a list of ingredients and some cryptic instructions, we take you through it step by step with pictures.  With this site you simply can not go wrong.  You will be able to make the most mouth watering Mexican Food dish that you have ever tasted, Guaranteed!

Most people are intimidated by making tamales, but there is no need to be.  The key thing is plan things out.  You need to make sure that you have all ingredients and equipment before you start.  We break the instructions into three parts.  First, you need to gather up the ingredients, and equipment.  Second, you will need to cook the meat that serves as the heart of the hot tamale.  Finally, you need to cook the tamales.  We suggest making this a two day process.  Gather the ingredients and cook the meat on day 1, and then prepare and cook the tamales on day 2.  Since the process is somewhat involved, we suggest making big batches of tamales.  In fact we love to make them in teams.  Have a good friend come over, and make a double big batch and then split them.  Tamale making is fun, and for many people, getting together for a "Tamale Day" has become a tradition. Now, Without Further ado, we will go through the step by step instructions on making tamales. Click on each of the sections (I, II, and III) for in depth instructions. Tamales, Easy as I, II, III!

(I) Gather Tamale Ingredients and Equipment

The first step in making tamales is to gather up the equipment and supplies needed to make the tamales.  Nothing is worse than to get in the middle of a big batch of tamales and find that you are missing a key item.  My Hot Tamale has you covered . . .below we show you what simple equipment you need, and we have made you  a convenient shopping list.

A) Tamale Equipment List

The good news is that it does not take a lot of equipment to make perfect tamales.  If you are missing any of the items pictured below, we suggest that you visit a garage sale.  With a little luck, and a little horse trading, you can pick up all the equipment you need for under $10!

If you prefer lists to pictures, then here it is, you will need: a large capacity steamer, measuring cup, tongs, measuring spoons, draining spoon, and a spreader.  Its as simple as that!

B) Hot Tamale Shopping List

Please make a list, please check it twice.  You do not want to get into the middle of a Tamale Weekend, and find you forgot to pick up the corn shucks. 

My Hot Tamale Shopping List:

	Pork roast (6 to 8 lbs.) Be smart, find it on sale!
	Corn Oil
	Large fryer size chicken (about 5 lbs.)
	Salt
	Black pepper
	Garlic Powder (buy large size)
	Ground Comino (cumin) (large size)
	Cumin Seeds
	Gebhardt’s Chili Powder
	Paprika
	4 lb bag Corn Masa
	Real Corn Shucks

NOTE: Only use real corn shucks.  Do not use the fake plastic wrappers.  The corn shucks are KEY to giving the tamales flavor.  If you don't use real corn shucks, you aren't making tamales! If the store you shop at does not have them, then shop somewhere else!
 

Cook Tamale Meat

Tamale Recipe

(II) Cook the Tamale Meat

Tamale Meat Should Look Like This When Done

After taking your shopping list to the grocery store and buying the ingredients, the next important step is to cook the tamale meat.  Since I like to make big batches of tamales (double or triple recipes), I suggest cooking the meat on one day, and then making the tamales the next day.  This makes a nice weekend project.  Understand, though, that if you make a big batch you can freeze them and then enjoy them all winter. This page will take you step by step through the process of preparing and cooking the meat.

Tamale Meat Ingredients:

1 pork roast (6-8 pounds)
1 large chicken (5 pounds)
Garlic powder (large bottle)
Chili Powder (We use Gibhardts but any will do)
Cumino (Cumin)
Corn Oil

The tamale meat is made from a combination of Pork Roast and Chicken.  Below we show you how to prepare this combination.

Cook and Shred Pork Roast:

Start with 1 pork roast. Cut the roast into fist size chunks. Put the chunks into a Pan, and cover with water. Boil for about 2 1/2 hours or until it becomes really tender. After the meat is really tender, take it out of the broth to cool (Save the Broth, you will need it for the Masa!)

After the roast chunks are cool enough to handle easily, shred them with your fingers.  Try to remove and discard the fat as you go.  There is no need to throw a lot of fat into the tamales.  If you have cooked the roast chunks thoroughly, it will be easy to shred into small pieces with your fingers.

Cook and Shred Chicken:

Cover the chicken with water in a large pot, and boil for 2 hours, or until the chicken is done and tender. Take the chicken out of the broth and allow the chicken to cool. (Save the Chicken Broth as well!) Remove and discard the skin. Take the chicken meat off the bones and  shred the it into very small filaments.  Discard any large chunks of fat.

Combine Pork and Chicken:

Combine both meats in very large pan, and mix together. Make sure that the meats are thoroughly combined and mixed well. You are now ready to add the seasoning:

Add the Spices and Seasonings:

Mix the oil and seasonings listed below in a small pan and warm on the stove. Do not cook the oil and seasonings mix, but just gently warm on the stove.

When the oil and seasonings mix is warm, then pour over the meat and mix with your hands until it is completely distributed through the meat. It takes a good 10 minutes to get the mixture completely uniform.

Spices and Seasonings:

1/2 c corn oil
6 Tablespoon Gibhartds chili powder (Other Chile Powders will work)
3 Tablespoon garlic powder
3 Tablespoon ground cumin (comino)
1 Tablespoon (or less) black pepper
2 Tablespoon salt.

The meat is now finished.  You should put the meat in the refrigerator covered until ready to make the tamales. Put both the chicken broth and roast broth into the refrigerator as well. You will need the broth when you make the Masa. 

Make Tamales

Tamales Recipe

(III) Make the Tamales

OK, you gathered the equipment, you went shopping with the My Hot Tamale shopping list, you cooked the meat, and you saved the broth.  You are now ready to become part of an elite group of cooks who have the knowledge, the tools, and the talent to make tamales.

Now, for those of you who did not follow the part II instructions which clearly said to save the meat broth (you know who you are). . . your tamales are not going to taste as good as the people who did follow the instructions, and did save the broth.  You will see that the instructions were clearly marked In Color to help you remember.  Now, I know you are out there, you people who did not save the broth.  There is not much I can do for you at this point.  OK, if you forgot to save the broth, you can use canned chicken broth in the recipe below, but next time Please Save the Broth! You will be glad you did.

OK, enough of the chit chat.  This is where we get down to serious cooking. Today is Tamale Day!

A) Make the Masa Dough Mix:

Start with  2 lbs. of the Masa flour. It comes in a 4 lb bag, use half of it. Now, skim the fat off the broth that you saved from the Pork and Chicken we made earlier.  Throw the fat away, and save the broth. Warm the broth from the pork and chicken up.  Don't get it hot, just nice and warm.

Now put the 2 lbs. of Masa in a large bowl.  Add the following dry spices to the Masa:

3 Tablespoons paprika
3 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
3 Tablespoons Gibhardts Chili Powder
3 Tablespoons garlic powder

Mix the spices above into the Masa until it is completely incorporated. Mix well, as you don't want a clump of spices in a tamale.

Now add:

 2 cups of Corn Oil

to the Masa and Spice mixture. After adding the oil,  begin to slowly work in 2 quarts of the warm chicken/pork broth, about a cup at a time. Work the mixture with your hands to make dough. Slowly add the warm broth one cup at a time as you continue to work the mixture with your hands.  If it is too dry, add enough warm water to get it right for spreading. It should be about like thick peanut butter. If it is too thin add more Masa, if it is too thick, add more broth or warm water. Thick peanut butter is the consistency you are trying for. 

B) Prepare the Corn Shucks

Soak the shucks in a sink full of warm water for about 2 hours. You will need to carefully separate them when they get soft.  Try to not tear or damage the corn shucks.  It is easier to make the tamales if the shucks are in one piece.

C) Build the Tamales

After the corn shucks are soft, take some of them out of the water, shake the water off, lay them on the counter on a towel. For clarity now, we will present a series of pictures with the instructions so you can see just how the tamale is built (Click on Picture Thumbnails for an enlarged View):

	Pick up a shuck,  lay it across the palm of your hand with the small end toward your fingers. scoop up about 1/2 c of the Masa dough with a spatula,  and then smear it on the shuck.
	Cover about left 2/3 of the shuck with Masa, leave 1/3 on the right uncovered. Similarly, cover the bottom 2/3 of the shuck, and leave the top 1/3 uncovered.  The picture will help you see what we are trying for here.  You need to leave the top and side uncovered so you can fold it up later. Now, go to the next shuck and do the same, laying them out on the counter as you put the masa on them. I like to do 5 or ten at a time like this.
	When you have covered 5 to 10 of the shucks with Masa, it is time to add the meat. Take about 1 tablespoon of meat, and lay it on the masa about 1 in. from the left edge.
	Starting on the left side (the side where the Masa dough goes all the way to the edge), roll the tamale all the way to the right edge. Now, fold the top of the shuck over like an envelope and lay tamale on the counter with the fold on the under side. Roll the next one the same until all your shucks with masa on them are rolled.
Now, get more shucks and put masa on them the same way. Then roll the meat in them. Keep doing this until all the tamales are built. You will have about 4 dozen or more. D) Cook the Tamales
	To cook the tamales, You need a very large pot that has something in the bottom to keep the tamales out of the water while they steam (the steamer we use is pictured on the tamale ingredients page) . Add about 3 pints of water to the pot, then start stacking the tamales upright until full. The envelope end of the tamale will be on the bottom, the open end of the tamale should be on top, as pictured at left.  Continue to fill the pot.  The tamales need to pack tight enough that they do not fall over and begin to unfold.
Cover the pot, and bring the water to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low and cook for at least 2 hours. Check water several times and add more if it is getting low, you DON’T want to boil it dry. Please note . . . those of you who forgot to save the chicken broth will probably be the ones to boil the tamales dry.  I think you know who you are. Anyway, for the rest of you,  Add more water as you need to. When done, take one tamale out and leave it on the counter for about 5 minutes to test. Unwrap it and it should be firm, with no raw masa. When done, remove all the tamales and let them cool on the counter, then put in bags for the freezer, 6 to a bag. If you have one of those Vacuum sealers, those are ideal.  You can save the tamales in the freezer indefinitely if they are vacuum sealed.  If you use zip lock bags, they will stay for up to a year in the freezer.

Congratulations! You are now part of the few, the proud, the tamale cooks.  You will notice that your life will be instantly different.  You will be popular.  People will invite you over.  As you walk up to a crowd of people, you will hear someone say, "Isn't that the Tamale cook?" Yes folks, your simple life will never be the same.  You have arrived.  Please remember to be kind to the little people.