Tamale of the Season

In Mexican homes, it’s the custom to celebrate Christmas by making tamales. Families and friends often turn the complicated procedure into a party, forming assembly lines to get the work done quickly.

All that effort deserves a good recipe. In answer to a reader request, here is one of the best. These meaty tamales, from Adelina and Arturo Molinares of Diamond Bar, appeared in the Border Line column in The Times Food Section 12 years ago.

In the Molinares recipe, every step is carried out according to tradition, without shortcuts. The cornhusks are soaked overnight; the masa is thoroughly beaten with lard until as fluffy as the lightest mashed potatoes. And the meat is cooked with homemade red chile sauce.

Some tamales contain mostly masa and very little meat, but the Molinares tamales are generously filled. As a variation they can be made with green chiles and cheese instead of pork and beef.

A large kettle, a stock pot, or one of the big containers available at Latino markets will do for steaming the tamales. To test for doneness, Adelina Molinares pulled out a tamale after a couple of hours and unwrapped it. If the masa still clung to the corn husk wrapper, the tamale rejoined its companions to steam another half hour, or until fully cooked.

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The original recipe produced 36 dozen tamales. This trimmed-down version yields a relatively modest six dozen.

ADELINA AND ARTURO MOLINARES’ TAMALES

1 (1/2-pound) package cornhusks

2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder clod roast

2 1/2 pounds boneless beef pot roast

Water

Salt

1 (1/4-pound) bag dried California or New Mexico chiles

2 cloves garlic

1/4 small onion

1/4 teaspoon oregano

Dash cumin seeds

1 1/2 cups lard

5 pounds fresh masa prepared for tamales

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 (14-ounce) jar stuffed olives

Day before making tamales, put cornhusks to soak in warm water. Next day, rinse each husk separately and remove any corn silk. Drain well.

Cut off excess fat from meat, then cut meat into 2- to 3-inch chunks. Place in heavy pot. Add 1 cup water and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Cover and cook slowly 2 1/2 hours, until meat is tender and has yielded its juices. If meat has cooked dry, add little more water, as juices will be needed for masa mixture.

While meat is cooking, rinse chiles and remove stems. Place in large pot with water to cover. Bring to boil, cover and simmer until chiles are soft, about 15 minutes. Let stand in liquid until cooled to room temperature. Remove seeds from chiles. Save cooking liquid.

Place chiles in blender container. Add garlic, onion, oregano and cumin and process until pureed. Rub little of mixture between thumb and forefinger. If mixture feels gritty with chile peel, process until finer. Add chile cooking liquid as needed to facilitate blending. Mixture should be thick but fluid. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. There will be about 2 cups chile puree.

When meat is fully cooked, drain off juices for use in preparing masa. These should be at least 1 cup. Mix chile puree with drained meat and simmer 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if desired. Before filling tamales, place meat little at time in heavy colander over pot. Press hard with back of large spoon to extract excess liquid and to break up meat. Place meat in bowl.

Place lard in heavy-duty mixer bowl and beat until fluffy, 5 to 10 minutes. Mix prepared masa with baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to lard and beat until blended. Add 1 cup meat juice little by little, beating until masa is soft and fluffy. Continue to beat 10 to 15 minutes, or until small piece of masa will float when set in cup of water. When masa is ready, stir in 1/4 cup chile mixture drained from meat to add little color.

Use only longest and widest cornhusks to wrap tamales. If necessary, overlap 2 husks to make wrapper wide enough. Place side of husk that feels soft facing upward. Hard side will be outside of tamale. Hold husks with point toward you.

Using large spoon, place heaping spoonful of masa on husks and spread with back of spoon into thin layer. Leave about 3/4 inch clear space at wide end of husks. Lower part of husks should be free of masa to permit folding. Place heaping tablespoon meat in center of masa. Add 1 or 2 stuffed olives. Fold sides of husks to center, then fold up pointed end. Top of tamale will remain open.

When all tamales are filled, arrange some leftover cornhusks over bottom of 12-quart kettle (or use 2 smaller pots). Invert small metal pie plate in center of kettle, or simulate plate with folded foil. Place layer of tamales, tops up, in pot with seam side leaning against pie plate. Stack tamales around pot until all are in. Tamales may be stacked in several layers and some placed in center.

Pour 3 cups boiling water into pot, pouring down sides (not center so as not to get water into open tamales). Cover pot and place over high heat. When water boils again, lower heat to medium and steam 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (Tamales should not be cooked rapidly.) Tamales are done when masa pulls away from husks easily.

You can serve the tamales at once, refrigerate for few days or freeze. To reheat frozen tamales, thaw and place in pan with little water. Steam until hot. Makes about 6 dozen.

Each tamale contains about:

204 calories; 106 mg sodium; 20 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.17 gram fiber.

Variations

MOLE TAMALES

Do not add red chile liquid to masa. Omit stuffed olives. Place some bottled mole paste in small saucepan and heat until smooth and blended. After spreading masa on cornhusks, spread about 1 teaspoon mole in center. Add meat, fold and steam.

GREEN CHILE TAMALES

Omit meat. Place few strips of canned milk green chile on masa. Add thin slice mozzarella or Jack cheese. Fold tamales and steam.