Now, there’s a “power couple” for you. Tamales and Champurrado. Unbeatable. Except for maybe only Tamales and Atole. These three recipes are great for Christmas. Not surprisingly, tamal recipes are the most sought after on my blog this time of the year. It’s a very popular menu choice South of the border. Or, at the very least, a main protagonist of a Mexican Christmas and New Year food spread. Meet these tantalizing and brand new Pork Adobo Tamales, Pineapple-Coconut Tamales and Champurrado recipes!
Now, you might consider enlisting help and make a Tamal Party of your team effort. It is not that tamales are difficult to make. Not really. But there are, indeed, many moving parts. And some of those kind of move simultaneously. So, like I said, organize your tamal-making gathering, enjoy the company, have fun and laugh. After all, that’s what Christmas is all about: families and friends coming together to share in the spirit of the season and close the year on a fun-filled state of mind.
The good news is that, despite the fact that our recipes will require some elbow grease and/or team effort, each of the recipes yields 30 tamales, give or take. Yup, they are big batch, thankfully.
And if you are a lone-wolf cook, just like me, no worries! You can do it. I did!
We have more tamal recipes that we’ve published before. Like these addictive Lemon Pie Tamales, or these Green Salsa and Chicken Tamales if you love chicken. And if you don’t want to deal with the husks, we have options, like these Easy Huskless Tamales, one of the most popular recipes in our blog, with thousands of visits, Or this easy Tamal Crown which will save you so much time and feeds at least 10 people!
Pork Adobo Tamales
These savory Pork Adobo Tamales are pretty easy to make. It will save you lots of tamal-assembly time if you prepare your adobo in advance, the day before, say. But if you are teaming up with family and friends to make them, everything can be done the same day. While someone works on the Pork Adobo filling, someone else can ready the husks, and someone else can work on the masa.
Pork Adobo Tamales
Ingredients
- For the husks:
- 30 – 40 units tamal husks wide enough to accomodate the tamal (always have more handy, especially if you want to make your tamales smaller and also because husks sometimes tear).
- very hot water to soak the husks
- For the Pork Adobo:
- 8 units dried Guajillo chilis seeded and deveined
- 2 units dried Chiles Anchos chilis seeded and deveined
- very hot water
- 1/2 units onion
- 4 units garlic cloves peeled
- Salt and Pepper to taste, or
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon
- 1 -2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs shredded pork meat butt or ribs, cooked. Reserve the cooking broth
- For the Tamal Masa:
- 5 1/3 cups Masa Harina
- 1 1/4 cups Pork lard or shortening
- 1 1/4 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Baking powder
- 5 cups Pork cooking broth divided
Instructions
- Remove any remaining silks from the husks. Soak husks in the hot water for at least 30 minutes, until pliable.
- Make the Pork Adobo: Soak the dried chilis in the hot water for 10 minutes. Once they have softened, place them in the blender along with about 1 to 1.5 cups of the soaking water, the onion, garlic cloves, salt and pepper or chicken bouillon and process until smooth.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Carefully pour the chile mix into the saucepan and fry covered, as it will splatter a lot, stirring often for about 7 – 10 minutes, time enough to cook the chilis, the onion and the garlic. Add in the shredded pork meat, mix well and cook for 1 -2 more minutes.
- Make the Masa: In a large bowl combine the masa harina with 3 cups of the pork cooking broth by hand, until well blended and no dry bits remain.
- In a separate bowl, using your mixer, whisk the lard/shortening until fluffy (about 2 minutes on medium speed). Using a spatula scrape all the lard/shortening from the bowl and add it to the masa harina/broth mix bowl. Add the salt and the baking powder. Start mixing by hand, gradually adding the remaining 2 cups of pork broth. Knead for about 10 – 15 minutes. The resulting masa should be thick, sticky and easy to spread. One sure way to know if your masa is ready is to drop a small bit of the masa in a small cup or ramekin filled with cold water. Once the masa piece floats, your masa is ready.
- To assemble the tamales: Pour some hot water at the bottom of a stove top-tamal steamer, place your basket or a heat resistant plate on top and bring the water to a boil while you assemble the tamales. Once the water boils, turn the heat down to a constant simmer. Shake and pat dry your corn husks. You are going to spread the tamal masa and filling on the softer side of each husk. With a spatula or a cooking spoon spread about 1/3 cup of the masa first on each husk, on the widest open edge, mostly at the top portion of the husk, topping then the masa with 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp of Pork Adobo. Carefully wrap the vertical sides of each tamal first, bringing one side to meet the other and then wrapping everything together. Now bring the pointy opposite edge of the husk in. The tamales should be snugly wrapped, not tightly (you don't want any filling overflowing).
- Start placing your tamales vertically, husk open side up, in the steamer, in your basket or on top of the heat resistant plate. If your tamales don't want to stay upright, place a heat resistant container inside to keep them from falling. Steaming time counts from the moment you put the last tamal in. Steam for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Carefully add more water if necessary, not pouring it directly over the tamales. See notes if you don't own a steamer.
Notes
Pineapple-Coconut Tamales
If pressed to choose, this would definitely be my favorite sweet tamal recipe. These Pineapple-Coconut Tamales are proof once again that pineapple and coconut are a match made in heaven. And this is the one recipe everyone always asks for, but I had failed to post here. Bad and selfish blogger! I hope I can redeem myself, and I am pretty sure I will once you have your first bite of these heav;;;;;;enly tamales!
Pineapple-Coconut Tamales
Ingredients
- 30 – 40 units husks wide enough to accommodate masa dough and filling, plus more husks, just in case of need.
- very hot water
- For the Masa dough:
- 2 cups (4 sticks) of unsalted butter softened
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 cups Masa Harina
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 1 12oz. can evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup water
- For the Filling:
- 1 cup canned crushed pineapple
- 1/2 cup of the canned pineapple juice or syrup
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- For the corn husks: remove any corn silks from the husks. Soak them in the hot water for at least 30 minutes, until soft and pliable. Once ready to make the tamales, shake off excess water and pat the husks dry with paper kitchen towels.
- For the Masa dough: In a large bowl cream the butter with the sugar and gradually add the masa harina, baking powder, coconut flakes, coconut extract, evaporated milk and water until fully blended.
- For the Filling: Mix all the filling ingredients in a small pot and simmer over low to medium heat until the juice/syrup has evaporated, stirring often. Cool down before assembling the tamales.
- To assemble the tamales: Spread a large or heaping spoonful of the masa dough on the husk, then spoon pineapple-coconut filling and fold the tamales snugly, not tightly. Place them upright, husk open side facing up, in a stove top-steamer pot, with simmering water at the bottom, making sure the water doesn't reach the tamales. Steam for 1 hour 15 minutes – 1 hour 30 minutes. Count the time from the moment you place the last tamal in the pot. Add more water if necessary being very careful not to pour it on top of the tamales.
Notes
Champurrado
Champurrado is a warm and thick Mexican beverage. This comforting drink boasts multiple layers of flavor, with the star ingredients being Mexican chocolate, masa harina and spices.
Champurrado
Ingredients
- 1 quart water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 stick cinnamon, or
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 seed star anise optional
- 1 quart milk
- 1 disk Mexican chocolate such as "Abuelita", coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup Masa Harina
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a large pot boil the quart of water, brown sugar, cinnamon (and anise star, if using) over medium heat, until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the milk and Mexican chocolate to the pot. Stir constantly until the chocolate has completely melted and blended with the rest of the ingredients.
- Dissolve the Masa harina in the 1 cup of water and stir until the mix is no longer chunky.
- Add the dissolved masa harina to the pot, stirring constantly so no lumps form while it all cooks. Cook for 15 minutes over low heat, stirring often, until the Champurrado is thick and creamy.
- Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and the anise star seed (if you used it). Serve warm, enjoy!
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