I Say Pasteles, You Say Tamales...
I love the saying "it takes a village", and nowhere is that more evident than in the kitchen. Some of the most beautiful memories that I have are of multiple generations of my family and extended family, in the kitchen, rocking a "pasteles brigade". Mami and the Tias would man the preparation of the meat (pork by popular demand!) and the sofrito, my siblings, cousins and I would grate the vianda on cheese graters, being careful not to add our knuckles to the mix, and my dad and Abuela would invariably man the assembly and wrapping of tamales...all of this amid the fragrance of mouthwatering food in the kitchen, the sound of chatter and laughter of the women and children, and the sassy sound of Celia and Tito on the record player. Heaven!
I never dreamed that anyone not schooled in the "art of pasteles" could ever recreate that scenario in their kitchen. It wasn't until I was invited to a "tamalada" at a friends house, that with a knot in my throat and tears in my eyes, I realized that this phenomenon did not belong soley to me. I was surrounded by generations, family members, and love! What a soul warming experience...I was hooked and couldn't wait to share this Mexican equivalent of pasteles with my own family!
Since then, I have learned that like pasteles, tamales come in an endless variety of forms and are even known by different names ( humitas, hallacas nacatamal to name a few ), depending where they come from in Latin America. They can be filled with a plethora of different stuffings, ie. pork, chicken, seafood...I have even had them filled with raisins and olives in Peru ( I was a bit skepical until I bit into a sweet and salty forkful...then I was hooked!)!! I don't really care what you call them or how you fill them, I only want you to promise me that you will get into the kitchen, with a group of family and friends, and put up a batch (or two!) of these delicious tamales. Like my pasteles, I love a tamal that is soft and creamy, not dry and hard, and this recipe will yield about 2 dozen little jewels of perfection...but don't limit yourself to a couple of dozen! Make sure you have enough hands in the kitchen to mimic my Puertorican family, and make a couple of hundred to share and to freeze! You can thank me later! Buen provecho!
Pork Tinga Tamales
For the Shredded Pork:
4 ½ pound bone-in pork butt, boned and the bone reserved
1 onion, unpeeled
1 big bunch cilantro
2 tablespoons salt
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
For the Picadillo:
½ cup Achiote Oil (page 000)
1 cup Sofrito (page 000)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
One 4-ounce package dried corn husks (soaked in hot water ~ 30 minutes)
For the Masa (6 cups):
3 cups instant corn masa flour, such as Maseca
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher or fine sea salt
1 tablespoon ancho or other chile powder
4 cups pork broth (pork cooking liquid), warm
1 cup vegetable oil
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Put the bone in a small roasting pan. Roast until mahogany brown, about 1 hour. Remove and cool.
Meanwhile, put the boneless pork roast, onion, cilantro, salt, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a pot large enough to hold them comfortably. Pour in enough cold water to cover the pork completely. Bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat so the liquid is simmering and cook, skimming the foam and fat off the surface, until the pork if falling-apart tender, about 3 hours. Add the bone when it comes out of the oven. (Check and skim often, especially at the beginning of the cooking—you’ll be surprised how much stuff surfaces.) Discard the bone and cool the pork in the broth. The broth and pork can be made up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate the pork and broth right in the pot and rewarm over gently heat before continuing.
As soon as it is cool enough to handle (or re-warmed enough to make shredding easy), shred the pork coarsely, removing most but not all of the fat as you go. The fat will add a melting tenderness and flavor to the pork.
Make the picadillo: Heat the achiote oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sofrito and cook, stirring, until the liquid is evaporated and the sofrito is sizzling. Stir in the cumin, allspice, and cloves and stir for a minute or two. Stir in the shredded pork until it is heated through and coated with seasonings. Continue cooking and stirring until the pork begins to stick to the skillet. Pour in ½ cup pork broth and stir until almost all of the water is evaporated. Set the picadillo aside. The picadillo can be made up to 2 days in advance. Reheat over low heat, adding a little water if necessary, until warmed through.
Take the corn husks out of the package and put them in a large bowl. Pour enough warm water over them to cover them completely. Weight the husks down with a plate or overturned bowl to keep them submerged as they soak. Soak until pliable, about 1 hour. Set up a steamer (see TIPS).
Make the masa: Stir the corn masa flour, cumin, salt, and chile powder together in a large bowl until mixed. Add the broth and vegetable oil and stir to make a smooth, moist-but-not-sticky dough. Set aside.
Form the tamales: The corn husks will be different sizes. Start with those that are at least 7 inches across or so at the widest point and save smaller husks for backup. Open up a husk on the work surface with the shorter end closest to you. Center ¼ cup of the corn masa over the husk. Make a little indentation down the center of the masa, spreading it out as you go, but making sure to leave at least 1 inch along the short ends and 2 inches along the sides so the tamale can be folded up easily. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the pork picadillo into the indentation. Fold the two sides of the husk over the filling, then fold the end closest to you up and over the filling. Leave the other end open. Line the tamales up, folded and seam side down, on a baking sheet.
Freeze as many of the tamales as you’d like to. Steam as many of the tamales as you plan to eat until the dough is tender and moist, 1 hour should do it. Serve hot on a platter. Let people help themselves and unwrap their own tamales. Careful, they stay hot for a while.