Dried corn husks
5 lb pork shoulder roast
McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
Cumin
Chili powder
Chicken bouillon
1 30 oz can red enchilada sauce
1 can chopped green chiles
5 c Maseca Masa Harina (NOT corn meal)
5 c warm chicken broth or water with bouillon
11/2 c softened butter, lard or vegetable oil
2 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
Prepare Corn Husks:
Place 1/2 bag of corn husks in a big pot. Cover with hot water. Weight down with a plate or something to keep them from floating out of the water. Let sit about 2 hours until soft and pliable.
Prepare filling:
Cook pork for 90 minutes in instant pot with 2 c chicken broth and spices or in crock pot on low for about 9-10 hours. This can be done the day before. Shred meat and add in enchilada sauce and green chiles. Add seasonings to taste.
Prepare masa:
Mix corn flour with butter. Add in chicken broth salt and baking powder. Dough should be soft and easily able to spread about the consistency of frosting. Mix in more chicken broth or water if needed. Mix for about 2 minutes to make a little fluffy.
Assemble tamales:
Take a corn husk and lay in front of you with the point toward you. If it is small you can take two of them and layer 2 together to make it wider. Spread about 1/4 cup corn masa starting halfway up husk and spread almost to the top and about to the middle of the husk. Add about 2 T of the filling in a line down the middle of the masa. Roll husk around filling and fold bottom of husk up to secure the seam. You can tie with twine to secure if you want but it isn't necessary. Place in pot with steamer insert with water in the bottom leaning against the side wall to hold the tamale together. Open end should be pointing up. Stack enough to hold them up vertical but leaving enough space for the steam to circulate.
Cook tamales:
Bring water to a boil and put lid on pan. Reduce heat to a simmer and let tamales steam for 1 hour. They are done when you can pull the husk and the masa will not stick to it. Remove tamales from the pot with tongs and lay on a sheet pan lined with a kitchen towel. You can also cook them in the Instant Pot for 30 min on high pressure. Use at least 1 1/2 c water and the trivet under tamales. Quick release the steam.
Serve:
Tamales can be eaten immediately or refrigerated/frozen and served later. Heat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes on high. Great with salsa, sour cream or cheese.
Alternatives: You can substitute pork with cooked chicken (use a rotisserie chicken) or use green sauce if you prefer. The ones we made were made from chicken thigh meat with green enchilada sauce and a small can of chopped green chiles mixedin. They are also good with a nice melting cheese like Monterey Jack or Queso Chihuahua with a spoonful of chopped green chiles. Make them however you like!
You can find the masa and corn husks at Mexican grocery stores. La Tolteca is on Manchester close to Academy Sports, La Tiendita is close to Clarkson on Manchester - across street from Chipotle. Pan Asia also has the Maseca but does not have corn husks.
