Corn-and-Poblano Tamales (recipe)

[Guest guest]

here's another good one.

 

Corn-and-Poblano Tamales

Hot Damn, Tamales!, Fort Worth

 

Masa

2 cups (1 pound) vegetable shortening

6 cups dried masa harina for tamales

2 tablespoons ground red chile

2 teaspoons cumin

2 tablespoons baking powder

3 tablespoons kosher salt

3 to 3 1/2 cups warm water or vegetable stock, and a few

tablespoons more if needed

 

Using an electric mixer, beat the shortening until fluffy, at least

a minute. When it is smooth, beat in the masa harina, ground chile,

cumin, baking powder, and salt. When all ingredients are well

incorporated and there are no lumps, slowly add water or veggie

stock, beating, until masa reaches consistency of a butter-cream

icing. Do not add too much water, or the tamales will take a long

time to cook. Continue to beat for 5 to 7 minutes.

 

Corn-And-Poblano Mixture

2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears corn; canned corn,

especially white corn, may be substituted; so may frozen corn but do

not defrost first)

2 cups cooked black beans, well rinsed (Bush's brand beans are good

if you're not up to cooking beans from scratch; use two 15-ounce

cans)

2 poblano chiles, roasted and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup shredded Oaxaca cheese

1 bunch cilantro, minced (about 1 cup)

3 tablespoons canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, or about 6

peppers, minced (do not rinse off the sauce that clings to the

chiles)

kosher salt to taste (depends on how salty the beans are)

 

Using a spoon, fold all ingredients into the masa; it will be

speckled, like confetti. Add more water or stock if necessary;

consistency should be soft and spreadable, not loose and falling

apart.

 

Note: Hot Damn usually incorporates it into the masa, as detailed

below. These tamales are delicious just like this, but personally, I

like them with 3 cups of corn and 1 cup of beans. I also use 3 to 4

tablespoons chipotle chiles.