The Spanish Cache 2019: Jamie Chavarin Tamale Recipe vs Guatemalan Sweet!

YIELD: 50 Tamales

UNITS: US

Hola ! Come Estats! Welcome to the Spanish Cache of 2019. This Cache not only covers 100 years on Evita, but also showcases some unforgettable things in Spanish Culture that are not to be forgotten. Today, we cover the legendary rivalry between the Mexican Tamale and the Guatemalan Tamale.

For this match-up, we are going to use the recipe from a friend of mine. Quite Mexican and authentic, I have never forgotten the joy that a authentic Tamale made by Jamie can bring to your life. Thats right! Included in the Spanish Cache is this recipe for authentic

INGREDIENTS (Online )

Start with this traditional ingredient list .

• 3 ¹⁄₂
  lbs pork shoulder or 3 1/2 lbs pork butt, trimmed of fat and cut up
• 10cups water
• 1medium onion, quartered
  3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 ¹⁄₂teaspoons salt
• 4cups red chili sauce (see Red Chili Sauce (To Be Used With Traditional Tamales) for red chili sauce) We use Str* Up Valencia !
• ³⁄₄cup shortening
• 6cups masa harina
• 1 ¹⁄₂teaspoons baking powder

• 50dried corn husks (about 8 inches long)

   Making these tamales was fun to learn and to watch growing up. Learning how to do the Husks and Masa was especially fun to learn. Jamie would chop the ingredients and get to work,. This basic recipe is what all tamale makers should start out with . Jamie used the same batch of ingredients, however, with this recipe, there are additional twist. Bring meats to boil, well seasoned. (Preferably Beef) , but the trick was to slice full potato wedge into this concoction. soaking up the juice, making your tamales firm and delicious!

  Instructions 

  

In a 5 qt Dutch oven, bring pork, water, onion, garlic and 1 1/2 salt to boil.

Simmer covered, about 2 1/2 hours or until meat is very tender.

Remove meat from broth and allow both meat and broth to cool. (Chilling the broth will allow you to easily remove the fat if you desire to do so).

Shred the meat using 2 forks, discarding fat.

Strain the broth and reserve 6 cups.

In a large sauce pan, heat the red chili sauce and add meat; simmer, covered for 10 minutes.

To make masa beat shortening on medium speed in a large bowl for 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, stir together masa harina, baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt.

Alternately add masa harina mixture and broth to shortening, beating well after each addition. (Add just enough broth to make a thick, creamy paste).

In the mean time, soak corn husks in warm water for at least 20 minutes; rinse to remove any corn silk and drain well.

To assemble each tamale, spread 2 tablespoons of the masa mixture on the center of the corn husk (each husk should be 8 inches long and 6 inches wide at the top. If husks are small, overlap 2 small ones to form one. If it is large, tear a strip from the side).

Place about 1 tablespoon meat and sauce mixture in the middle of the masa.

Fold in sides of husk and fold up the bottom.

Place a mound of extra husks or a foil ball in the center of a steamer basket placed in a Dutch oven.

Lean the tamales in the basket, open side up.

Add water to Dutch oven just below the basket.

Bring water to boil and reduce heat.

Cover and steam 40 minutes, adding water when necessary.

To freeze these for future meals, leave them in the husks and place them in freezer bags. To reheat, thaw and wrap in a wet paper towel and reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes for one or two or re-steam them just until hot.

VS

The Guatemalan Sweet 

This Legendary Contender makes its entry is fine fashion. My first try of the Guatemalan Sweet has never been forgotten. White Masa with Raisin and a small fiery cinnamon was my first try. Served with Very Hot and Sweet Sauces. Memorable . Lets see how this stacks up.

Guatemalan tamales have been a signature of typical cuisine, and have been here since we can all remember. Tamales from Guatemala are quite different when compared to others in Latin America, and there are a few variety to tamale-types in Guatemala depending on the region.

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Tamales are a traditional dish enjoyed every weekend in Guatemala, but mostly on Saturdays in the afternoon… if you are walking by any street in Antigua Guatemala (or any other city or village in Guatemala) and you see a red light hanging off the wall in the afternoon, it means that ‘Tamales’ are ready. Tamales are also especially enjoyed during Christmas and New Year’s holiday season.

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 3 tbsp. canola oil
• 3-lb chicken, or 2-lb piece boneless pork shoulder
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 4 plum tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 chiles, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
• 1 small white onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp. distilled white vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 13 units of 14″ x 14″ aprox pieces fresh banana leaf
• 1 achiote paste (2 tablespoons full of ground annatto seed and spices)
• 2 cups corn flour
• 1 cup rice flour (optional)
• 1⁄4 cup capers, rinsed
• 15-20 large pitted green olives
• 1⁄2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

Instructions

Step 1 : The first step to make Guatemalan tamales is to prepare the corn flour. In Guatemala, you could also use rice flour instead. For this tamale recipe, we will use corn-flour and rice flour together. Boil a large pot of water, then add oil and the flour. Remember to keep watching it and to stir the mixture continuously at medium-heat for around 40 mins. The mixture will thicken.

Step 2 : toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds until golden brown. Pumpkin seeds, when browned will pop.

Step 3 : As soon as the flour mixture is thicken, stir it no stop for 5 mins and then remove from the stove and let cool.

Step 4 : Add the chilis (perhaps you might want to remove the seeds from the dried chilis, otherwise the tamale would taste spicy), bell peppers and tomatoes, garlic, onions, and achiote to a pot and cook covered for 35 mins at medium heat. Slowly add a little bit of sugar, salt and vinegar.

Step 5 : As soon as chilies are cooked, blend the mixture with the sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds all together in a blender machine and set it aside.

Step 6 : Cut the chicken into small pieces, add the chicken and blended sauce to a pot and then cook until the chicken is done.

Step 7 : The next step on the list is to assemble the tamales, put half a cup (or a kitchen spoon full) of the corn/rice dough in the middle of a banana leaf, top with 1 piece of chicken (or pork if that is your preference), and in top of that : 2 olives, 2 slices of pepper

Mexican Tamales.

Jamie Recipe (Mexico)