Oaxacan Chileajo Tamales

Name: Oaxacan Chileajo Tamales
Total time: 5400 s
Yield: Serves 12 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz dried costeño chiles (about 40 g); 1/2 cup chopped onion (about 60 g); 1/2 cup garlic cloves (about 100 g, peeled); 1 3/4 lbs tomatoes (about 800 g); Salt to taste; 2 1/4 lbs skinless chicken (about 1 kg); 2 1/4 lbs masa harina dough (about 1 kg); 1 cup lard (about 250 g); 8 banana leaves

Alex Fernando Altamirano Garcia @cook_11699661

The word 'tamal' comes from the Nahuatl word 'tamalli.' The origin of tamales has been debated among several American countries, but in Mexico, tamales stand out with an immense variety—about 5,000 types across the country. Each region has its own traditional tamales. In this case, I made Oaxacan tamales, which are known for being wrapped in banana leaves.

Alex Fernando Altamirano Garcia @cook_11699661

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Ingredients

1 hour 30 minutes

Serves 12 servings

Chileajo
1 1/2 ozdried costeño chiles (about 40 g)
1/2 cupchopped onion (about 60 g)
1/2 cupgarlic cloves (about 100 g, peeled)
1 3/4 lbstomatoes (about 800 g)
Salt to taste
2 1/4 lbsskinless chicken (about 1 kg)
Tamale Dough
2 1/4 lbsmasa harina dough (about 1 kg)
1 cuplard (about 250 g)
8banana leaves

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Steps

1 hour 30 minutes

1

Remove the stems and seeds from the costeño chiles and clean them.
2

Grind the chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and salt together using a blender or a traditional grinding stone.
3

Dissolve some of the masa with water and add it to the chile mixture. Marinate the chicken in this mixture.
4

Take the remaining masa and mix in the lard and salt until the dough is smooth and spreadable.
5

Soften the banana leaves by passing them over a hot griddle or open flame until they become pliable.
6

Spread a portion of masa onto a square of banana leaf, add some chileajo sauce and a piece of chicken, then fold the leaf to enclose the filling.
7

Steam the tamales in a steamer for about 1 hour.