Country-Style Holiday Tamales with Whatever You Have On Hand

Name: Country-Style Holiday Tamales with Whatever You Have On Hand
Total time: 10800 s
Yield: 40 tamales
Ingredients: 40 corn husks, soaked in hot salted water; A few sprigs of rosemary added to the soaking water; For the dough:; 4 1/2 lbs white corn masa, ground on a metate (about 2 kg); 3 cups whipped heavy cream (about 710 ml); 2 cups thick jocoque or plain Greek yogurt (about 475 ml); 4 sprigs epazote, finely chopped; 2 serrano chiles, stems removed; Salt, to taste; For the filling:; Finely chopped cooked dishes you have on hand; I like to add olives, peanuts, chia seeds, amaranth, and pumpkin seeds; To serve the tamales; Side dishes of your choice; Salsa; Mexican crema and fresh cheese; To drink:; Atole

MARTÍN GERARDO RAMÍREZ CORREA @cook_9223802

San Diego de Alejandría, Jal. y León, Gunanajuato, México.

Tamales made with whatever leftovers you have are perfect for holiday gatherings. They're delicious and a great way to use up extra food. Tamales, pozole, and moles are classic festive Mexican dishes. What makes these tamales special is that the dough is ground twice on a metate and kneaded with cream and jocoque (a type of tangy Mexican dairy).

MARTÍN GERARDO RAMÍREZ CORREA @cook_9223802

San Diego de Alejandría, Jal. y León, Gunanajuato, México.

Saved

Ingredients

3 hours

40 tamales

40corn husks, soaked in hot salted water
A fewsprigs of rosemary added to the soaking water
For the dough:
4 1/2 lbswhite corn masa, ground on a metate (about 2 kg)
3 cupswhipped heavy cream (about 710 ml)
2 cupsthick jocoque or plain Greek yogurt (about 475 ml)
4 sprigsepazote, finely chopped
2serrano chiles, stems removed
Salt, to taste
For the filling:
Finely chopped cooked dishes you have on hand; I like to add olives, peanuts, chia seeds, amaranth, and pumpkin seeds
To serve the tamales
Side dishes of your choice
Salsa
Mexican crema and fresh cheese
To drink:
Atole

Saved

Steps

3 hours

1

First, prepare the corn husks by soaking them in a large tub or bucket with hot salted water and rosemary. Separate the husks before soaking so they don't tear when you pull them apart. Soak until very soft, then drain well before making the tamales. If the husks are too wet, the tamales will stick.
2

Next, make the dough by placing all the ingredients at room temperature in a large tub or pot. Mix everything together by hand or with a sturdy spoon until the dough is smooth and well combined. Check the salt, beat the dough, and let it rest for an hour covered with a cloth or towel.
3

Once the dough has rested, start assembling the tamales. Using a spoon, spread the dough onto the smooth side of a corn husk, covering about half the husk. Add a generous amount of filling in the center, then fold and tie the tamale. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
4

When all the tamales are assembled, arrange them standing upright in a steamer. Add some of the soaking water and rosemary to the steamer. Steam the tamales over medium heat for 2 hours. Turn off the heat and let them rest a bit before serving. Serve hot with your favorite sides or just with salsa. Enjoy with atole or punch. Remember, freshly made tamales that are too hot may stick to the husk, but that doesn't mean they're undercooked.
5

On the 25th, we used to fill the breakfast tamales with shredded turkey and marinated or seasoned pork leg leftover from Christmas Eve.