Beef Tamales

Most Helpful Positive Review

I have made these a few times now. This recipe is really awesome as is - but I found an easier & tastier way to do it after making it many times the way listed. I use the recipe on this site for Charley's Slow Cooker Mexican Style Meat. Its very easy to make, & makes the tamales SO much tastier! I make the meat one day in the crockpot, then refrigerate it overnight. This makes it easier to remove any fat. Just pluck off any fat the next morning & follow the recipe for the tamale dough, although I use vegetable shortening instead of lard. Make sure to keep a little water or beef broth on hand to dip your spreading knife into to make spreading the dough onto the corn husks a little easier. If you put a can of beef broth in the stockpot with a little water while you are steaming them, it makes the dough tastier as well. Instead of using butchers twine, I just tear off thin strips of the corn husks & tie them with that. These are really good to freeze too. Place in a freezer bag, and pop in the freezer for up for 6 months. To reheat, steam for 15-20 mins or wrap in a damp paper towel & microwave for 3-7 mins, depending on the microwave. Steaming them will produce a moister tamale. To reheat refrigerated tamales, wrap in a damp paper towel & microwave for about 1-2 mins. You could also steam them for about 5 mins. Make sure you leave the corn husk on while reheating!

if you have never attempted tamales, here are some important tips: boil garlic and dried or fresh peppers in water(your favorite kind of pepper)for 30-ish minutes then cook the meat in that broth(leave peppers/garlic in) and add lots of spices. This broth flavors the meat very well--I like spice so I use tons of peppers and garlic. The meat should be cooked long enough that it practically crumbles to the touch--this makes it easier and faster to shred by hand--I usually cook mine 4 hours to overnigt depending on the cut of meat. Boiling the meat is actually the only thing it needs cooking wise--but it depends on whether you boil in the meat in all the spices or add them later. I soak my corn husks in hot/boiling water--this makes them softer faster. Two important things to remember: masa is very bland and there is no substitute for lard! I keep my meat juice for masa flavoring but still add other stuff--El Pato (mexican style tomato sauce)if you can find it is spectacular! When making the tamales, the corn husks should only be about five inches across--any larger need to be sized! (Line the meat along the edge and roll like a cigar) If I plan on freezing I cook them only half the time--also, don't load to many in the steamer or they won't cook evenly! When you place them in the steamer they need to be standing up as much as possible.

A little advice about mixing masa: add the lard to your dry ingredients and mix very well by hand. Begin adding your meat broth a little at a time until you get peanut butter consistancy, and to be really sure your batter is ready, drop a bit into a glass of water. If it floats to the top, it's ready.