Food Network: Chicken Tamales

	Print 3x5 Recipe Cards
	Print this recipe out and cut along the dotted lines to add this 3x5 recipe card to your personal collection.

Chicken Tamales
Recipe courtesy Trevino Family

Ingredients
Chicken filling:
3 fryers
1 bell pepper
1 stalk celery, with tops
1 small onion
1/2 head garlic
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, packed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon salt
3 bay leaves

Directions
Place fryers in stock pot. Fill the pot with water to
cover chickens. Add the remaining ingredients boil for 1 hour.
When chickens are done remove from pot, peel off the skin, de-bone chicken, chop
and set aside.

Ingredients
TOMATILLO SAUCE:
3 pounds tomatillos (shells removed)
1 poblano pepper
1 bell pepper
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno pepper

2 teaspoons each cumin and oregano
Pinch ground cloves
Salt and pepper

Directions
Parboil tomatillos, poblano pepper, bell pepper,
onion. Chop, add remaining ingredients and coarsely blend. Set aside.
Saute chopped chicken in a little oil and tomatillo sauce. Cook for 10
minutes.

Ingredients
BEAN FILLING FOR TAMALES:
4 cups pinto beans
1 whole onion

1 head garlic
1 tablespoons salt
1 cup chopped onion
1 ounce chopped garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons comino (cumin)

Directions
In a large stock pot, cover beans with water. Add
onion, head of garlic and salt. Boil until done, drain, reserving liquid. Mash
beans and set aside.

Mince 1 cup onion, 1-ounce garlic and saute in 1/4 cup of oil. When onion is
clear add flour constantly mixing with whisk until golden. Add mashed beans with
a conservative amount of liquid from beans. Add chile powder, oregano, comino.
Add salt if needed. Taste again.
MASA: 6 pounds masa 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder 1 3/4 tablespoons salt 1
tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon comino, (cumin) 2 1/2 pounds of lard or vegetable
shortening 7 ounces water or chicken broth
Corn husks
Mix all ingredients on low mixer setting. After thoroughly mixed, beat (or knead)
at medium for 15 minutes until masa dough is smooth. To check readiness, drop a
small amount of masa in a glass filled with water. If masa floats, it's ready.
Using back of spoon, spread masa mixture thinly and evenly on inside of corn husk.
Covering half the length of each husk. Fill with tamale filling and fold. Get
16 quart stock pot with lid, steamer with lid or tamalera: tamale steamer.

Tamaleras as a rule come equipped with rack and lid. Stainless steel vegetable
steamer fan like: sold in most grocery stores. Damp kitchen towel. The bottom of
the pot is filled with hot water being careful not to cover the rack. The rack is
covered with tamale husks that were left over from the ones used for the tamales.
The vegetable steamer is placed over the husks bottom side up to give a dome
effect. The tamales are placed open and up, side by side around the dome.
Continue this process with about 2 dozen tamales. As the pot begins to fill up
the tamales can be placed flat on top of each other. Corn husks again are used to
cover the mound of tamales then cover with a cloth and close with the lid. The
lid should fit well enough as to keep the steam in the pot. Bring to rapid boil,
reduce heat, steam for 30 minutes. To test doneness, open husk. Tamale should be
firm. Masa should not adhere to the husk. When cooked remove all tamales. Ready
to eat.