Recipe courtesy of Claudette Zepeda
Chile Colorado Tamales
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 1156
- Total Fat
- 51
- Saturated Fat
- 16
- Carbohydrates
- 133
- Dietary Fiber
- 18
- Sugar
- 30
- Protein
- 52
- Cholesterol
- 132
- Sodium
- 2053
- Total: 4 hr 15 min (includes steeping and cooling times)
- Active: 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
Chile Colorado:
4 cups beef broth, plus more if needed
4 ancho chiles, seeded and stemmed
5 guajillo chiles, seeded and stemmed
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 avocado leaves
Kosher salt
3 pounds beef chuck, cut in 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 dried bay leaf
Tamales:
4 pounds fresh banana leaves
6 cups masa harina
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup lard or tallow
6 cups beef or vegetable broth
Directions
Special equipment:
bamboo or metal steamer baskets- For the chile Colorado: Pour the beef broth into a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat and add the ancho and guajillo chiles, onions and garlic. Cover with a lid and steep for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the broth, chiles, onions and garlic to a blender with the oregano, cumin, paprika and avocado leaves. Blend until smooth, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl and adjust the salt if needed.
- In a separate medium bowl, toss the cubed beef with the cornstarch and a few pinches of salt.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the grapeseed oil, then carefully add the adobo sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beef and bay leaf and adjust the seasoning if needed. Bring to a slow simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the meat is fork-tender, about 1 hour. The sauce will thicken as it cooks; if you want it looser, you can add more broth or a bit of water.
- Remove the meat to a cutting board and shred. Reserve for the tamales. Measure out 1 cup of the braising liquid and set aside for the tamales.
- For the tamales: Trim the banana leaves into 10-inch squares, then toast over an open flame to make pliable.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a large stand mixer, add the masa, cumin, salt, baking powder and garlic powder and mix until combined. Add the lard, then beat on low speed until combined. Slowly add the broth and beat until combined. Once all of the broth has been added, increase the speed to medium and beat, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl if needed, until fluffy, about 8 minutes.
- Add the reserved 1 cup braising liquid to the batter and beat again until well incorporated, about 2 more minutes. (You can refrigerate your dough at this point if you are not ready to assemble the tamales.)
- To assemble the tamales, place a banana leaf on the countertop. Spread about 1/4 cup of the dough onto the top half of the leaf about 2 inches from the top, making a square about 4 inches wide and a little less than 1/2 inch thick. (You can wet your fingers so the dough won't stick and easily shape the dough with your hands.) Place about 2 tablespoons of the shredded beef down the center of the dough. Fold the left and right side of the leaf closed, overlapping each other. Fold the top leaf down then the bottom leaf up, making a package. Tie securely with twine and repeat with the remaining leaves, dough and filling. Line bamboo or metal steamer baskets with parchment and arrange a few tamales in each.
- Bring water to a simmer in a large pot (large enough to hold the steamer baskets). Place the steamer baskets over the water, cover with the lid and steam the tamales until the dough is cooked through, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Allow the tamales to cool for about 10 minutes before eating. (They will be a little soft when they come out of the steamer, but firm up significantly as they cool.)