Guatemalan Tamales
By Julia Adelaida Escobar
Guatemalan Tamales
By Julia Adelaida Escobar
Yield/Serves:
Makes about 50 tamales
- 4 lbs banana leaves, cut into 11" x 13"
- Tamale Dough
- 2 lbs. maseca (corn dough)
- 2 lbs. rice, soaked in cold water, 30 minutes
- 16 cups of water
- 1½ cup lard
- 2/3 cup salt
- 4 tablespoons of chicken bouillon
- 1 big onion scored
- Salt and chicken bouillon to taste, if more is needed
- Filling:
- 1 lb. raisins
- 1 jar of green olives
- 4 red bell peppers, julienned
- 2 lbs. of plum fruit (dried)
- ½ recipe Recado (recipe follows)
- Recado (Chile Sauce)
- ½ pound tomatillos
- 3 pounds tomatoes
- 6 chiles de pasilla, deseeded
- 3 chiles de guajillo, deseeded
- 1 bag of pumpkin seeds
- 1 bag of sesame seeds
- 7½ cups of water
- 3 tablespoons of salt
- 2 tablespoons of bouillon
- 2 rolls (bread bolillo for thickening), torn into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons lard
- 3 pounds pork loin, cut into 3-inch pieces, do not remove bones
- Salt to taste
To cook the banana leaves: Bring a large stock pot of water to boil, then add the banana leaves. After 3-5 minutes, remove from heat. Cool leaves completely and dry thoroughly with a kitchen towel or paper towel.
In a blender, add soaked rice and enough water to just cover the rice. Blend until milky.
To prepare the masa: In a large bowl, add water to the dough and whisk together until the mixture is very loose. An alternative to whisking, would be to use your hands to help dissolve the masa more efficiently. (*This is an Escobar family trick!)
In a large stock pot, add the lard and fry the onion on medium heat until translucent. While constantly stirring, add the dough, salt and chicken bouillon. Add the blended rice in batches and mix well to combine. Continue to stir until the masa begins to bubble and has thickened, approximately, 20-30 minutes.
To assemble the tamales: Lay a piece of foil under a banana leaf. Fill the center of each banana leaf with enough masa to create a round even layer ¼"-thick and 3-inches wide. Spoon 2 tablespoons of recado with a piece of pork into the center of the masa. Top masa with 1 of each topping. Continue to shape until all banana leaves have been used.
To wrap: Lay the tamales on a flat surface and fold the sides of the banana leaf over the filling to make a snug rectangular package. Enclose the tamale with the foil, wrap tightly.
Once all tamales are wrapped, pile them up into a large stock pot or tamalera, if available. Add 12 cups of water. Cover and steam 2 hours. Remove from the stock pot and allow to cool, 30 minutes.
Making the recado sauce:Preheat oven to broil with the oven rack placed in the middle.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the tomatoes and tomatillos on the prepared sheet and broil until the skin is charred. Remove from oven, set aside and allow to cool.
In a skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and chiles over a medium heat until fragrant and golden brown.
Pulse the chile mixture, cooled tomatoes and tomatillos in a blender until smooth.
Add torn bolillo a piece at a time until the sauce had thickened.
To par-cook the pork: In a medium stock pot, add lard, recado and pork loin and cook on medium heat until it boils.
Note: With this amount of yield, you’ll have extra recado. What Julia Escobar recommends, is to stew some of your favorite meats (her favorite is chicken) in the recado for 2-3 hours.
In a blender, add soaked rice and enough water to just cover the rice. Blend until milky.
To prepare the masa: In a large bowl, add water to the dough and whisk together until the mixture is very loose. An alternative to whisking, would be to use your hands to help dissolve the masa more efficiently. (*This is an Escobar family trick!)
In a large stock pot, add the lard and fry the onion on medium heat until translucent. While constantly stirring, add the dough, salt and chicken bouillon. Add the blended rice in batches and mix well to combine. Continue to stir until the masa begins to bubble and has thickened, approximately, 20-30 minutes.
To assemble the tamales: Lay a piece of foil under a banana leaf. Fill the center of each banana leaf with enough masa to create a round even layer ¼"-thick and 3-inches wide. Spoon 2 tablespoons of recado with a piece of pork into the center of the masa. Top masa with 1 of each topping. Continue to shape until all banana leaves have been used.
To wrap: Lay the tamales on a flat surface and fold the sides of the banana leaf over the filling to make a snug rectangular package. Enclose the tamale with the foil, wrap tightly.
Once all tamales are wrapped, pile them up into a large stock pot or tamalera, if available. Add 12 cups of water. Cover and steam 2 hours. Remove from the stock pot and allow to cool, 30 minutes.
Making the recado sauce:Preheat oven to broil with the oven rack placed in the middle.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the tomatoes and tomatillos on the prepared sheet and broil until the skin is charred. Remove from oven, set aside and allow to cool.
In a skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and chiles over a medium heat until fragrant and golden brown.
Pulse the chile mixture, cooled tomatoes and tomatillos in a blender until smooth.
Add torn bolillo a piece at a time until the sauce had thickened.
To par-cook the pork: In a medium stock pot, add lard, recado and pork loin and cook on medium heat until it boils.
Note: With this amount of yield, you’ll have extra recado. What Julia Escobar recommends, is to stew some of your favorite meats (her favorite is chicken) in the recado for 2-3 hours.