Sweet Corn Tamales with Pork
🇲🇽 Mexico
Ingredients
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 ancho pepper, seeds and veins removed
- 2 guajillo peppers, seeds and veins removed
- 1 chipotle pepper (dried or canned)
- 11 ears sweet corn with husks (about 11 cups corn)
- 3 cups masa harina (extra if corn is too watery)
- 1½ cups lard or softened butter (10 oz)
- 1 pound pork shoulder, cut into bite-size cubes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 16 epazote leaves (optional)
Steps
- Remove husks from the corn carefully, keeping them intact for wrapping the tamales; set aside and reserve the corn kernels.
- Make the salsa: char or boil the tomatoes, ancho pepper, guajillo peppers, and chipotle pepper until softened, then blend until smooth.
- Cook the pork cubes with salt in water until tender, then combine with the prepared salsa to make the filling.
- Make the dough: blend the reserved corn kernels until smooth, then mix with masa harina, lard or butter, sugar, and salt until a soft, spreadable dough forms.
- Assemble the tamales: spread a layer of corn dough onto each reserved corn husk, add a spoonful of the pork filling and salsa, and place an epazote leaf if using.
- Fold the husks over the filling to enclose the tamale, folding the ends to seal.
- Stack the tamales upright in a large steamer pot with water below the steaming rack.
- Steam the tamales for about 1 hour, or until the dough pulls away easily from the husk.
- Let the tamales rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Sweet corn tamales, known as 'tamales de elote' or 'chanchamitos,' are a traditional Mexican dish combining sweet corn dough with a savory pork and chili filling.
Source: www.mexicoinmykitchen.com