A Crazy Creative Life: Tamales- or Guatemalan chuchitos

Today is T-Day...which means that I'll be making tamales all day. This is one of our favorite Christmas traditions. We pile them high with sour cream, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, and whatever else we fancy at the moment. And of course...we drink Rosa de Jamaica (Jesse can't stand the stuff, but I think it is sooo refreshing!).

Tamales Recipe

Filling:

2 lbs roast

1 large onion, quartered

1 clove garlic

1-2 dried California chile pod

2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cumin

Cook the roast in a crockpot overnight. Pour broth into a cup and save for masa. Shred beef and leave in the crockpot on warm.

Boil remaing ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour over shredded beef and let simmer in the crockpot until ready to use.

1 package dried corn husks

Soak corn husks for 1 hour. Prepare the masa and a steamer or stockpot while they are soaking.

Masa:
3 cups oil or lard
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
6 cups masa harina
Broth from beef

Beat oil, salt, chili powder and harina. Add broth (and water) until you have dough the consistency of peanut butter or soft cookie dough.

*Remove a corn husk from the water and place in front of you with the narrow end near your body and the wide end stretching away from you. Spread 2 Tablespoons of the masa over of the husk, leaving a half inch at the sides and 2 inches at each end. Place 1 Tablespoon of the meat in the center of the masa. Fold the ends together and then reopen the husk so that your masa is folded like a sandwich in the middle of the husk. Fold sides in and then fold husk in half again. Secure with some twine or a piece of husk.

Place in large steamer or stockpot with a few inches of water at the bottom.

Steam tamales over boiling water for 1 hour. Make sure that there is still water in the bottom of your pot. They should be firm and hold their shape when they are ready.

*Step by Step pictures to putting your tamale together

Spread masa on the husk and put meat in the center...