How to make traditional Sonoran tamales

This particular recipe, adapted from what my mother and I remember of my tatarabuela’s (great-grandmother) tamales, is rather specifically for tamales as they are commonly made in Nogales, Sonora.

It was there that someone started adding potatoes and carrots to their tamales along with the usual olives – with the pit and only ever with the pit, as they otherwise never taste right – and pickled jalapeños.

Doña Elodia, my tatarabuela, would not be shown up. Raisins, added to this recipe, have not been a constant in my tamales and are not, to my knowledge, seen in savory Mexican tamales outside Sonora. But it shouldn’t be dismissed as an oddity but embraced as one of the many small surprises found inside these warm bundles., much like the olive pits, which really should be expected by now.

Though the fillings are flexible, all Sonoran beef tamales should be generous in portion, with a simple husk fold, no cutesy corn husk bows adorning them, no wax paper wrapping the corn husk wrapping. My particular recipe has no flour thickener in the chile colorado, though this simplifying step can be forgiven, so long as the remaining steps involved in this labor of love are faithfully preserved.

Two days? Oh yes, for those of you making your first foray into homemade tamales, for your own sanity, I recommend breaking this process up into two days.

Servings: 16 generous tamales

Day 1: Make red chili beef filling and prepare your masa

Ingredients:

For the beef

• ½ gallon water

• 2 pounds beef shoulder (chuck), cut into 4 large pieces

• 1½ teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 white onion, cut in quarters

• 1 head garlic, cut in half

• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

• 2 bay leaves

For the chile colorado

• 6 dry chile colorado (anaheim/California) chiles

• 1 white onion, cut in quarters

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1½ teaspoon Mexican oregano

For tamal masa

• 8 ounces lard, room temperature

• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

• 2 pounds unprepared masa

• 1 cup warm stock or broth, or as needed

Preparation:

Cook the beef.

Bring water to a boil. Carefully add beef pieces, turn down to a simmer and cook, skimming any scum that forms on the surface. After 10 minutes, add salt and aromatics (onion, garlic, oregano, bay leaves). Loosely cover and cook at a steady simmer until beef is tender, about 2 hours.

Remove from heat and allow the beef to cool in the broth. Once cool enough to handle, remove meat from broth and shred (not too finely). Strain aromatics out and reserve the broth.

Next, make the chile colorado.

Clean the chiles by removing stems, seeds and any large veins. Wash the chiles well in cold water and place in a small pot along with the onion, garlic and a good-sized pinch of salt. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and cook at a simmer until the chiles soften, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and puree the chiles, onion and garlic with oregano and just enough of the cooking liquid to keep blender blades moving. Add more liquid to adjust to desired sauce thickness.

Taste for seasoning. The sauce, at this point, will have a slightly metallic taste. Set aside.

Any unused chile colorado can be frozen in an airtight container and will keep well for up to a month.

Make the red beef filling.

In a pot large enough to hold the shredded meat, heat 1 cup of broth and whisk in approximately 1 cup of chile colorado. Bring to a simmer and add the shredded beef. Mix well. Taste and add more chile colorado and broth as necessary to reach desired consistency. Season with additional salt, as needed.

Prepare the masa dough.

Beat lard until very fluffy, as if creaming butter for frosting.

Add salt and combine with lard.

Slowly add chunks of the masa. While mixing, drizzle in warm stock. Not all of the liquid may be necessary, add just enough to produce a dough that is spreadable and just slightly sticky. Continue mixing until well blended. Masa should be very light in appearance and should resemble mashed potatoes.

Test your dough: Drop a small amount of masa into a glass of water. If properly fluffy, the masa will float. If it sinks, the masa is too dense and requires more liquid and further mixing.

To check the flavor, fry a small amount of the masa over medium heat, adjusting for seasoning as necessary.

Refrigerate filling and dough. You're done with your first day!

Day 2: How to assemble tamales de res

If you took my advice and are refrigerating your masa, then before you start making the tamales, allow your dough to come to room temperature. Cold masa is not as easily spreadable.   

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dried corn husks, or as needed

• 1 pound russet potatoes, cut into ¼- by 2-inch sticks, cooked in salted water until just tender

• 1 pound carrots, cut into ¼- by 2-inch sticks, cooked in salted water until just tender

• Salt as needed

• 12-ounce jar of manzanilla olives, preferably with pit, drained

• ½ cup seedless raisins

Preparation:

Remove masa from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.

Clean the dried corn husks by rinsing well under running water to remove any dried corn silk still attached. Place in a lidded pot and cover with warm water, weighing down with a heat-safe plate or other heavy object. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to soak in hot water until soft, about 30 minutes.

Make your fillings easily accessible: red chile beef, cooked potatoes, cooked carrots, olives and raisins.

Remove the husks from soaking water and strain. Holding a husk on the nondominant hand, pointed end toward the body, spread a large dollop of masa on half of the top half of the husk, leaving ½ inch of clear space at the top.

Place beef filling, potato and carrot batons, olives and two or three raisins on the masa.

Fold the husk over, completely surrounding the filling with the masa. Fold the bottom half of the corn husk up over the vertical seam.

Set aside, keeping the tamal vertical. Repeat until masa and filling are gone.

How to cook tamales

In a large pot fitted with a steaming basket that allows for 2 inches of water at the bottom, loosely line the bottom of the pot with leftover corn husks.

Arrange tamales standing vertically. Cover tops with a layer of corn husks.

Cover the pot and bring water to a boil. Once a good amount of steam is visible, lower adjust to low medium.

Cook for about 45 minutes.

Tamales will still be soft to the touch, with a slight tackiness. Remove cover, and allow to cool in the pot for about 10 minutes.

Carefully remove tamales and lay flat to cool. If any tamales become slightly misshapen, they can be reshaped at this time.

Tamales taste better the next day, after they’ve had time to cool and firm up. Cool for half an hour at room temperature before refrigerating. This long wait is often difficult, and no shame should be felt if a tamal must be consumed immediately.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to make traditional tamales