I'm taking a staycation and have been thinking about making something fun during it! There are plenty of things that I make regularly, but I've never made tamales and have always thought about trying my hand at it. It's a time-consuming dish, especially when you've never made it before! Although none of the components are all that difficult on their own. It's the perfect recipe to get a group of people together to help out with. You could even make multiple fillings. I ended up using about half of the filling for this batch of Poblano Tamales.
Inspiration for Poblano Tamales
I tend to look at a bunch of recipes, get the general idea for the ratio ingredients/basic techniques, and then wing it from there. I didn't specifically follow any of the directions, but I pulled the general idea from Muy Delish's Masa For Tamales (with masa harina) and The Oregonian's Masa Harina Tamales. To figure out how to fold them, I also watched Jerry Yguerabide and Nibbles and Feasts.
For better or worse, social media is how a lot of people consume culinary content. But, if you get inspired by new ideas, come across new recipes, and hone in new skills in 30 second intervals? That saves me a lot of time when I'm just looking at the consistency of the masa harina dough
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I made this recipe in two batches, so don't worry if the ratios look smaller than yours! It's also fun to make different fillings, if you want to mix things up. It should make about 50 tamales, depending on how big the corn husks are and how much masa and fillings you can fit.
Variations of Poblano Tamales
I don't often make tamales, but there are a plethora of dishes that use similar skills to making dough. If you can make tamales, everything from homemade corn tortillas to ravioli to pita bread is in a similar wheelhouse.
These Poblano Tamales consist of tomatoes, jalapeño, and shallots with homemade masa harina tamal, vegetable broth, and corn husks. Tamales are a great recipe to mix and match your own favorite ingredients.
Separate and rinse the corn husks.You're going to want about 50-60 good husks and a bunch of spares to tie the tamales together. You'll also want a few extra to place on top of the pot when you cook the tamales or you can use a wet towel, if you run out.
Place the husks in a large pot and cover with hot water. Place the steamer basket on top of the husks in order to keep them fully submerged. Let sit for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.Alternatively, you can quickly simmer the husks for 20-30 minutes, or until softened enough to be pliable.
Tamal Dough
Either by hand or with a stand mixer, beat the shortening until light and fluffy. This should take about 5 minutes.
Mix in salt, baking powder, and 1 cup of masa harina to the whipped shortening.
Alternate adding in broth and masa harina, about 1 cup at a time, and mix until combined. This should take about 10-20 minutes in a mixer with a paddle attachment and at least 30 minutes by hand with a wooden spoon.The tamal dough should be spreadable, but not sticky, and resemble plaster.The goal of mixing is to aerate the dough. If you drop a pinch of dough in water, it should float. If it sinks, keep mixing until there's enough air in the dough to float to the top.
Filling
Add the tomatoes, poblanos, jalapeño, and shallots (all of the produce) to an air fryer. Roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly charred. Rotate halfway through the cooking process.Alternatively, you can do this in the oven, over the stove on an open flame, or in the barbecue.
Let the fruits and vegetables cool to the touch.
Place the produce in a food processor and pulse until chunky.Alternatively, dice the tomatoes, slice the poblanos, and mince the jalapeño and shallot. You can also double the recipe and purée the mix completely to make salsa.
Fill Tamales
Drain the corn husks, rinse, and separate the large pieces from the smaller pieces. You want about 50-60 good ones with enough surface area to fill them.
Take a couple of the worse sheets and tear strips out of them in order to make ties. You want these to be thin enough to tie, but thick enough not to break.
Spread the masa dough across the larger half of the corn husk and add a dollop of the filling down the center.It can help not put the masa at the top of the corn husk where you're going to fold it. It can also help to leave a little bit of room around the left and right side of the husk, so as not to waste masa when you wrap it. Although some people definitely do cover the entire bottom half of the husk!How much tamal you use is a matter of personal preference and skill level. You want enough masa to hold the filling in. Too much tamal and it can be a bit gummy. Too little and you can have holes.
Fold the left and right side of the tamale inward toward the opposite side. Fold up the small end tie with one of the strips you've set aside.Optionally, you can plug up the open end with a little bit more masa dough. Although plenty of people also leave them open.
Cook Tamales
Once you've filled, folded, and tied off all of the tamales, set upright in the steamer basket so that none of the topping falls out. Cover with a couple of layers of extra corn husks or a damp towel.
Add water to the bottom of the pot until just under the steamer basket.
Cover and steam for 20-30 minutes, or until the masa separates easily from the corn husks. Make sure to occasionally check that there's still water in the bottom of the pan. Some people put quarters or something that will rattle in the bottom of the pot to check this. If you can't hear them rattling any more, the water has evaporated out of the pot.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
You can add more flavor to the tamal dough by adding in puréed salsa.
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