Holiday Tamale Recipes

The holidays are the perfect time for friends and family to gather and celebrate the festive season, but cooking for a crowd can often be difficult. This year, skip the hassle and prepare tamales for all of your guests using an IMUSA Tamale Steamer! IMUSA steamers have a large capacity and are extremely durable, allowing you to cook large-batch foods such as tamales, lobster, mussels, corn on the cob and more.

With recipes like George Duran’s Pumpkin Pie Tamales, Aaron Sanchez’s Tamales de Mole Amarillo, and Cheesy Sun-Dried Tomato Tamales, your guests are sure to find a flavorful option to enjoy.

Pumpkin Pie Tamales
George Duran for IMUSA

Ingredients

• 40 To 60 dried corn husks
• 7 Cups maseca corn flour
• 3 Cups packed brown sugar
• 2 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 Teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 29-ounce cans of pumpkin puree
• 4 Sticks of butter, melted
• 2 Cups of warm milk
• 2 Cups of walnuts, chopped
• 12 Ounces of raisins, a
• About 2 1⁄2 cups Fresh white cheese/queso fresco (optional)

Preparation

1. Fill a large bowl with warm water and soak corn husks until softened, about 30 minutes.
2. In an extra-large bowl add Maseca corn flour and the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix together making sure that all of the clumps are broken up with your fingers. Then add all of the wet ingredients and once again, use your hands to mix the corn flour. Add more water as needed until you achieve the consistency of peanut butter. Fold in the walnuts and raisins.
3. Assemble the tamales by using a rubber spatula to spread 1⁄2 cup to 1 cup of dough mixture onto the corn husk, depending on the size of the corn husk. The spread should cover about two thirds of the husk, away from the pointed end, making sure you leave some space on each side to fold. Gently fold one side of the corn husk to the other end and fold up the pointed end across. Lay each tamale fold-side down. There should be an open end to each tamale.
4. Once the tamales are folded, fill the IMUSA Tamale Steamer with water just below the fill line and place the steam tray on the rack. Carefully place each tamale standing up on the steam tray without overloading it and bring water to a simmer. Steam with the lid on for 90 minutes.
5. Remove each tamale with tongs and let rest for a few minutes before serving it as a sweet side-dish or with grated queso fresco. MAKES 40-60 TAMALES.

Cheesy Sun-Dried Tomato Tamales

Ingredients

• dried corn husks, & Corn husk strips (for tying) 25 to 35
• 2 Sticks butter
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1½ cups sun-dried tomato paste
• 3 (3.25 ounce)Cans of diced green chiles
• 4 cups maseca corn flour
• 24 ounces white sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. Fill a large bowl with warm water and soak corn husks until softened, about 30 minutes.
2. In a large pot melt butter under medium heat.
3. Once melted turn off heat and mix in chicken stock, sun-dried tomato paste, and green chiles. Set aside.
4. In an extra-large bowl add the Maseca corn flour and using a wooden spoon, slowly mix chicken stock mixture into the flour. Fold in grated cheese until completely combined.
5. Assemble the tamales by using a rubber spatula to spread 1⁄2 cup to 1 cup of dough mixture onto the center of the corn husk.
6. Gently fold one side of the corn husk to the other end (like a cigar) and tie a knot at the larger end with a thin strip of corn husk. Fold over the other side of the tamale, which will be the bottom end when placed in the tamalera.
7. Fill an IMUSA Tamale Steamer with water just below the fill line and place the steam tray on the rack.
8. Carefully place each tamale standing up on the stream tray and bring water to simmer. Steam with the lid on for 90 minutes. Remove each tamale with tongs and let rest for a few minutes before serving it.

Tamales de Mole Amarillo
Aarón Sánchez for IMUSA

Tamales

• 10 dried corn husks
• 1½ cup masa harina
• 1¼ cup chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
• Amarillo Mole

1. In a large mixing bowl soak the corn husks for 30 minutes.
2. In another bowl, add the masa harina and salt and with a whisk, mix well. Slowly add the chicken stock to the masa harina and mix well until a dough-like consistency. Make 10 ping-pong ball size balls of dough.
3. In a plastic-lined tortilla press (both sides), press out each ball of dough to form a 5-inch round. Carefully remove the tortilla, and place a spoonful of amarillo mole sauce, a spoonful of shredded cooked chicken. Fold each side of the tortilla and place in a corn husk length-wise. Secure both ends with a string or part of the husk used as a string, and repeat process.
4. Steam for 30 minutes in an IMUSA Tamale Steamer.

Mole Amarillo

• 3 guajillo chiles, seeded and deveined
• 1 ancho chile, seeded and deveined
• 1 medium onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 5 medium tomatillos
• 2 medium green tomatoes
• 15 black peppercorns
• 7 whole cloves
• 3 large Hoja Santa leaves or 5 dried Hoja Santa leaves
• 3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons masa harina
• 3 tablespoons water

1. Toast chiles on a griddle. Remove and place in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand for 20 minutes.
2. In a hot cast iron pan, roast the onion, garlic, tomatillos, and green tomatoes. Roast until well charred on all sides. Place in a bowl and let cool.
3. Meanwhile grind peppercorns and cloves in coffee grinder. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle peel off the charred skin and puree them in a blender with the hoja santa leaves, drained chiles, and spices.
4. In hot pot, heat the lard, add the pureed strained sauce, and cook for 5 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, add the masa harina and water. Mix until well blended. Add this mixture to the sauce and cook for 5 minutes more, until done.

Credit:  IMUSA.