Hot tamales and they're red hot....yeah, she got 'em for sale

I love Mexican food. One of my favorite dishes is the tamale. I have always been intrigued by the myth behind this delightful pocket food. Most think that they are hard to make, and you have to spend all day in the kitchen. Also, that you have to make 1,000,000 of them. They do take some time and planning, but I have found they are another form of refrigerator velcro.

I started with the bone from the breakfast sausage I made to create a basic pork broth with the usual celery, carrots, garlic...any internet search will show the recipe. I did the same with the leftover carcasses of the chickens I smoked and a few fresh chicken pieces as well to make a chicken broth. Once these were completing, I sauteed some onions and peppers, then added my pork and chicken, respectively, to create 2 fillings.

I setup my prep station with the fillings and steamer, then grabbed my soaked corn husks. The dough was made from the recipe on the side of the package. Be sure to get the cornmeal that has been treated with lime that is best for tamales.

It didn't take long until I had a full pot of tamales.


I found myself with extra dough, so I mixed black beans with adobo powder and finished the batch in a second steamer.
Added some broth to the steaming pot, then the tamales and covered. 2 hours later, I had my very first batch.


I added a can of tomato paste to the steaming broth and reduced to form a sauce, while the tamales set on the counter. A little frisee, bibb lettuce and goat cheese brought something fresh and creamy to the party. I topped with a dressing of the following. This was definitely the best meal all month.

Blueberry vinaigrette
blueberries
thyme
salt
pepper
rice wine vinegar
sesame oil (the Mediterranean kind)
sugar