Carolinas Tamales Recipe By Tasty

Steps:

• Place the dry corn husks in a baking dish. Pour hot water over the husks to cover. Weigh the husks down so they are completely submerged and let soak for 2 hours, or until pliable.
• Add the tomatoes, onion, guajillos, pasillas, garlic, and 4 cups (960 ml) of water to a small pot. Cover, bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
• Transfer the vegetables to a blender, Add salt and pepper to taste, the cumin, and about ½ cup (60 ml) of the cooking liquid. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and season with salt and pepper. Fry the pork until well-browned and most of the fat has evaporated. Drain any excess fat, if necessary.
• Add the sauce to the pan with the pork, bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a small bowl, combine the baking soda, baking powder, and 1 tablespoon water. Stir to dissolve, then set aside.
• Add the lard to a large bowl. With an electric hand mixer, whip the lard until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Add the masa and baking soda mixture and mix with your hands until smooth, about 5 minutes. It should be spreadable but still hold its shape.
• Drain the soaked corn husks.
• Place 1 husk on a clean surface and add 1-2 tablespoons of masa to the center of the husk. Spread with the back of the spoon to about ¼ inch (¾ cm) from the edges.
• Place 1 tablespoon of meat in the center. Roll the corn husk over the filling from left to right and fold the top down to create a little pocket. Set aside. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Place the tamales, open ends up, in a steamer basket set over a large pot of boiling water. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and the lid. Let steam for 1 hour, then turn off the heat and let the tamales rest for 1 hour more.
• Unwrap the tamales and serve with salsa verde.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Make the filling: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the cactus and onion, and cook until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and salt, and cook for another 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
• Make the tamales: In a large bowl, combine the masa harina, rice flour, salt, and baking powder.
• Add the melted lard and 3 cups of beef stock, and mix with an electric mixer on low speed until partially combined. Add the remaining 3½ cups of beef stock and continue mixing by hand until a wet dough forms. The dough should have the consistency of a thick hummus; if it is too dry, add more stock or water. And if it is too wet, add more masa harina, ¼ cup at a time.
• Soak the corn husks in water until softened slightly, about 2 minutes.
• Scoop about 4 tablespoons of the masa mixture onto the center of the smooth side of a corn husk. Spread into a flat rectangular shape, leaving the bottom third of the corn husk empty. Add about a tablespoon of the cooked cactus mixture, 1-2 tablespoons queso fresco, and 2 tablespoons salsa verde to the center of the masa rectangle.
• Bring the long sides of the corn husk together to encase the filling inside the masa, then fold the bottom of the corn husk up. Leave the top open. Tie a strip of corn husk around the tamale to secure. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Fill a large pot with the water. Set a smaller pot lid upside down in the bottom of the pot, then layer 5-6 corn husks on top to create a nest. Stack the assembled tamales on top of the nest with the open ends of the tamales facing up, filling the pot to the top.
• Cover the pot with aluminum foil and steam the tamales over medium heat for 45-60 minutes. (To check if the tamales are cooked, carefully remove and open a tamale from the very top of the pot.The masa should separate easily from the corn husk.)
• Remove tamales from the steamer and let cool until ready to eat.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Place pork into a Dutch oven with onion and garlic, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 2 hours.
• Use rubber gloves to remove stems and seeds from the chile pods. Place chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. Transfer the chiles and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture, stir in salt, and set aside. Shred the cooked meat and mix in one cup of the chile sauce.
• Soak the corn husks in a bowl of warm water. In a large bowl, beat the lard with a tablespoon of the broth until fluffy. Combine the masa harina, baking powder and salt; stir into the lard mixture, adding more broth as necessary to form a spongy dough.
• Spread the dough out over the corn husks to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Place one tablespoon of the meat filling into the center. Fold the sides of the husks in toward the center and place in a steamer. Steam for 1 hour.
• Remove tamales from husks and drizzle remaining chile sauce over. Top with sour cream. For a creamy sauce, mix sour cream into the chile sauce.