Corn Poblano And Cheese Tamales Recipe 445

Steps:

• Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel.
• Line a heavy cast iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Arrange poblano peppers in a single layer on top. Grill until chiles are blackened, turning as necessary, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer into a resealable plastic bag and let them steam, 10 to 15 minutes. Peel off skin, seed, and cut them into strips.
• Place tomatillos in a pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and cook until they change color, about 5 minutes. Drain and place in a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Heat 1 tablespoon lard in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add blended tomatillos and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until flavors are well combined, about 5 minutes. Add poblano peppers and cilantro and boil for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Beat remaining lard in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add salt and continue beating for a few minutes. Add masa harina and baking powder and beat well until combined. Add chicken broth, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough has a smooth and workable consistency that is not too wet, similar to cookie dough. Test if the masa is ready by dropping a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water; if it floats, it's ready, if not, keep working the dough a little longer.
• Select 1 wide corn husk or 2 small ones. Spread about 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of the tomatillo sauce and a piece of Monterey Jack cheese in the center of the masa mixture. Fold sides of husk together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the husk over the seam of the 2 folded sides. Repeat with remaining husks.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Turn on broiler. Cut away stems and thick edges of banana leaves, then cut into 16 (8-by-10-inch) rectangles. Reserve remaining banana leaves. Roast peppers: Place chilies under broiler and roast, turning occasionally, until skin is blackened, about 5-8 minutes. Transfer chilies to a paper bag and close bag to allow chilies to steam. When chilies are cool enough to handle, remove stems, peel away skin and remove core, seeds and ribs. Cut peppers into 1/2 -inch-wide strips. Set aside. Sauté corn: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add corn kernels and sauté until tender, 3-5 minutes. Set aside. Make masa dough: In a mixing bowl, combine masa flour and salt. Add melted lard and 3 cups warm water. Knead with your hands until a smooth dough forms. Add more water as needed. Dough should reach consistency of mashed potatoes. Assemble tamales: Using tongs, hold one banana leaf rectangle directly over a stove burner set to high until the leaf turns bright green, about 10 seconds per side. (Don't heat leaf longer or it will become brittle.) Place leaf, smooth side up, on work surface. Place a generous 1/3 cup dough in center of each leaf and flatten to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Place 2 sticks of cheese in center of dough, then add 2 chili strips and 2 tablespoons corn. Repeat with remaining banana leaves. Fold tamales: Fold long sides of leaf to enclose filling in dough. (Sides of leaf will overlap to make a snug package.) Then fold ends over on seam side and rest tamale on top of folded ends so that its weight holds the package together. Cook tamales: Set a steamer basket in a large, lidded pot and fill bottom of pot with just enough water to come nearly to bottom of steamer without touching it. Line bottom of basket with leftover banana leaves. Arrange tamales in basket in layers, then cover with remaining banana leaves. Cover pot, bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 50 minutes. Remove from heat and let tamales rest 5 minutes. To serve, set tamale packets on plates, unwrap and drizzle with crema. Note: You can find the banana leaves used to wrap these tamales at Asian or Latin American markets.

Steps:

• Soak corn husks in hot water for 30 minutes or let stand overnight in room-temperature water. Prepare Tamale Dough recipe, adding the chopped epazote leaves with the flour.
• Assemble tamales by spreading 2 Tbsp. of the masa mixture (tamale dough) into a 3x2-inch rectangle down the center of each corn husk, leaving about 2 inches bare at the top of the husk. Spoon 1 Tbsp. of the peppers and 1 tsp. of the cheese down the center of the masa mixture on each husk; fold over the sides of the husk and both ends to completely enclose the filling.
• Stand tamales in a steamer basket in large pot filled 1/4 full with water. (Make sure tamales are not touching the water.) Bring water to boil; cover. Steam 1 hour or until tamales pull away from the corn husks, adding more water to the pot when necessary. Remove tamales from steamer basket; cool slightly. Top with TACO BELL® Thick & Chunky Salsa just before serving, if desired.

Steps:

• Make Salsa:
• Cook first 4 ingredients in heavy large skillet over high heat until charred in spots but still firm, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to processor; using on/off turns, chop coarsely. Add all remaining ingredients. Blend to coarse puree. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Make Tamales:
• Selecting the largest and cleanest husks, place half of husks in large bowl; fill bowl with warm water. Weigh husks down with plate; soak husks until soft, separating occasionally, about 2 hours. Form 36 ties by tearing several husks into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
• Char chilies directly over gas flame or under broiler until blackened on all sides. Place in medium bowl; cover tightly with plastic. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and chop chilies.
• To make dough, blend Masa Harina, butter, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in processor until coarse meal forms. Add broth and blend in (mixture will be crumbly). Transfer masa mixture to large bowl. Blend 2 1/2 cups corn, 1 cup cheese, baking powder, pepper, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt in processor until coarse puree forms. Stir puree, then 2 1/2 cups corn into masa.
• For each tamale, open 1 large softened husk. Place 1/3 cup tamale dough in center of husk. Make depression in center of dough; fill with 1 tablespoon chilies, then 1 tablespoon cheese. Using moistened fingertips, press dough over filling to cover; shape filled dough into 3-inch-long log parallel to 1 long edge of husk. Fold 1 long side of husk over filling and roll up to enclose. Tie ends of filled husks tightly with husk strips.
• Add enough water to large pot containing steamer insert to reach bottom of insert. Layer tamales in steamer insert. Bring water to boil; cover pot. Steam until tamales are firm, removing insert and adding boiling water to pot to maintain water level as needed, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate. Before serving, re-steam 45 minutes to heat through.) Serve tamales in husks with salsa.

Steps:

• Place the corn husks in a large bowl, cover with boiling water, and let soak while you prepare the filling.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until rippling. Add the white onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium; add the poblanos, stirring well to combine, and cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in the corn kernels and season with cilantro and cook until the moisture has evaporated, about another 3 minutes. Season with salt. Cool thoroughly.
• Fold or beat the corn mixture into the prepared tamal dough, being sure it is evenly distributed. Fill, fold, and steam the tamales, using about ¼ cup of the masa-corn mixture for each husk.
• Serve with a picante sauce such as Pico de Gallo Norteño or Salsa de Tomatillo con Chipotle.

Steps:

• Note: Chihuahua cheese available in most Hispanic markets, Queso Fresco available from Mozzarella Company 800-798-2954.
• Cover corn husks with hot tap water in a shallow baking dish.
• Bring chicken broth, creamed corn and milk just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Gradually add broth mixture to masa harina in a medium bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon, until well blended; cool.
• Heat broiler.
• Line a broiler pan with foil.
• Arrange poblanos and bell pepper on prepared pan and broil 4 inches from heat 10 to 15 minutes, turning until skins are evenly charred.
• Wrap in foil and let stand 15 minutes.
• Peel, seed and dice chile and bell pepper; transfer to a medium bowl.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add onions and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add garlic, reduce heat to medium and cook 1 minute more.
• Cool, then combine with chile, bell pepper and uncooked shrimp.
• Beat lard, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large mixer bowl, until smooth.
• Gradually beat in masa harina mixture by spoonfuls, beating well after each addition.
• Continue to beat 5 to 8 minutes more, until mixture is light and fluffy.
• Stir in shrimp mixture and cheese (mixture will be stiff).
• Drain and rinse corn husks; keep covered with a damp towel (or follow foil directions below).
• Flatten one husk on work surface (overlapping two husks if small).
• Spoon 1/4 cup filling in center of husk.
• Spread into a 3-inch long log.
• Roll up lengthwise.
• Secure each end with string.
• Repeat with remaining husks and filling.
• To prepare tamales with foil: Cut each foil piece in half to make two 6x9-inch rectangles.
• Spread 1/4 cup filling in center of each rectangle.
• Fold all sides in to form 2x3-1/2-inch packets.
• (Can be made ahead. Place tamales in resealable plastic storage bags and freeze up to 1 month.) Place steamer rack in Dutch oven over 1 inch of water.
• Arrange tamales (unthawed if frozen) in rack.
• Cover; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low and steam 30 minutes.
• Serve with Guacamole, if desired.
• Makes 28 tamales.
• (Nutrition facts are based on 1 tamale per serving.) yMasa Harina: A variety of flour made from specially processed corn.
• Used in tamales or to thicken sauces.
• Can be found in the baking section of most supermarkets.
• yyChile Poblano: Mild to medium-hot fresh chile.
• Popular for stuffing; usually roasted.