Norteños Tamales RECIPE FOR TODAY

Norteños Tamales

- There are several steps and procedures to follow.
- You can do several things at once.

You will need 2 packets of corn tamales leaves which are washed and soaked in hot water.
(Leave them in the water while preparing the meat, beans and dough)
When they are to be used,  drain them very well.

Ingredients for meat stew:

1 kilo of pork leg
2 tablespoons of Grain Salt
2 Lts. of water
1/2 finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper.

Process:
- The leg of pork is put in the pressure pot to be cooked in the 2 lts. of water adding the onion, garlic, cumin and pepper, for 40 minutes from which the whistle of the valve begins to be heard, and the fire is lowered.
- When the meat is cooked, it is removed from the broth, thinly sliced ​​with fork and knife or with the mixer.
- Fry with 1 large spoon of lard.
- Add 1 cup of the 3 chilli sauce: Ancho, guajillo y de árbol 
Check salt and seasonings to taste.
Sometimes it is necessary to add a little more of these ingredients.
Mix everything well.
- 4 cups of Peruvian or pinto beans, cooked and ground.

For the stewed beans:

- Fry in 1 tablespoon of lard; 1 cup of 3 chilli sauce: Ancho, guajillo y de árbol , with 1 tablespoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper.
- When the sauce is ready, add the ground beans.
- Cook on low heat for 30 minutes until they are soft, that is refried.

2 kilos of nixtamalizada dough or 1 kilo of maize flour Maseca dough
1/2 kilo of lard
The broth of cooked meat.
2 tablespoons of grain salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 tablespoons ground garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 cups of the 3 chilli sauce:

Procedure for kneading the dough: Ancho, guajillo y de árbol

- Put the dough in a large bowl.
- Add the salt, baking powder, garlic and cumin.
- They integrate very well all the dry ingredients.
- Add the lard and knead
- Chili sauce is added
- Add the hot broth to incorporate perfectly and knead for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is removed from the bowl and the hands are clean of dough and oil.
- Let the dough rest for 15 min. before starting to make tamales.

** Note of tradition. A single person must knead the dough.
- If using nixtamalized dough requires less broth to knead.

- Ingredients for the sauce of the 3 chiles: for the dough, the meat and the beans.
10 large or colored chilies
10 chiles guajillos
5 árbol chilies

Process:

- Perfectly clean the seed chilies, remove the stems, boil until soft.
- When cooked the chiles are liquefied with a little clean water.
** Tip: Do not liquefy with the water where they boiled because they are bitter.
- Strain the ground sauce to avoid using skin or seeds.

We now have ready the meat stew, beans, and dough,  and the leaves are soaked.
We proceed to prepare the leaves

Put dough in the center of leave and with a spoon or spatula or tortillera mash to form tortilla

** Tip.- Remember that the leave has the dough on the smooth side, and the rough side is out.
You can make a good amount of  leaves with tortilla shaped dough and then proceed to fill with the meat or beans.

The steamer is then prepared with hot water to the rack
We put a bed of clean corn leaves that we discard at the bottom.

A molcajete is placed in the bottom and we proceed to the accommodation of the tamales around this, as if it were a tipi of Indians; With the open portion of the tamale, facing up.

When you finish putting in all the tamales, cover with another layer of tamal leaves and cover with a wet dryer and a plastic bag and cover.

They are cooked for 2 hours.

Remove 1 tamale, let it cool slightly and taste it.

IF IT TASTES COOKED IT IS Ready!!

You can now proceed to enjoy of a rich Mexican tradition.

Makes 70 to 75 tamales of good size.