Pork Tamales

Shredded pork and green chili stuffed inside a tamale = YUMMY GOODNESS!

Ingredients:

• Pork Shoulder Roast - slow cooked then shredded 
• Prepared Masa
• Green Anaheim Chili's - roasted and peeled, sliced and prepared with garlic salt & garlic 
• Corn Husks

Directions:

First you will want to prepare the meat and the chili, that way preparing the actual tamales themselves is a breeze. Make sure to season and cook your pork shoulder until your desired liking and shred the meat.  You will also need to roast the chilis, peel off their skins, and shred the chili's up, adding your desired amount of garlic salt and 1 fresh garlic clove (minced).  Set aside until ready to stuff.

Second, you will need to soak the corn husks in warm water for 30 minutes or until they become flexible. When seperating the husks, be sure not to tear them.  You will also want to dry them off before putting on the masa.  You can pat them dry with a paper towel or a dish towel. 

Since the masa is already prepared, we are now ready to make our tamales.  If you are not using prepared masa, you can buy the ready mix at any grocery store.  I've only found prepared masa at my local Super Mercado.

Using a spoon full of masa, spread it over the corn husk, leaving an edge on all sides, and put the pork and chili filling down the middle of the masa:

If you put too much filling, the tamale wont roll up right.  You'll need to play with the amount a little until you get it right.  Each corn husk is slightly different then the next.  The key is to be able to roll it up so the ends meet and you fold up the pointy end to seal the deal.

Continue filling the tamales until you run out of meat or run out of room in your steamer.  Place the tamales closed-end down into the pot.

When your pot is ready, cover the tamales with a damp towel.  This helps the steaming process.  Don't worry, your towel wont catch on fire ;)  Make sure your pot has water filled up to its fill line, but not coming up through the holes.  You don't want your tamales getting wet.

Put the lid on the tamales and start the steaming process.  You will want to bring the water to a low boil and steam the tamales for about 2 hours.  Keep an eye on the water level as you don't want the water to evaporate and burn your pot, not to mention your stove.  After about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, you'll want to remove 1 tamale, open it up and let it sit for about 2-3 minutes.  If the masa is soft and mushy like, the tamales are not yet done, and you'll need to cook for another 10 minutes or so.  If the masa is firm, your tamales are ready!

Be careful when opening the lid at any time, as the steam is extremely hot!  You will want to remove the remaining tamales with tongs, to avoid burning.  Place them on a plate and let them cool for about 5 minutes before digging in.  This will help set the masa.

After a few minutes, the tamales are ready to eat!!  ENJOY!