It turns out that making tamales is pretty easy. Using the ever-versatile neck roast, you can make an amazing filler with rich mole and chipotle adobo sauce. Instant masa and corn husks are cheap and can be found at most supermarkets with a latin or international section. Check out the how-to video to learn how to steam a pile of these awesome little bundles.
Ingredients (makes roughly 20 tamales)
Filler
- 1 whole venison neck cut in two
- 3 onions
- Store bought or homemade mole
- Store bought or homemade chipotle based adobo
- Kosher salt, pepper
Masa
- 4 cups masa harina
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 ⅔ cups water
- 1 ⅓ cups lard, shortening, or bacon fat
- Dried corn husks
Directions
Filler
- Cook the neck roast in your crockpot until the meat falls apart (6-8 hours on high).
- While you wait, rinse and soak the corn husks.
- Once finished, shred the meat and reserve the cooking liquid.
- Brown some onions in a pan, and add the meat.
- Mix in a few scoops of mole and adobo sauces, along with the cooking liquid.
- Reduce everything until it is thick and sticky.
Masa
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, and then add the water. Mix the masa.
- Whip some air into your fat before you add it to the masa if you have a mixer, otherwise just fold it in by hand.
- Spread a plum-sized dollop of masa on the corn husk, and place a spoonful of filler in the center.
- Hold the tamale by each side, and roll it up. Fold the bottom over, and tie the bundle with a strip of corn husk. Top the tamale off with another small dollop of masa.
- Steam the tamales for roughly an hour. Let cool slightly, and enjoy.