The social network that celebrates Latin food

My Sister's Green Chile and Cheese Tamales

One of my favorite things about these tamales is that my sister made them! She, like myself, have made it our goal to learn Mom's recipes and share them. This was a group effort because she was unfamiliar with working with masa harina. She is fortunate to live in California, where there are an abundance of tortilla factories and fresh masa is easy to come by. We saw each other recently, after 3½ years, in North Carolina while visiting my niece. It was the best and most wonderful 6 days ever! Lots of cooking, eating, and laughing. These will be on my tamale menu this holiday season, for sure!!

Ingredients:

For Masa
2½ cups masa harina
2½ cups warm chicken broth
¾ cup vegetable shortening or pork manteca (lard)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt

For Filling
20 tomatillos
5 to 6 serrano chiles
2 cups roasted diced green chile (mild)
1 medium onion, quartered
1 cup cilantro
Salt to taste
10 to 12 ounce of Oaxaca cheese or Cacique-brand mozzarella, pull apart into 15 to 18 pieces
15 corn husk for tamales
Foil paper, cut into 15 pieces (about 7 inches)

Perfect little tamale bundles ready to be steamed!

Sometimes the roasted green chiles come whole, so you can cut them into strips or dice them, my sister cut them into strips on this day.

Directions:

1. Start by soaking the corn husk in some hot water. Use a heavy bowl or pot to weigh down, set aside. In a large bowl combine the masa harina, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add in the warm chicken broth and work in until dough forms. In another glass bowl, melt the shortening or manteca (lard), then work well into the masa mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

2. In a pot, combine the clean tomatillos, onion, and chile serrano. Fill with enough water to cover, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Drain the water and transfer to the blender, add cilantro and 1 teaspoon of salt, blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the diced green chiles, taste for salt. Set aside.

3. Prepare a large steamer pot with water, set aside. Once everything is in place, shake of excess water from husk. Take one husk (about 5 inches across) and using the back of a spoon spread enough masa to cover the surface (not too thick). Add a strip of cheese and cover cheese with salsa verde mixture. Fold in the sides, then fold down the flap and wrap tightly with foil paper. Stand up in steamer pot with open side up. Reserve extra salsa verde to garnish cooked tamales.

4. Once all tamales are done, bring to a quick boil in steamer, then reduce heat to medium. Steam for 1 hour, checking for water every 20 minutes. After 1 hour, pull out 1 tamale and let cool slightly, if the husk pulls away easily from masa, they are done. If not, steam for another 15 minutes. Let tamales cool slightly before eating. Yields 15 to 18 large tamales. Garnish the tamales with extra salsa verde!

Note: If you do not have a steamer, you can use a regular large pot. You want insert a plate, bowl, or metal steamer upside down into pot. The idea is to keep the tamales up and out of the water on the bottom of pot. Steam as usual. Tamales and salsa are both freezer friendly!

When freezing tamales, let them cool completely and store only 5 or 6 to a medium freezer bag. To reheat, thaw them out and re-steam with a little water in the microwave.

My oldest sister Blanca Cristela "Kity".... I love her and miss her, and was blessed to be able to see her and cook with her once again!

Other recipes by Sonia:

Mexican Red Rice
Buñuelos
Chile Relleno with Serrano Shrimp
Cheesy Chorizo Bread
Flank Steak Tacos
Pumpkin Empanadas
Annatto-Citrus Marinated Chicken
Chile Garlic Shrimp Kabobs
Avocado Fries
Chile Verde Sauce
Chicken Enchilada Soup with Chayotes
Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chip Chimichangas

Save this recipe to your HK profile by clicking on the Favorite button below!

Tags: Chile, Tamales, green chile

Favorite

14 members favorited this and added it to their personal profile

Comment

You need to be a member of Hispanic Kitchen to add comments!

Join Hispanic Kitchen

Comment by Sonia Mendez Garcia on October 29, 2012 at 1:26pm: You are lucky enough to be able to purchase them!! I had to learn, on my own, how to make them since I lived so far away from my family....Little by little, and with lot's of practice, I finally can say...I make some good tamales, lol!!!!

Comment by Donna on October 29, 2012 at 1:16pm: Every year around Christmas this darling, tiny lady walks through the parking lot where I shop and you can barely hear her but she says "tamales!" I am on it every single time I see her! she sells pork, beef and chili cheese that are to die for! I have tried and tried to recreate them but not even close! This recipe sounds like it could just work! However i will always buy hers when they are available! Thank you for the recipe!

Comment by Sonia Mendez Garcia on October 28, 2012 at 8:28pm: Thanks Esther...it was fun cooking with my hermana again....and her tamales are awesome!!