Mexican: Tamales 03 by Recipe Cottage

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	Tamales 03

		Tamales Masa Dough Red Chile Puree 1 package (8 oz) dried corn husks) Carnitas Prepare Masa Dough; set aside. Prepare Red Chile Puree; cover and refrigerate. Sort through dried corn hustks, discarding silk and other extraneous material. In a large roasting pan, cover husks with warm water and let stand until pliable (at least 20 minutes) or until next day. Drain and pat dry when ready to use. Prepare Carnitas. For each tamale, select a wide, pliable husk. Lay flat, with tip pointing away from you. Evenly spread 2 tablespoon of the masa down center of husk, forming a rectangle taht's flush with one side of husk, an inch from opposite side, an inch from bottom, and 3 inches from tip. If husk is not wide enough, use some of the masa to paste another husk onto back of first. Spoon 2 rounded tablespoons of the filling in the center of masa. To enclose filling, fold husk so masa edges meet, wrapping plain part of husk around outside of tamale. Fold bottom end of husk over body of tamale, then fold in tip. Place seam side down on a tray; cover with damp paper towel until all are prepared. To steam, place a rack in a 12 to 14 quart pan and pour in boiling water to a depth of an inch. (Water should not reach tamales; if rack is too low, rest it on 2 small cans.) Stack tamales in steamer, arranging loosely so steam can circulate. Bring to a boil; cover and adjust heat to keep water at a steady boil. Continue to cook, adding boiling water to maintain water level, until masa is firm and does not stick to husk; open one from center of pan to test (about 1 hour). Serve tamales hot or keep warm in steamer over low heat for up to an hour. To serve, peel off husks and offer salsa to spoon on individual servings. Makes about 40 to 50 tamales. Masa Dough Whip 1 1/3 cups lard, butter, margarine, or solid shortening until fluffy. Blend in 4 cups masa flour, 2 teaspoons salt and 2 2/3 cups warm water, or broth. Mix until dough holds together well. Red Chile Puree About 9 (3 oz) dried New Mex chiles 2 cups water 1 small onion, cut into chunks 2 cloves garlic Arrange the chiles on a large baking sheet and cook in a 300F oven until chiles smell toasted (about 4 minutes). Let cool slightly. Discard stems and seeds. In a saucepan, combine chiles, water, onion and garlic; cover and simmer until chiles are very soft (about 30 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly. In a blender of food processor, whirl chile mixture until smooth; rub puree through a fine strainer and discard residue. Makes about 2 cups. Carnitas 4 to 5 pound pork shoulder or butt 4 cups chicken broth 1 large onion, quartered 1 tablespoon each coriander seeds and cumin seeds 1 teaspoon dry oregano leaves 3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce 2 bay leaves Place pork, broth, onion, coriander, cumin, oregano, chiles and bay leaves in a saucepan. Add enough water to just cover meat. Cover pan and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until meat pulls apart easily with fork (about 3 to 4 hours). Lift out meat. Discard fat. Place pork in a large roasting pan and bake, uncovered, in a 450F oven until sizzling and browned (about 20 minutes). Pull off chunks of meat and shred with 2 forks, discarding fat.