Pot Roast, Tacos, and Tamales. Oh, my!
Friday, March 18th, 2011
The next day we’ll have Tacos for lunch using the seasoned shredded beef. If I’m really feeling fancy I’ll fry and shape corn tortillas into taco shells for fresh tacos that are just wonderful.
Now that the beef is seasoned and warmed up, and I’m well fed, we’re ready to start making the Tamales.
Soak and rinse the corn husks. Let dry.
Make the Masa Dough. It’s pretty much 1/2 a bag of Masa, the same seasonings, 1/2 cup of oil, and (about 4-6 cups) chicken broth till it’s a cookie dough consistancy.
Spread the Masa Dough over the dried corn husks. You want it pretty thin. I like to keep mine an inch away from the ends and about 2-3 inches across the husk.
Place some shredded beef in the middle.
And roll the dough around it.
Roll the whole thing up tight and tie the ends off. This is usually enough for several dozen Tamales.
I like to follow up with trimming the strings and ends up neatly.
Steam until the Tamales have hardened, and “bounce back” when pressed on, and aren’t mushy anymore. Time depends on how many and how thick you made them. Usually about an hour or longer.
Snip the knots off the ends. Unroll and serve for dinner!
Steam only as many as you will eat at that sitting. I don’t suggest reheating the Tamales as they lose texture after they have been steamed, refrigerated, and microwaved.
The Tamales may be frozen (for months), thawed, and freshly steamed to serve without any loss of flavor or texture. There you have it. One beef roast. Three different meals. And, enough Tamales for an appetizer, side, or meal, for several months to come.