Changes: Tamales Costa Rica

Latest revision as of 15:14, 21 March 2011

Ingredients

2 lbs instant corn masa mix
3 lbs (1.4 kg) pork shoulder roast or beef roast or boneless chicken
¼ lb (110 gr) pork lard (or vegetable shortening)
1 cup (240 ml) corn oil
batch (~5 cups cooked Tico-style rice, see ingredient list and recipe below)
2 ¼ lbs (1 kg) potatoes
8 cloves of garlic
½ lb (225 gr) sweet or hot peppers to taste
1 large onion (optional)
2 ¼ lbs (1 kg) banana leaves (corn husks can be substituted, or if desperate aluminum foil)
coriander leaves (cilantro), salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, achiote (annato)

Tico-style rice

3 – 5 sprigs cilantro (coriander leaf)
1 small or half a medium onion
½ small red or yellow sweet pepper (optional)
3 cups (700 ml) chicken broth or water
2 cups (350 ml) white rice
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil

Directions

If you are adventurous and demand complete authenticity, you must start from raw corn ground for tamales (3 lbs, 1.4 kg maíz cascado, malido crudo).
Soak the flour in water then rinse it well, cook with a tablespoon of achiote, and a little of the garlic and peppers in salted water to just cover until tender then stand overnight.
The next day, knead it into dough.
You should probably have a demonstration first if you're going to try this method.
For first timers we'd suggest the masa version described below.
Chop the meat into large (2", 5 cm) chunks then brown on high heat in the ½ cup lard or vegetable oil.
Add the chopped garlic, peppers, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, 1teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt for the last minute or two of browning, then cover with water and simmer until very tender (2–3 hours).
Remove the meat from the broth and reserve the broth.
When the meat is cool shred it finely.
While the meat is simmering prepare the potatoes and rice.
Peel the potatoes and boil with salt, cilantro, and oregano to taste until soft.
Cool and cut into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes.

Tico-style rice

Chop cilantro, onion, and sweet pepper very fine.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large pan and sauté the dry rice for 2 minutes over medium high flame then add the chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro and sauté another 2 minutes.
Add water or chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer until rice is tender (20–35 minutes).

Masa

Allow the meat broth to cool until it is just warm.
To the dry masa add 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon ground achiote, and mix dry.
Then add the vegetable oil, mix with your hands while adding the warm broth.
It should take about 2½ cups to make a paste the consistency of mashed potatoes.
Mix and add slowly, and if you over shoot on the broth and get it too thin, add a little more masa.

Tamales

Wash the banana leaves then cut them into ~15 inch (38 cm) squares. Spread 2 tablespoons of masa paste in the center, add 1 tablespoon each of potatoes, rice and meat. Fold and cook the tamales in gently boiling water for about one hour.
If you substitute corn husks, you will need to make slightly smaller tamales, pack the pot full and steam them rather than boiling them, because the husks won't hold together while floating around.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Wikifiedrecipe}}
+__NOTOC__
-==Description==
+== Ingredients ==
+* 2 lbs instant corn [[masa]] mix
+* 3 lbs (1.4 kg) [[Pork Shoulder and Blade|pork shoulder]] roast '''or''' [[beef]] roast '''or''' boneless [[chicken]]
+* ¼ lb (110 gr) [[lard|pork lard]] ('''or''' [[shortening|vegetable shortening]])
+* 1 cup (240 ml) [[corn oil]]
+* batch (~5 cups cooked [[#Tico-style rice|Tico-style rice]], see ingredient list and recipe below)
+* 2 ¼ lbs (1 kg) [[potato]]es
+* 8 cloves of [[garlic]]
+* ½ lb (225 gr) [[sweet pepper|sweet]] '''or''' [[chile pepper|hot peppers]] to taste
+* 1 large [[onion]] (optional)
+* 2 ¼ lbs (1 kg) [[banana leaves]] ([[corn]] husks can be substituted, or if desperate aluminum foil)
+* [[cilantro|coriander leaves]] ([[cilantro]]), [[salt]], [[black pepper]], [[cumin]], [[oregano]], achiote (annato)
+=== Tico-style rice ===
-==Ingredients==
+* 3 – 5 sprigs [[cilantro]] ([[cilantro|coriander leaf]])
+* 1 small or half a medium [[onion]]
+* ½ small [[red bell pepper|red]] or [[yellow bell pepper|yellow sweet pepper]] (optional)
+* 3 cups (700 ml) [[chicken broth]] '''or''' [[water]]
+* 2 cups (350 ml) [[white rice]]
+* ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) [[salt]]
+* 1 tablespoon (15 ml) [[vegetable oil]]
+== Directions ==
-*2&nbsp;lbs instant [[corn]] [[masa]] mix
+# If you are adventurous and demand complete authenticity, you must start from raw [[corn]] ground for tamales (3 lbs, 1.4 kg maíz cascado, malido crudo).
-*3&nbsp;lbs (1.4&nbsp;kg) [[Pork]] shoulder roast -or- [[Beef]] roast -or-boneless [[Chicken]]
+# Soak the [[flour]] in [[water]] then rinse it well, cook with a tablespoon of achiote, and a little of the [[garlic]] and [[peppers]] in salted [[water]] to just cover until tender then stand overnight.
-*¼ lb (110 gr) [[pork lard]] (or [[vegetable shortening]])
+# The next day, knead it into dough.
-*1 cup (240 ml) [[corn oil]]
+# You should probably have a demonstration first if you're going to try this method.
-*batch (~5 cups cooked Tico style [[rice]], see ingredient list and recipe below)
+# For first timers we'd suggest the [[masa]] version described below.
-*2 ¼ lbs (1&nbsp;kg) [[potatoes]]
+# Chop the meat into large (2", 5 cm) chunks then brown on high heat in the ½ cup [[lard]] or [[vegetable oil]].
-*8 cloves of [[garlic]]
+# Add the chopped [[garlic]], [[peppers]], [[onion]], 1 teaspoon [[salt]], 1teaspoon [[cumin]], ½ teaspoon [[black pepper]], and 1 teaspoon [[salt]] for the last minute or two of [[browning]], then cover with [[water]] and simmer until very tender (2–3 hours).
-*½ lb (225 gr) sweet or [[hot peppers]] to taste
+# Remove the meat from the broth and reserve the broth.
-*1 large [[Onion]] (optional)
+# When the meat is cool shred it finely.
-*2 ¼ lbs (1&nbsp;kg) [[banana]] leaves ([[corn]] husks can be substituted, or if desperate aluminum foil)
+# While the meat is simmering prepare the [[potato]]es and [[rice]].
-*[[coriander leaves]] ([[cilantro]]), [[salt]], [[black pepper]], [[cumin]], [[oregano]], achiote (annato)
+# Peel the [[potato]]es and boil with [[salt]], [[cilantro]], and [[oregano]] to taste until soft.
+# Cool and cut into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes.
+=== Tico-style rice ===
-==Directions==
+# Chop [[cilantro]], [[onion]], and [[sweet pepper]] very fine.
-#If you are adventurous and demand complete authenticity, you must start from raw [[corn]] ground for tamales (3&nbsp;lbs, 1.4&nbsp;kg Maíz cascado, malido crudo). Soak the [[flour]] in [[water]] then rinse it well, cook with a tablespoon of achiote, and a little of the [[garlic]] and [[peppers]] in salted [[water]] to just cover until tender then stand overnight. The next day, knead it into dough. You should probably have a demonstration first if you're going to try this method. For first timers we'd suggest the [[masa]] version described below.
+# Add 1 tablespoon [[oil]] to a large pan and sauté the dry [[rice]] for 2 minutes over medium high flame then add the chopped [[onion]], [[sweet pepper]] and [[cilantro]] and sauté another 2 minutes.
-#Chop the [[meat]] into large (2", 5&nbsp;cm) chunks then brown on high heat in the ½ cup [[lard]] or [[vegetable oil]]. Add the chopped [[garlic]], [[peppers]], [[Onion]], 1 teaspoon [[salt]], 1teaspoon [[cumin]], ½ teaspoon [[black pepper]], and 1 teaspoon [[salt]] for the last minute or two of [[browning]], then cover with [[water]] and simmer until very tender (2–3 hours). Remove the [[meat]] from the broth and reserve the broth. When the [[meat]] is cool shred it finely. While the [[meat]] is simmering prepare the [[potatoes]] and [[rice]].
-#Peel the [[potatoes]] and boil with [[salt]], [[cilantro]], and [[oregano]] to taste until soft. Cool and cut into ½ inch (1&nbsp;cm) cubes.
+# Add [[water]] or [[chicken broth]], bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer until [[rice]] is tender (20–35 minutes).
-#Cook the [[rice]] Tico style.
+=== Masa ===
-*3-5 sprigs [[cilantro]] ([[coriander leaf]])
+# Allow the meat broth to cool until it is just warm.
-*1 small or half a medium [[Onion]]
+# To the dry [[masa]] add 1 tablespoon [[salt]], 1 teaspoon ground [[cumin]], and 1 teaspoon ground achiote, and mix dry.
-*½ small red or yellow [[sweet pepper]] (optional)
+# Then add the [[vegetable oil]], mix with your hands while adding the warm broth.
-*3 cups (700 ml) [[chicken broth]] or [[water]]
+# It should take about 2½ cups to make a paste the consistency of mashed [[potato]]es.
-*2 cups (350 ml) [[white rice]]
+# Mix and add slowly, and if you over shoot on the broth and get it too thin, add a little more [[masa]].
-*½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) [[salt]]
-*1 Tablespoon (15 ml) [[vegetable oil]]
+=== Tamales ===
-#Chop [[cilantro]], [[Onion]], and [[sweet pepper]] very fine. Add 1 Tablespoon [[oil]] to a large pan and sauté the dry [[rice]] for 2 minutes over medium high flame then add the chopped [[Onion]], [[sweet pepper]] and [[cilantro]] and sauté another 2 minutes. Add [[water]] or [[chicken broth]], bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer until [[rice]] is tender (20–35 minutes).
+# Wash the [[banana]] leaves then cut them into ~15&nbsp;inch (38&nbsp;cm) squares. Spread 2 tablespoons of [[masa]] paste in the center, add 1 tablespoon each of [[potato]]es, [[rice]] and meat. Fold and cook the tamales in gently boiling [[water]] for about one hour.
-#To prepare the [[masa]], allow the [[meat]] broth to cool until it is just warm. To the dry [[masa]] add 1 tablespoon [[salt]], 1 teaspoon ground [[cumin]], and 1 teaspoon ground achiote, and mix dry. Then add the [[vegetable oil]], mix with your hands while adding the warm broth. It should take about 2 1/2 cups to make a paste the consistency of mashed [[potatoes]]. #Mix and add slowly, and if you over shoot on the broth and get it too thin, add a little more [[masa]].
+# If you substitute [[corn]] husks, you will need to make slightly smaller tamales, pack the pot full and steam them rather than boiling them, because the husks won't hold together while floating around.
-#Make tamales
-#Wash the [[banana]] leaves then cut them into ~15&nbsp;inch (38&nbsp;cm) squares. Spread 2 tablespoons of [[masa]] paste in the center, add 1 tablespoon each of [[potatoes]], [[rice]] and [[meat]]. Fold and cook the tamales in gently boiling [[water]] for about one hour.
-#If you substitute [[corn]] husks, you will need to make slightly smaller tamales, pack the pot full and steam them rather than boiling them, because the husks won't hold together while floating around.
-[[Category:Costa Rican Recipes]]
-[[Category:Costa Rican Appetizers]]
-[[Category:Banana Recipes]]
-[[Category:Oregano Recipes]]
-[[Category:Black cumin Recipes]]
-[[Category:Shortening Recipes]]
-[[Category:Chicken broth Recipes]]
-[[Category:White rice Recipes]]
-[[Category:Lard Recipes]]
-[[Category:Corn oil Recipes]]
-[[Category:Browning Recipes]]
-[[Category:Chicken Recipes]]
-[[Category:Rice Recipes]]
 [[Category:Beef Recipes]]
-[[Category:Pork Recipes]]
+[[Category:Chicken Recipes]]
-[[Category:Masa Recipes]]
+[[Category:Chicken stock and broth Recipes]]
+[[Category:Chile pepper Recipes]]
 [[Category:Corn Recipes]]
-[[Category:Chile Recipes]]
+[[Category:Costa Rican Appetizers]]
+[[Category:Masa Recipes]]
+[[Category:Pork shoulder and blade Recipes]]
 [[Category:Potato Recipes]]
-[[Category:Meat Recipes]]
 [[Category:Recipes that need photos]]