Chicken-Stuffed Mexican Tamales

About 15 years before culinary school, when I was studying economics at Davidson College, I met a lifelong friend living on my freshman year hall named Marshall, who hailed from Houston TX.  Houston has an amazing and culturally diverse food scene, which is worth exploring.  Marshall also has a wonderful mother who would mail him these giant care packages of 100 frozen tamales to campus in North Carolina, from a specialty shop in Houston that makes these tamales.

We would assemble a small group of friends and reheat the tamales, eating them steaming-hot, right from the corn husks, served with a little bit of hot sauce or salsa or sour cream, or whatever our college mini-fridge carried at the time.  For me, at that moment, tamales became a lifelong food memory with a deep corn flavor that I continue to chase whenever I find the opportunity.

In this recipe, we will focus on Chicken-Stuffed Tamales, made with pork lard for a more authentic flavor. You can make these with whatever fillings you want, or simply use the masa filling by itself.

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Chicken-Stuffed Mexican Tamales

About 15 years before culinary school, when I wasstudying economics at Davidson College, I met a lifelong friend living on myfreshman year hall named Marshall, who hailed from Houston TX.  Houston has an amazing and culturally diversefood scene, which is worth exploring.  Marshallalso has a wonderful mother who would mail him these giant care packages of 100frozen tamales to campus in North Carolina, from a specialty shop in Houstonthat makes these tamales. 

 We would assemble a small group of friends and reheatthe tamales, eating them steaming-hot, right from the corn husks, served with alittle bit of hot sauce or salsa or sour cream, or whatever our college mini-fridgecarried at the time.  For me, at thatmoment, tamales became a lifelong food memory with a deep corn flavor that Icontinue to chase whenever I find the opportunity. 

 In this recipe, wewill focus on Chicken-Stuffed Tamales, made with pork lard for a more authenticflavor. You can make these with whatever fillings you want, or simply use themasa filling by itself.

Ingredients

For the Filling:

• 32 oz 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large white onion (peeled and quartered)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 jar (16 oz of salsa verde)

For the Masa:

• 4 cups masa harina (corn flour)
• 1.5 cups pork lard
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 3 cups chicken broth (from cooking the chicken)

For the Assembly and AdditionalIngredients:

• Corn husks (about 40, soaked in hot water until soft)
• ½ cup sour cream (for serving)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro (for serving)
• 1 lime (cut into sections, for serving)
• Your favorite hot sauce (for serving)

Instructions 

• Soak the tamale corn husks in a large bowl with hot water.
• Place the chicken thighs, onion, garlic, bay leaves, Kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper in a large pot.
• Cover with water, and bring the contents to a boil.
• Lower the heat to a simmer, and let the chicken cook for about 90 minutes, or until the chicken is nearly falling apart.
• Remove the chicken from the pot, reserving the broth.
• Allow the chicken to cool before shredding it with two forks.
• Mix the shredded chicken with the salsa verde, and set aside.
• For the masa, combine the masa harina, pork lard, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
• Gradually add in the warm reserved chicken broth, kneading until the dough is soft and holds together.
• To assemble the tamales, spread a spoonful of masa onto a soaked corn husk, leaving a border around the edges.
• *The masa should be about ¼” thick once it has been spread inside the corn husk.
• Spoon a scoop of the chicken filling into the center of the masa.
• *Do your best to avoid overfilling the tamales.
• Fold the sides of the corn husk in towards the center, then fold the bottom of the husk up, creating a small package.
• Repeat with the remaining husks, masa, and filling.
• To cook the tamales, stand them up in a steamer pot over boiling water.
• Cover with a damp cloth and steam for about 45-60 minutes, or until the masa is firm and cooked, and the tamales come away easily from the husks.
• Allow the tamales to rest for 15 minutes before unwrapping and serving them hot.

Notes

When assembling the tamales, ensure the smooth side of the corn husk is the one that you spread the masa onto. The masa should not be too thick or it won't cook properly, so aim for a thickness of about ¼-inch.

Tamales can be frozen in their corn husks in large freezer-safe Ziplock bags, and later reheated in the steamer or microwave for future enjoyment.