The Ultimate Rice Cooker (68 page)
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: 30 large tamales
FILLING
3½ pounds boneless pork butt, trimmed of most of the fat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into quarters
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
CHILE SAUCE
15 dried California or New Mexico chiles
About 1½ cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
FOR MAKING THE TAMALES
2 packages wide dried corn husks
1½ cups pitted black olives
DOUGH
3 cups fresh leaf lard (1½ pounds), or a combination of 1½ cups vegetable shortening and 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup fruity olive oil
4 pounds freshly ground masa (not
masa
preparada
)
2 tablespoons fine sea salt
¾ cup beef stock
2 teaspoons baking powder
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2.
Make the filling:
Pat the pork butt dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and brown the pork on all sides. Cover with cold water and add the onion, garlic, oregano, and pepper. Put on the lid and bake for 2 hours.
3. Let the pork butt cool for 1 hour in its broth. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid, and cut the meat into cubes. Set aside in the refrigerator until needed.
4.
Make the chile sauce:
Using kitchen shears, cut off the chile stems and cut the chiles in half. Shake out and discard the seeds. Fill the rice cooker bowl with 2 to 5 inches of water, close the cover, and set for the regular cycle. Place the chiles in the steamer basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer basket in the rice cooker and close the cover. Steam the chiles for 30 minutes to soften them.
5. Place the warm chiles in a blender or food processor and puree in batches, adding about ½ cup water to each batch to liquify. Set aside ¼ cup of the chile puree in a separate container and refrigerate, covered, for use in the tamale dough later.
6. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sprinkle in the flour. Brown the flour, stirring constantly, to a light golden roux, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the chile puree, garlic, salt, vinegar, oregano, and cumin seeds. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with more water or a bit of reserved cooking liquid from the meat. Simmer for 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the meat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature, then transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until tamale-making time.
7. The next day, remove the corn husks from the package and soak them in a sink filled with hot water for 30 minutes. Choose the widest and longest husks and rinse off any corn silk. Drain the husks on several layers of paper towels.
8.
Make the dough:
In a heavy-duty electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the lard until it looks like fluffy butter, dribbling in the olive oil when it is whipped. Reduce to low speed and add dollops of masa so that it is slowly incorporated. Stir the salt into the stock and drizzle it into the dough. Increase the speed to medium and whip for 3 minutes. To test if the dough is made properly, drop ½ teaspoon of batter into a glass of cold water; if it floats to the top of the water, it is nice and light. If it sinks, continue to whip the dough for another few minutes. Add the reserved ¼ cup chile puree, which will turn the dough rose-pink. On low speed, sprinkle in the baking powder.
9.
Assemble the tamales:
To form the tamales, spread about ½ cup of the tamale dough inside the curve of a husk, leaving a ½-inch border along one side. Place a spoonful of the filling on top and 2 olives in the center. Fold the sides of the dough into the center. Spread 2 tablespoons more of the dough on a second husk and wrap it around the filled tamale. Tie off both ends with a piece of kitchen twine about 6 inches long. Continue to fill and wrap individual tamales. You will make about 30.
10. Fill the rice cooker bowl with 2 to 5 inches of water, close the cover, and set for the regular cycle. Arrange the tamales in the steamer baskets, 15 in each one, laying them side by side (not standing up), touching each other (don’t worry if you fit fewer). Cover the tamales with a layer of 4 or 5 corn husks. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer baskets in the cooker and close the cover. Set a timer for 1 hour and steam the tamales. Check for doneness. Using tongs, remove one tamale and pull back the husk. If it pulls away easily, it is done; if it sticks, continue to steam in 10-minute intervals.
11. When fully cooked, transfer the tamales to a serving platter with a pair of tongs. Allow the tamales to rest for 15 minutes before serving. See steps 7 and 8 of The Tamale Schedule section for storage and reheating instructions.
While your mother might have bragged about her meat loaf, Mexican-American grandmothers do the same about their tamales. Inspired by Jacquie McMahan, this is a vegetarian tamale. The dough is made with masa harina, the dried hominy corn flour that is usually associated with tortilla making, although tamales take a coarser grind. It is also made with oil in lieu of the lard. They are filled with zucchini, green chiles, Monterey Jack cheese, and corn. Serve hot with some
crema doble
(Mexican sour cream) or sour cream and salsa.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: 24 tamales
FILLING
1 cup roasted and peeled green Anaheim or New Mexico chiles or two 7-ounce cans whole roasted green chiles
¼ cup water
3 pounds zucchini, grated
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt
1 cup fresh or frozen (and thawed) baby corn kernels
DOUGH
5 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
24 wide dried corn husks
6 cups masa harina, such as Quaker
1 ⅔ cups canola or vegetable oil
5½ cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1.
Make the filling:
Place the chiles and water in a medium-size saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat until the chiles have darkened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool.
Place the chiles, zucchini, garlic, and salt to taste in a large bowl. Turn into a mesh sieve and press on the vegetables to extract any liquid. Add the corn and set aside.
2. Remove the corn husks from the package and soak in a sink filled with hot water for 30 minutes. Choose the widest and longest husks and rinse off any corn silk. Drain the husks on several layers of paper towels.
3.
Make the dough:
In a heavy-duty electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the masa harina, oil, water, and salt. It will have the consistency of a moist cookie dough. Add more water, by the tablespoonful, if necessary, to adjust the texture.
4.
Assemble the tamales:
To form the tamales, spread about 2 tablespoons of the tamale dough inside the curve of a husk, allowing for a ½-inch border along one side. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling on top of the dough and sprinkle with a bit of the shredded cheese. Fold the sides of the dough into the center. Tie off both ends with a piece of kitchen twine or some husk. Continue to fill and wrap individual tamales. You will make about 24.
5. Fill the rice cooker bowl with 2 to 5 inches of water, close the cover, and set for the regular cycle. Arrange the tamales in the steamer baskets (put 12 in each level), laying them side by side (not standing up), touching each other. Cover the tamales with a layer of 4 or 5 corn husks. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer baskets in the cooker and close the cover. Set a timer for 1 hour and steam the tamales. Check for doneness. Using tongs, remove one tamale and pull back the husk. If it pulls away easily, it is done; if it sticks, continue to steam in 10-minute intervals.
6. When fully cooked, transfer the tamales to a serving platter with a pair of tongs. Allow the tamales to rest for 15 minutes before serving. See steps 7 and 8 of The
Tamale Schedule
for storage and reheating instructions.
Inspired by Southwest chef and food writer Stephen Pyles, here is a little individual tart mold with a removable bottom, like the ones used for sweet French pastry, lined with tamale dough and filled like a quiche. The tarts are steamed in the rice cooker steamer baskets and are oh so very good. Since only three molds fit in the basket at once, you will be steaming in two or three batches, depending on whether you have one or two steamer baskets, staggering the cooking time. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a dab or
crema doble
(Mexican sour cream) or sour cream and salsa.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: 8 tamale tarts
FILLING
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium-size onion, chopped
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced; 4 medium-size zucchini; one 12-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry; or 1 basket cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup black olive halves, drained
DOUGH
2 cups masa harina, such as Quaker
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
⅓ cup fresh leaf lard, or a combination (half and half) of vegetable shortening and softened unsalted butter
½ cup canola or vegetable oil
1½ tablespoons pureed canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (seeds removed, if less heat is desired)
1¼ cups hot chicken stock, plus more if needed
CUSTARD
2½ cups half-and-half
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Dash of garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheese, such as Swiss, cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack
1.
Make the filling:
In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms or zucchini and cook, stirring, until tender, or add the spinach or tomatoes and cook until just warm. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
2.
Make the dough:
In a heavy-duty electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the masa harina, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, cut in the lard; the mixture will be crumbly like a pie dough. Then drizzle in the oil. When that is incorporated, add the pureed chiles and chicken stock in a slow stream. You want a soft, but not sticky or liquid, dough. You want to be able to pat this dough into the pans. Beat for 2 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, adjusting the texture with a tablespoon or two more of the chicken stock, if needed.
3. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Press evenly into the bottoms and sides of eight 4-inch tin tartlet pans with removable bottoms and fluted edges. The dough will be between 1.8 and ¼ inch thick.
4. Fill the rice cooker bowl with 2 to 5 inches of water, close the cover, and set for the regular cycle.
5. Divide the filling among the lined tartlet pans; sprinkle with the olives.