Tamales

Pork tamales are pretty easy to make, but there is a fair amount of labor involved, and it's best to spread the process over two days.

Day 1

Cook the meat

3 lb Pork roast
48 oz chicken broth
2 tsp New Mexico Chile Powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves chopped garlic

cook in crock pot on Low for 12 hrs.

None of the ingredients or amounts listed are critical. The main point is to cook some meat until it is soft. The crock pot is an easy method that works. The result is a hunk of meat that falls apart easily and can be shredded by gentle prodding with a fork. You can throw in some dried chiles as well (as described below, I usually throw in a half dozen).

Day 2

Make the chili, masa, and finish the Tamales.

Red Chile with Pork

9 New Mexico Chile Pods
9 Anaheim Chile Pods
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cups broth (from roast)

If the roast was cooked the day before, the roast and broth should be reheated. You'll use the broth for the chile and the masa, and the meat will be shredded and added to the chile. For me, this means I take the crock pot out of the fridge and turn it back on for an hour or so.

I use the dried chile pods available from Mexican markets. Snap or cut off the stems from the pods, and empty out the seeds. Cut or tear the chiles into pieces (1/2 to 1 inch) and place into a bowl big enough so they can soak in hot broth. Place a sauce pan large enough to hold the chile and the meat on medium heat. Dump the chile pieces into the pan and use the pan to roast them for a few minutes with some shaking action. Don't let them get too hot or start smoking. The idea is to expose them to heat to bring out and develop flavor without burning them or turning them bitter.

Place them back into the bowl, and add 1 1/2 cups of hot broth from the meat. Let them soak for 20-30 minutes. Place the contents in a blender and make a puree, adjusting the consistency with broth. The mixture should form a beautiful deep red sauce.