Tamales In Banana Leaves Oaxaca Style Recipes

BANANA LEAF TAMALES

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients for the chicken in a pot and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam that rises to the top. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• When the chicken is done transfer it to a large bowl to cool. Strain and reserve the broth. Shred the chicken.
• Put the chilies and tomatoes in a pot and cover with water. Boil for 10 minutes. Then transfer them to a blender and let cool for about 10 minutes. Then add the onion, garlic, whole cloves, oregano, black pepper, cumin, chicken bouillon and 3 cups of the reserved chicken broth. Blend until you have a smooth salsa.
• Heat up tablespoon of lard in a pot over medium heat. Once hot strain in the salsa and let cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Add the shredded chicken to the pot. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Put the masa in a large bowl and break up into small pieces.
• Slowly add in 1 liter of the reserved chicken broth while mixing with your hands.
• Continue to mix with your hands breaking up the pieces until you get a smooth consistency.
• Put the 2 cups of lard in a pot over medium heat. Once hot add the masa and stir. Add in the hoja santa crushing it with your hands.
• Stir the masa continuously for about 10 minutes. The masa will get thicker. Slowly add another liter and a half of chicken broth while continuing to stir for about 15 minutes. Taste the masa for salt and add to your liking. After 15 minutes the masa will have thickened.
• Clean the defrosted banana leaves with a paper towel and cut them into 11 inch wide rectangles.
• Put 3 tbs of masa on the center of the banana leaf. Then add 2 tbs of the chicken filling on top.
• Fold one half of the banana leaf over the masa.
• Then fold the other side.
• Then fold in both ends to close the tamale.
• Repeat the above steps until the masa and filling is gone.
• Fill a steamer pot with water and add the tamales to the pot.
• Bring the water in the pot to a boil then cover the steamer and reduce heat to medium low.
• Cook for 2 hours.
• After the tamales have finished steaming let them rest for about 10 minutes to firm up.
• Serve and enjoy.
• Refrigerate any leftovers after they have cooled down.

TAMALES IN BANANA LEAVES, OAXACA STYLE

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the mole sauce, tamale dough, and shredded chicken. Keep them at room temperature. Prepare banana leaves. 2. Lay 1 banana leaf square on a flat surface. Spread about 2 tablespoons dough in the center of the leaf. Top with 2 tablespoons chicken and 2 tablespoons sauce. Fold the sides of the leaf, overlapping them, to cover the filling. Fold the top and bottom toward the center to form a square package. Tie with strips of banana leaf. Repeat until all tamales are filled and wrapped. 3. Put about 3 inches of water into a large steamer and drop in a coin. (A rattling coin means there's still water in the pot.) Line a steamer with extra pieces of banana leaf. Stack the tamales, seam side down, on the steamer rack. Cover with a banana leaf or aluminum foil. Tuck a kitchen towel on top and put on the lid. Bring to a boil and steam tamales about 1 hour or until the dough comes easily away from the banana leaf when you test 1 packet. Retie, and serve packets hot. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TAMALES WRAPPED IN BANANA LEAVES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cover pork with water and add 1 garlic clove, 1 onion quarter and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the pork is tender, 45-60 minutes. Shred the meat, reserving the stock.
• Heat a comal or iron skillet over medium heat. Place the chiles in the hot skillet, using a spatula to press them against it slightly. Turn them so that both sides begin to change color. This will take 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Place the chiles in a bowl, cover with warm water and soak for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the tomatoes on a comal or griddle and grill until the skin is charred. Alternatively, put the tomatoes in a baking pan lined with foil and broil until skin is blackened, turning once. Peel and purée in a blender.
• Roast the other onion quarter, 2 cloves garlic, marjoram, peppercorns and cloves. Drain the chiles and transfer to a blender. Add the roasted onion, garlic, marjoram, peppercorns, cloves and 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) of reserved stock, then purée until smooth.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the lard in a skillet and sauté the chile purée in it for 5 minutes. Add the puréed tomatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes; add the pork, stir and cover. Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes.
• Hold the banana leaf directly over the heat for 5 seconds. Cut into 5-in (13 cm) squares.
• Knead the masa with 2 tablespoons (1 oz/30 g) of the lard for 5 minutes.
• Use the remaining lard to grease one side of the banana leaf. Place 3-in (7.5-cm) square of masa on the lard and top with 1 1/2 tablespoons of pork mixture.
• Fold the opposite edges of the leaf toward the center, then do the same with the same outer edges to form a closed rectangle. To secure tie the tamales with narrow strips of leaf.
• Place 2 cups (16 oz fl oz/500 ml) water in a pressure cooker, then cover the steamer basket with a layer of flattened banana leaves. Add the tamales to the steamer basket and cover with another layer of leaves. Place the lid on the pan and cook 20 minutes. If you use an ordinary steamer, follow the same procedure but use 4 cups (32 fl oz/1 L) water and cook for 1 hour.
• Serve warm, with frijoles refritos (refried beans).

TAMALES DE FRIJOL (OAXACAN BLACK BEAN TAMALES)

Steps:

• Make the filling: In a large bowl, cover the beans with cold water by about 2 inches and soak overnight. The next day, drain the beans and transfer to a large pot. Add the onion, garlic, avocado leaves, salt and enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, skimming any foam, until the beans are very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Cool for 15 minutes, then set a large strainer over a large bowl and drain. Transfer the beans, onion, garlic and 1 cup cooking liquid to a blender or food processor. Blend, adding more liquid as needed to get the machine going and to form an almost smooth puree. The consistency should be soft and spreadable, but not soupy. Season to taste with salt and cool to room temperature. Discard the avocado leaves and any remaining cooking liquid.
• While the beans cool, prepare for tamales: Heat the oil in a small saucepan until just smoking, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely. If you don't have plastic rounds for a tortilla press, cut off the edges of a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag to form two 10-inch squares of plastic. If you don't have a press, get out a heavy flat-bottomed large skillet.
• Heat a banana leaf on a griddle or large flat pan over high heat, turning and pressing flat until pliable and shiny, 15 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a work surface. Repeat with the remaining leaves, stacking them to keep them all warm and soft.
• In a large bowl, tear the masa into smaller chunks then add the salt and gradually add the cooled oil while kneading in. Continue kneading with both hands by punching down the mixture, then squeezing it between your fingers before gathering it into a mass and pushing it back down. Knead until the oil isn't visible and the masa is very smooth and soft.
• Assemble the tamales: Roll a 1/3 cup masa into a ball and flatten between the plastic by hand into a 1-inch-thick disk. Press in a tortilla press or against the counter using a skillet to form a tortilla-thin round (scant 1/8-inch-thick). Peel off the top plastic, keeping the masa on the bottom piece. Spread the bean filling evenly over the masa's entire surface in a thin layer (about 3 tablespoons). Using the plastic, lift the left edge and fold an inch in towards the center, then peel back the plastic and flatten it against the counter. Repeat on the right. Spread filling over the folded edges (about 1 teaspoon per side). Using the plastic, lift up the bottom third and fold it over the center as if folding a letter. Cover with filling (about 1 teaspoon), then use the plastic to lift the top and fold it over to enclose. Center an avocado leaf on top. Place the tamal upside down on a soft banana leaf and place another avocado leaf on top. Trim the leaves to fit if needed. Wrap in the banana leaf, folding in one long side, then the bottom, then the other side and rolling to enclose the end. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Fit a steamer or colander into a large, deep pot and add enough water to almost reach its bottom. Stack the tamales flat in the steamer, leaving an empty space in the center. Cover with the reserved remaining banana leaves and then the lid. Bring the water to a boil and steam, replenishing with hot water as needed, until the masa is cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours. To test, unwrap a tamal and cut through the center to make sure there's no raw masa.
• Keep warm in the steamer off the heat until ready to serve. After unwrapping, the avocado leaves should be discarded before eating. The tamales can be cooled completely, then wrapped individually and frozen for up to 6 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then resteam in the banana leaves or unwrap and pan-fry in oil until hot and crisp.