For several years now my followers have been requesting a chicken tamal in salsa verde from me. Why did I wait so long? I don’t know! Lol! I prepare salsa verde at least every ten days and use it in several recipes. Enjoy chicken dishes often, but not always in salsa verde. The pairing is quite delicious.
This is going to be a no-frills post! Chicken tamales are in high demand right now, lol!
As much as I enjoy preparing my own masa using masa harina, if you have the opportunity to purchase masa quebrada (fresh corn masa without preparation), I encourage it! The results are the most delicious chicken tamal in salsa verde! I take advantage of it when the local Mexican market offers this masa in the fall.
Part one! Chicken Tamal!
I had to break down the recipe into two videos otherwise it would be too much to try and squeeze into one 90 second video! Remember that you can print the recipe at the end. The videos are just to provide you with a quick visual. In part one, I show you a simple recipe of salsa verde, roasted poblano peppers and a shortcut using rotisserie chicken. I save all the carcass, bones and skins and cooked up some tasty broth. Add some aromatics like onion, garlic, then carrot, celery and bay leaves for a more flavorful broth in the end.
Part Two! Chicken Tamal!
In part two, I show you how easy it is to prepare masa for tamales using the fresh ground masa that is not prepared. What do I mean, not prepared? For this masa, you have to mix in your own lard, baking powder, salt and broth. For every 5 lbs. of fresh ground masa, I add 1 lb. of lard, 2 tsps. baking powder, salt, to taste and about 1 3/4 cups of broth. If you want to add red chile sauce, that could count as your broth measurement or a combination of the two. For this tamal recipe I only used half of the masa once I prepared it all. The five pounds all together, once prepared is good for up to 60 tamales, depending on how big you make them
Take the time to really think about the salsa!
Boiling all of the salsa ingredients is easy and still tasty but broiling or grilling adds a touch of smokiness in the end and gives the chicken filling more flavor. Adding 1 tomato to my salsa verde helps bring down the acidity level of the tomatillos. It’s optional, of course.
Don’t underestimate the broiler in your oven. These ingredients literally took about 8 minutes total on high, turning as needed.
There are at least 101 ways to prepare salsa verde. Use your favorite recipe.
This particular masa without preparation can be found in most Mexican markets or tortilla factories during the fall and holiday season.
Why Natural Rendered Pork Lard?
Natural rendered pork lard is natural. The white hydrogenated block or tub of lard is not the healthiest option. Neither is the vegetable shortening. If you simply don’t consume pork for personal reasons or don’t like the flavor it adds, my suggestion would be to use either avocado oil or Irish whole butter that is unsalted. The Irish butter does not contain water and holds up better in recipes. I have switched over to it several months back for all my baking and sometimes even in my flour tortilla recipes. I know it’s not traditional, but it’s an option.
Five lbs. too much? I prepare the whole five-pound bag. Then I divide it in half and freeze half of it for another time. It will last for several months in the freezer as long as it is stored airtight.
One thing I won’t do is skimp on the filling in my tamales!
On most days, I spread the masa all across the bottom of the softened corn husk just the way I learned from my parents. On other days, I spread it in the center if the hojas are big and I don’t feel like tearing them down. It is really up to you to find what works best for you. I like a thin layer of masa and a generous portion of filling. Some of my friends prefer more masa and less filling, lol! It’s all good!
In the end, I decided to share with you the photos of the tamal as they came out of the steamer pot. A styled photo is nice, but sometimes you can’t get the real look of the tamal as you are about to enjoy it! Happy Tamal Making Season to You All!
Chicken Tamal in Salsa Verde
Equipment
- 1 Large Steamer Pot
- 40 corn husk, previously softened in HOT water for 1-2 hours ahead
Ingredients
Salsa Verde Chicken
- 10 tomatillos, 436 gr
- 1 Roma tomato, 109 gr
- 3 poblano peppers, 331 gr
- 4 large serrano peppers. 78 gr
- 4-6 cloves of garlic, 18 gr,
- 1 c Chicken broth or water
- handful of cilantro
- Salt, to taste
- Avocado oil
- 1 medium white onion, 268 gr, sliced into strips
- 2 lbs chicken, shredded and previously cooked
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsps oregano
Masa For Tamales
- 3/4-1 c natural rendered pork lard
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Salt, to taste
- 2 1/2 lbs fresh ground corn masa
- 3/4-1 c broth or water I used chicken broth
Instructions
Salsa Verde Chicken
- Preheat broiler on high for 5 minutes. Wash and dry the tomatillos, poblanos, tomato and serrano peppers. Rub a light coat of oil all over them and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with foil paper under the tomatillos and tomato. Broil for 8-10 minutes, turning as needed. Place the poblanos in a plastic bag, to steam for 10 minutes.
- When ready, peel the skins from the poblanos and clean out the seeds and stems. Slice two of them into strips and set aside. To the blender add the remaining poblano, tomatillos, tomato, serranos, cilantro, 1 cup of broth, 2 cloves of garlic and salt, to taste. Blend on medium until mostly smooth. Set the salsa aside.
- In a deep skillet, preheat 3 tablespoons of avocado oil to medium heat. Mince the remaining garlic. Sauté the onions for 6-7 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for one more minute. Add the chicken and pour in the salsa. Stir well to combine. When it comes up to a simmer, taste it for salt. Mix in the cumin, pepper and crushed oregano. Cook for 15 minutes or until it reduces slightly. Let the filling cool completely before adding it to prepared corn husk. I suggest preparing the filling a day ahead and chilling it overnight.
Masa For Tamales
- Soak the corn husks in very hot water a few hours ahead of time.
- In the bowl of the stand mixer whip the lard for a few minutes. Mix in the baking powder and start with 1 tsp of salt. Break the fresh ground masa into smaller chunks and gradually mix them in. Mix on low.
- Once you have all the masa mixed in, switch the speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes. Gradually mix in the room temperature broth. Turn the speed up and mix for 5 minutes. Taste for salt along the way and adjust to your liking. Mix for another 5-6 minutes or until the masa looks light and fluffy. If it looks to thick, you can mix in a little more broth at a time. Cover masa and reserve until ready to use.
- When ready to assemble, drain all the water from the corn husk, shaking excess water out. Pick out the best 30 corn husk so most are uniform in size. If they are too wide, I tear them, so they are only about 5-6 inches wide. Using the back of a spoon, spread 1/4 c, more or less on the center part of the corn husk. You can leave a rim at the bottom and the sides, or you can go all the way across.
- Add about 1/4 c of filling down the center of spread masa. Fold in the sides and then fold down the flap. Place them open side up or lay them down in an even layer until you are done filling.
- In the meantime, you can prepare the large steamer pot by filling it with 2 liters of water at the bottom. You can add a few coins to the bottom. The coins will make a rattling sound when the water is boiling. If they stop rattling, then it means you ran out of water. You don't want that. Add the steamer insert. Take the remaining corn husk and tear them into strips. Place them in an even layer over the steamer insert.
- Arrange the tamales, open side up. If using the deli sheets to overwrap, then you don't need to add more husks to cover the tamales. Turn the heat to high and cover the pot. After about 5-6 minutes, the water should begin to boil, and you will see some steam. Once it begins to steam rapidly, reduce the heat to medium. Set your timer for 1 hour, 10 minutes. After that time, carefully remove one tamal onto a plate. Let it cool for 3-4 minutes. If the husk peels away easily, then the tamales are ready. If not, steam for another 15-20 minutes.
Notes
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