Rajas con queso translates to strips with cheese. In this case the strips are green chile. The green chile can be of roasted poblano, Anaheim, jalapeños both roasted, fresh and pickled. I will share images of a few variations as you scroll down. The appearance of the masa will vary because they are from different preparations. Some prepared from corn flour(maseca) and some prepared with fresh ground masa.
One of the many random videos I have recorded when preparing tamales. The process and quantities may vary from the written recipe.
What’s The Best Green Chile For Tamales?
Good question, but that is really up to you! The first green chile tamales I ever tasted were prepared by my sister Chris. Her green chile of choice was roasted Anaheim pepper strips. When it was difficult to find Anaheim peppers on the east coast, I went to the next pepper I could find, poblano. To keep them somewhat mild, I never added any extra jalapeño back then. These days, I make it easy and use a combination of fresh jalapeños and pickled jalapeños with queso Oaxaca and queso panela or fresco.
Salsa Or No Salsa?
My Favorite Cheese For Tamales?
I’ve lost count on how many times I have prepared rajas con queso tamales. I have used every kind of cheese too! Lol! My favorites for this recipe are queso Oaxaca. When I remember to purchase it, I like combining some queso panela, fresco and sometimes pepper jack in there too. That’s the beauty of cooking at home, we can use our favorite ingredients.
Prepared Corn Masa?
Living on the east coast in a small town, there were not many traditional Mexican ingredients readily available to me. I was thrilled when they finally started selling masa harina corn flour. Before that, I only ate tamales when I would visit my parents in Texas. I am happy with the masa harina version, but if I can get my hands on some fresh ground masa quebrada, I like to bring it home and prepare it myself.
It’s best to freeze tamales uncooked. Especially when using masa harina to prepare the masa.
The masa harina version of tamales tends to dry out if frozen after steaming them. I learned that the hard way! I typically will let the tamales defrost for one hour before steaming them. Cooking times may vary because they were frozen. Check cheese tamales after 1 hour, 10 minutes.
Tamal De Rajas Con Queso(Green Chile and Cheese Tamal)
Ingredients
Ingredients
For Masa
- 2½ cups masa harina, corn flour for tamales
- 3 cups chicken broth at room temperature
- ¾ cup natural rendered pork lard or vegetable shortening at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For Filling
- 2 large poblanos roasted and sliced into 18 strips
- 6 large Fresh, roasted or pickled jalapeños sliced into 36 strips(2 per tamal)
- 10 ounces Queso Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese pull apart or sliced into 18 pieces
- 10 ounces queso panela sliced into 18 strips
- 28 corn husk
You Also Need
- Salsa Verde see recipe link below
- 18 waxed deli sheets optional
Instructions
Directions
- Start by soaking the corn husk in some very hot water at least for an hour or more. Use a heavy bowl or pot to weigh down, set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the masa harina, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add in 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth and work in until dough forms. Reserve remaining broth.
- In another glass bowl, add the manteca or shortening. Using an electric mixer, whip the manteca on high until it becomes creamy and fluffly. Gradually mix in the prepared masa. Add more broth if needed. You want a thick masa, but easy to spread masa. Taste for salt. If masa is too thick, work in a little more broth. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
- Prepare a large steamer pot with water, set aside. Once everything is in place, shake of excess water from husk. Take one husk (about 4 inches across) and using the back of a spoon spread enough masa to cover the surface(not too thick).
- If the spoon method seems too difficult, just use your fingers to press masa down onto surface of the husk. Add some cheese, rajas(poblanos, jalapeños) and about 1 tablespoon of salsa verde(if using). Fold in the sides, then fold down the flap and wrap tightly with deli paper sheet like a burrito. The paper keeps everything in place, adds some moisture, gives tamal better shape and keeps cheese from going all over steamer pot.
- Stand up in steamer pot previously filled with water, with open side up. Reserve extra salsa verde to garnish cooked tamales. If tamales don't fill pot, wedge a little foil paper into empty spaces. This will keep tamales upright as they steam.
- When ready, cover tamales with extra corn husks or paper and then a clean kitchen towel. Cover with lid and bring to a rapid boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Steam for 1 hour. After 1 hour, pull out 1 tamale and let cool for 3-4 minutes. If the husk pulls away easily from masa, they are done. My cheese tamales are ready after one hour of steady steaming time, If cheese gets overcooked it will turn dark and the texture becomes rubbery. It's so important to check them after one hour. Let tamales cool slightly in the covered pot before eating. Yields 18 medium tamales. Garnish the tamales with extra salsa verde!
Notes
Here we are in the kitchen. Tamales on the way and working on prep for beans and rice to complete the dinner. Norma blogs @Platanos, Mangoes and Me! Traditional Puerto Rican dishes and much more. A very talented and creative cook! Check out her blog! Click onto picture to visit Norma’s blog. http://platanosmangoes.com/
Just a tablespoon of freshly made salsa verde goes inside the tamal.
A plate full of tamales for 8 to 10 people. In our house this would just be enough for my 3 brothers! Lol!
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Wow! I just missed the tamalada!! The tortilla española looks delicious too! You girls really know how to make a feast.
It was last year when I went to visit Norma in the city. She had one main request, tamales con rajas, lol! It was fun! Her tortilla was delicious!
I’m in the process of learning how to make tamales and this turned out disasterous! lol.. I don’t know what I did wrong because i followed the recipe and the masa was just not working with me. I did the float test to see if it was ready and it kept sinking. What sucks is that I don’t know how to fix the masa because I don’t know if it sank from lack of or toomuch broth or masa harina.
Hi Gina, to be honest with you, I never use the float test. I go by how the masa feels, how it spreads. I used to mix the masa all by hand. That’s the way I learned from my parents. There are all kinds of tricks I have seen or read about that people apply to get the masa to float. I don’t ever worry about it. My mom and family prepared thousand of tamales over the years and they were always delicious. I am the first one in my family to use masa harina, because fresh ground masa was not available where I lived in New York state. I just made tamales all last week using my masa recipe. I am sorry that, but I understand it can be stressful when you are familiar with preparing tamales. Have you tried using the masa? Are you on Instagram? I respond a lot quicker if you need help. I only check my email Once in 24 hours.
How can I keep from having the cheese in my tamales turn rubbery?
Do you steam the tamales for more than an hour? In my experience, the cheese turns yellow and rubbery if the tamales steam for more than an hour. I have worked with certain brands of cheese that don’t hold up well. I look for the queso Oaxaca that is sold by the pound and combine it most times with queso panela. I have had good luck with that combination. Although last time I used Mpnterey jack and queso fresco and those were delicious as well.
Im making tamales I want to freeze them should I cook then then freeze them or can i freeze them then cook them later
Hi Alice! You should freeze the tamales uncooked always. If you freeze them cooked the masa tends to dry out a bit, especially if you are using masa harina to prepare your masa. They will take a little longer to steam of course. I typically will let them defrost for 2 hours, them steam them as usual. Check one tamal after 1 hour if they are cheese filled, if they are filled with meat, you can leave them for up to 90 minutes.