Rajas Con Queso Tamales(Green Chile and Cheese Tamal)
Ingredients
Ingredients
For Masa
- 2½ cups masa harina
- 2½-3 cups warm chicken broth
- ¾ cup vegetable shortening or pork manteca lard
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For Filling
- 2 large poblanos roasted and sliced into thin strips
- 8-10 ounces of Oaxaca, Chihuahua cheese or Cacique brand mozzarella pull apart into 15 to 18 pieces
- 15 to 20 corn husk for tamales
- parchment paper cut into 15 to 18 pieces(about 7 inches ).Wrapping in paper is optional, but it does keep the tamales nice and compact.
- Salsa Verde see recipe link below
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 the warm chicken broth and work in until dough forms.
- 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 broth as needed until you get a thick, but spreadable masa. Taste for salt. If masa is too thick, work in a little more warm 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) and about 1 tablespoon of salsa verde . Fold in the sides, then fold down the flap and wrap tightly with parchment paper.
- Stand up in steamer pot previously filled with water, with open side up. Reserve extra salsa verde to garnish cooked tamales.
- Once all tamales are done, bring to a rapid boil in steamer, then reduce heat to medium. Steam for 1 hour, checking for water every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, pull out 1 tamale and let cool slightly, if the husk pulls away easily from masa, they are done. I usually will cook mine for 1 1/2 hours everytime. Let tamales cool slightly in the covered pot before eating. Yields 15 to 18 large tamales. Garnish the tamales with extra salsa verde!
Notes
For this version, I did not add any red chile de arbol, just jalapeños.
—The corn masa with real pork manteca getting mixed in. It adds so much flavor to the tamal.
The masa resting for a little while before we dig in and start assembling. This was a big batch of masa!
While we waited, Norma prepared for us a Spanish-Style tortilla. It was so delicious! In the backround we have a Oaxaca cheese and roasted poblanos(rajas) ready.
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/
Here I am filling the tamales….kitchen therapy!
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!
Testing….after an hour and 20 minutes we test one tamal.
Steaming, hot tamales ready! Cover and let rest before we eat!
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!