Tamales date back over 8,000 years to Mesoamerica (Aztec, Maya, and earlier cultures). They were portable, calorie-dense food for hunters, warriors, and travelers. Steamed in corn husks or banana leaves, they became sacred offerings as well as holiday food. Today in Mexico, Central America, and the U.S. Southwest, making tamales is the ultimate New Year's Eve and Christmas tradition'families gather, music plays, and hundreds are made for good luck in the coming year.
Easy New Year's Tamales
(Makes about 3'4 dozen, 90 minutes active time thanks to shortcuts)
Ingredients
– 6'7 lbs fresh prepared masa para tamales (from a Mexican market or tortiller'a, already seasoned with lard and salt)
– 30'40 dried corn husks (soaked 30 min in hot water)
– Filling shortcut #1 (easiest): 2 large rotisserie chickens, meat shredded + 2 jars (16'20 oz each) good red or green chile sauce (La Victoria, Las Palmas, or Hatch)
– Filling shortcut #2 (even faster): 5'6 lbs seasoned carnitas or barbacoa from Costco or your local taquer'a
– Optional: 1 lb Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese cut into strips (for cheese & chile verde tamales)
Quick Assembly
1. Drain husks, pat dry.
2. Spread 1/3 cup masa on the smooth side of a husk in a thin rectangle (about 4'5 inches), leaving the top 2 inches empty.
3. Spoon 2'3 Tbsp filling down the center. Add a strip of cheese if you want.
4. Fold the left side over, then the right, then fold the bottom up. (No need to tie if you stand them upright in the pot.)
5. Stand tamales upright in a steamer pot with a few coins in the water (the rattling tells you when water is low).
6. Steam 60'75 minutes. They're done when the masa peels easily from the husk.
Serve with extra sauce, Mexican crema, and a sprinkle of cotija. Ring in the New Year with the easiest, most authentic tamales you've ever made'because the ancestors would totally approve of rotisserie chicken and store-bought masa.
