Bean and Cheese Tamales Recipe
- 35 corn husks
- 3 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
- 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- 3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco
- Basic Masa Dough
- Place corn husks in a large bowl or baking dish, cover completely with hot water, and weigh down with a plate or bowl to fully submerge.
- Soak until husks are very pliable, at least 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Drain, squeeze out excess water, and wipe dry.
- Heat lard or shortening in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted, about 2 minutes.
- Add onion, garlic, and salt and cook until vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes.
- Add beans and mash with the back of a spoon, leaving about half of the beans intact.
- Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to keep the beans from sticking, until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, fold in cheese, and let cool slightly.
- Place a steamer basket in a large pot and fill the pot with enough water to reach the bottom of the steamer.
- Cover and bring the water to a simmer over low heat.
- Lay a corn husk on a clean work surface with the wide edge toward you (this is the bottom).
- Measure 1/4 cup masa dough and spread it 1/4 inch thick on the husk, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the bottom.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of the reserved filling down the center of the dough.
- Bring the two sides of the husk together until the dough meets over the filling.
- Wrap the husk over the dough, making sure you dont get any of the husk in between the dough and the filling.
- Fold the top of the husk (the empty, tapered edge) back over the filled husk to close.
- (If your husks are particularly small or they dont want to stay closed, use a bit of butchers twine to tie them closed.)
- Repeat to make 35 tamales.
- Arrange the tamales upright in the steamer with the open ends facing up.
- If your steamer is too big to hold all of the tamales snugly together, place a small heatproof bowl upside down in the center to stabilize the tamales.
- Cover and steam until the dough is set and no longer raw-tasting and the tamales pull away easily from the husks when unwrapped, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Turn the heat off and let the tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.
corn husks, lard, white onion, garlic, kosher salt, pinto beans, queso fresco, dough
Taken from www.chowhound.com/recipes/bean-and-cheese-tamales-21392 (may not work)