Cornified Tamal

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(this is from memory and will need to be cleaned up / verified -N)

Cornified Tamal
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Ingredients for the dough:

• 2 cups masa
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• 2/3 cup vegetable shortening.
• Dried corn husks (available from ethnic food stores, specifically those that carry Mexican and Central American foods.)
• 2 cups water or vegetable stock (note: you can omit the salt if you use stock)

Ingredients for the filling (describe in more detail):

• Chorizo
• Chedar or Monterey Jack Cheese & green chili
• El Salvadoran spices
• Refried black beans

Preparation:

1. Sort through corn husks to select the largest ones.
2. Soak corn husks in warm water for 1 hour or until they are pliable / can be folded without tearing. Husks that are too narrow can be torn into strips and used to tie tamals closed
3. Drain, rinse and pat dry corn husks.
4. Ensure that they are clean are free from hairs (these look a lot like human hairs when cooked and tend to freak people out).
5. Combine masa, baking powder, salt and sugar and blend until mixture has an even fluffy consistency.
6. Spread masa mixture about 1/2" deep on corn husk, leaving 2.5" from the wide end and 2" from the narrow end and each side.
7. Place a spoonful of filling in the centre and fold one side over the other so that the cornified portions overlap.
8. Fold the wide (bottom) and narrow (top) portions of the corn husk over to seal.
9. tie with string or a strip of corn husk.
10. Steam tamal for one hour.
11. Serve hot with salsa / sour cream or as a side-dish, or cold as a snack.