My mother’s tamales de chile colorado

Image Fox News

TAMALES DE CHILE COLORADO

These festive red tamales are one of my earliest Christmas associations, and not mine alone.

Like most tamales, they are basically as assembly job. The different elements aren’t difficult in themselves but add up to a long marathon if you don’t have many willing hands to form a production line, as we did in the ranch. In fact, you can make any or all of the three major components) the red chile sauce, tamal dough, and cooked pork) the day before and just do the final assembly when you are ready. You will have the best flavor if you use some of the pork stock to moisten the tamal dough; if there is none on hand use chicken stock.

2 cups Salsa de Chile Colorado                     1 recipe Basic Tamal Dough

(recipe follows)                                               (recipe follows)

1 pound dried corn husks                               3 cups shredded Carne de Puerco Cocido

or other shredded cooked pork (recipe follows)

Make the salsa and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Place the corn husks in a large , deep bowl, cover with boiling water, and let soak while you prepare the filling.

Prepare the tamal dough, preferably using pork stock to moisten it. When it is very light and fluffy, beat in ½ cup of the cooled salsa, mixing thoroughly to color the dough evenly.

In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded pork with the remaining red chile sauce.

Fill, fold and steam the tamales (see directions below) using about ¼ cup of the red masa mixture for each husk and placing about 1 tablespoon of the shredded pork mixture in the center of the ma