Guatemalan Red Tamales

Name: Guatemalan Red Tamales
Prep time: 4 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 28
Cuisine: South American,
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken; 2 tsps McCormick® Garlic Powder divided; 1/4 tsp McCormick® Black Pepper, Ground; 6 cups water; 1/4 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), toasted; 3 dried guajillo chilies stemmed and seeded; 2 tbsps McCormick® Sesame Seed toasted; 2 tsps McCormick® Onion Powder; 1 1/2 tsps salt; 1 stick McCormick® Cinnamon Sticks; 1/2 tsp McCormick® Annatto, Ground Achiote Molido; 1/4 tsp McCormick® Cloves, Ground; 2 pounds plum tomatoes peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped; 1 green bell pepper chopped; 1 cup chicken broth; 1 tbsp lard; 1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives; 3 tbsps drained capers; 9 cups chicken broth; 6 cups instant corn masa flour for tamales; 1 tbsp salt; 1 cup lard; 2 packages (16 ounces each) fresh or frozen banana leaves thawed; 28 pieces string

Unlike the more familiar Mexican tamales, Guatemalan tamales are larger in size and are wrapped in banana leaves. Red tamales are often prepared during the Christmas and New Year holidays. They are time-consuming to prepare so gather your family and make the preparation a pa... Read More Read Less

4m

PREP TIME

2hr 30m

COOK TIME

231

CALORIES

24

INGREDIENTS

Servings: 28 (1 tamale)

Ingredients

Red Recado Meat Filling
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken Substitutions available
- boneless pork
2 teaspoons McCormick® Garlic Powder, divided
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Ground Black Pepper
6 cups water
1/4 cup pepitas, (shelled pumpkin seeds), toasted
3 dried guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
2 tablespoons McCormick® Sesame Seed, toasted
2 teaspoons McCormick® Onion Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 stick McCormick® Cinnamon Sticks
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Annatto, Ground Achiote Molido
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Cloves
2 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chicken broth Substitutions available
- water
1 tablespoon lard Substitutions available
- vegetable shortening
1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives
3 tablespoons drained capers
Tamales
9 cups chicken broth Substitutions available
- water
6 cups instant corn masa flour for tamales
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup lard Substitutions available
- vegetable shortening
2 packages (16 ounces each) fresh or frozen banana leaves, thawed
28 pieces string Substitutions available
- leftover banana leaf strips

KEY PRODUCTS

INSTRUCTIONS

1 For the Filling, place meat in large saucepan. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the garlic powder and pepper. Add water to cover meat. (Add additional water if necessary to completely cover meat.) Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Remove meat to cutting board. Reserve cooking broth in saucepan. Cool meat slightly then cut into small cubes. Set aside.
2 Place pepitas, chilies, sesame seed, onion powder, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon garlic powder, cinnamon stick, annatto and cloves in blender container; cover. Blend on high speed until finely ground. Add tomatoes, green pepper and 1/2 cup of the reserved meat cooking broth. Cover. Blend until smooth, stopping to stir ingredients once or twice to make it easier to blend.
3 Pour mixture into medium saucepan. Add 1 cup broth and lard. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 15 to 20 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in meat, olives and capers. Set aside.
4 For the Tamales, place 9 cups broth and enough reserved meat cooking broth to equal 13 cups in 8 to 12-quart deep stockpot. Bring to boil. Add masa and salt, stirring constantly until well blended. Reduce heat to low; stir in lard until shiny and smooth. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool.
5 Meanwhile, fill another large pot with water. Bring to boil. Wash banana leaves then cut into 28 (10-inch) squares. Reserve extra pieces. Boil cut squares and extra pieces for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Drain and cool.
6 To assemble each tamale, arrange a banana leaf square on work surface so that veins of leaf are vertical. This makes it easier to fold the leaf without breaking it. Spread 1/2 cup of masa into a 4-inch circle in center of leaf. Make a small well down center of the masa. Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling mixture into the well. Fold both sides of banana leaf over filling. Fold over top and bottom of leaf. Tie tamale with string or thin banana leaf strip.
7 To cook the tamales, place steamer basket on bottom of large pot. Add 4 cups water. Line basket with some of the extra banana leaf pieces. Place tamales in steamer basket. Make sure tamales are not touching the water. Cover tamales with remaining banana leaves. Bring water to boil. Cover. Steam on medium heat 1 1/2 hours or until banana leaf peels away easily from tamale and masa is slightly firm. (Tamales will continue to firm up when removed from heat.) Add additional boiling water to pot as necessary.