Red Chile Tamale Meat Recipe

Tamales are the perfect holiday treat, warm and spicy, a steamed bundle of masa, and a tasty filling, all wrapped in a corn husk. Tamales are a memorable part of the holiday feast, and the making of them a celebrated tradition in the Hispanic home. 

While it's common to make tamales all year round, these delicious steamed corn husk-wrapped bundles are traditionally made and shared around the holidays. Everyone has their favorite filling--chicken, beef, and pork are all popular.

Why do they Make Tamales around Christmas?

Tamales have become a part of the traditional Mexican celebration of las posadas, the annual commemoration of Mary and Joseph's search for shelter before Jesus' birth.

Tamales have been eaten in the Americas for a long, long time. ... Tamales, because they were wrapped in corn husks, became part of ritual offerings. As a nod to those times, people prepare tamales for special occasions including baptisms, weddings, Dia Del Los Muertos, and, of course, Christmas.

How to make Red Chile Tamale Meat 

Start with the meat: Pork and Beef is the most commonly used meats used for tamales. 

•  Place all ingredients in a slow cooker on low (6-8 hrs). I usually cook meat the day before making tamales, especially if you are making dozens of tamales.  Shred meat with 2 forks, and place in a bowl and cover. Refrigerate until ready to use.

How to make Red Chile Sauce for Tamale Meat

Hatch Red Chile Pods -Dried Guajillo-Dried Ancho Chile can be used for Red Chile tamale sauce.

• Rinse and remove the stems and seeds of chile pods. Place chile pods in a large pot, add enough water to fully cover the pods. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer for 30 minutes. When pods have softened, remove chiles from the pot. Let cool slightly. Reserve water in the pot.
• In the pot add bouillon cube in chile pod water on medium heat until dissolved. Let Cool.
  
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When cool, add small amounts of pods, flour, and 1 cup water to a blender or food processor, and blend until liquid paste mixture( make sure to stop and stir chile pods in the blender)

• Keep doing this until all pods are done. (Save any liquid in chile pod water for chile gravy) With a mesh strainer, pour liquid chile mixture thru it, into a large bowl. 
• Remove any seeds, chile skins when straining the mixture. In a skillet on medium heat, add chile mixture and whisk gently. Stir and check for consistency, chile sauce should be smooth on the back of a spoon. 
• If too thick add a little chile pod water to get the right consistency. Add salt and cumin.

Combine red chile sauce with meat in the slow cooker, add just enough red chile sauce to the meat without making it soupy. Cook for 2 hours on the low setting. Before using meat, to make tamales, let it cool for 30 minutes.

Making Red Chile Tamales

Putting it all together and what you'll need:

Red Chile Meat:  This recipe makes enough red chile meat for 3 dozen tamales. 

Red Chile Sauce: Dried red chile pods can come in mild, medium, or hot flavors. 

Tamale dough:  Make dough day of tamale making...here is the recipe 

Tamale Pot:  A Tamale pot is perfect for steaming tamales.  Place tamales on top of the steamable insert, place 1 inch of water on the bottom. Tamales take about 2 hours to cook.  Always keep at least 1 inch of water on the bottom for steaming.

Tamale Leaves:  Dried Corn Husks.  Soak at least 3 dozen tamale corn husk in very warm water for 1 hour. Rinse corn silk off leaves.

Red Chile Tamale Meat Recipe
Author: The Busy Abuelita
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 8 hours -slow cooker
Servings: 3 dozen tamales
Yum

Tamales are a perfect holiday treat, warm and spicy, a steamed bundle of masa and a tasty filling, all wrapped in a corn husk.

Ingredients:

Tamale Meat Ingredients
• 4 lbs boneless pork butt or boneless beef chuck roast
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 cups of water
Red Chile Sauce Ingredients
• 2 packages (8 oz) dried New Mexico Chile pods, stemmed and cleaned
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

Meat Instructions
1. Place all ingredients in a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours (I usually cook meat the day before)
2. Shred meat with 2 forks, and place in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
Red Chile Sauce Instructions
3. Rinse and remove the stems and seeds of chile pods. Place chile pods in a large pot, add enough water to fully cover the pods. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes, when done remove pods from the pot. Let cool slightly. Reserve water in the pot.
4. In the pot add bouillon cube in chile pod water on medium heat until dissolved. Let Cool.
5. When slightly cool, add small amounts of pods, flour, and 1 cup water to a blender or food processor, and blend until liquid paste mixture( make sure to stop and stir pods in the blender).
6. Keep doing this until all pods are done. (Save any liquid in chile pod water for chile sauce)
7. With a mesh strainer, pour liquid chile mixture thru it, into a large bowl. Remove any seeds, chile skins when straining the mixture.
8. In a large skillet on medium heat, add chile mixture and whisk gently. Stir and check for consistency, chile sauce should be smooth on the back of a spoon. If too thick add a little chile pod water to get the right consistency.
9. Add salt and cumin.
10. In a slow cooker on low heat 2 hours before making tamales, add meat and slowly add red chile sauce. Add enough chile sauce mixture to meat without making it soupy. Let cool for 30 minutes before making tamales.