More tamale filling recipes
When we had our tamalada last weekend, besides red chile pork tamales we also filled some with chicken and others with a black bean, corn, green chile and cheese filling. Also, here’s the recipe for the salsa crema:
Salsa Crema
1 jar Mexican table cream, or crema fresca
2 green onions diced,
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds, crushed into powder
Juice of half a lime, or 1 teaspoon lime zest.
salt and pepper to taste
Mix thoroughly and serve.
Chicken tamale filling
1 whole chicken
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
3 cloves garlic
1 onion quartered
12 whole peppercorns
2 teaspoons olive oil
Half thin sliced onion
2 cloves garlic minced
2-3 cups reserved broth
1 toasted ancho chile toasted, seeded and sliced in strips.
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon chile de arbol powder
7 oz. diced canned tomatoes
Place chicken in a stockpot and cover by two inches with water. Add next five ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer about an hour, skimming the top periodically.
Remove chicken and let cool. Strain and reserved stock.
Shred chicken once cool enough to handle.
In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil and sauté onions and garlic until translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer at least 30 minutes. Makes 25-30 tamales.
16 oz. whole kernel corn
16 oz. grated
4-6 roasted poblano chiles, roasted skinned, seeded and diced
8 oz. black beans, drained of any liquid
4 sliced green onions
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2-4 serrano peppers chopped
¼ cup chopped cilantro
You can roast the poblanos in broiler, on a hot griddle or in a deep fryer. Roast until skin is blistered thoroughly and immediately transfer to an airtight container or bag for 20 minutes. Once out, the skin should peel off.
Cook the corn, preferably on the cob and over hot coals.
Then combine all ingredients.
Where does he got all those wonderful spices?
Today’s Red River Chili recipe includes a few dried chiles you might not have seen in the store before.
While the state boast many fine gourmet shops, the biggest boost to finding a greater variety of chiles falls squarely on the rise in the Hispanic population. There are markets that specialize in Hispanic imports statewide.
That said, I go straight to the source: Pendery’s in Dallas/Ft. Worth.
Pendery’s claims to be the birthplace of chile blending, what we now call chile powder. I have visited their retail store in Ft. Worth dozens of times, and I’ve been shopping with them online for years. Not once have I been unable to find the chile I’m looking for.
What they don’t have is fresh chiles. As I mentioned, the rise of Hispanic markets has increased availabilty of poblano peppers as well as a larger supply of jalapenos, serranos and habaneros.
To read about Pendery’s history and check out their supply, go to www.penderys.com.
