Host a Tamale Party: Many hands make light work to create these amazing Beef Tamales.
If you’ve ever watched comedian Jim Gaffigan, “Hot Pockets” comes up a lot. While the microwave-able, ultra-processed snacks are not the most sophisticated, their portability is impressive. Not just because of the cardboard sleeve! Meanwhile, tamales are the OG of handhelds: dating back thousands of years, ancient Mayans, Aztecs, and others enjoyed them at festivals plus fed them to their hunters and soldiers who needed food to go. However, the portability is where the tamale and Hot Pockets’ similarities end. Tamales are hands down the more delicious and nutritious of the two!
Nowadays, people have fond memories of their Abuelitas making tamales for large family gatherings or parties. Beef filling is one choice, but pork, chicken, or beans (or a mixture of beef and pork) also work. Masa comes in a variety of options as well, but the one called for here, the masa harina, is available almost everywhere. Each region or family often has its own special touch to make tamales their own. For instance, in parts of Arizona, adding a single olive in the middle is traditional. Kind of a KinderJoy approach to tamales!
If you’ve never made homemade tamales before, don’t stress! Fortunately, they are pretty simple, especially if you have a few people to help. The assembly goes a lot faster with more people, plus the recipe yields a lot of tamales! The inner filling is a zesty beef with lots of flavor, and the steamed masa makes for a wonderfully soft, slightly sweet contrast to the meat. Beef Tamales are a hearty meal to feed a crowd.
Masa Harina 101
If you’ve never worked with masa harina before, it’s easy. But what is it? Simply put, it’s limed corn flour. Not limed like the green fruit, but corn kernels are soaked in a liming solution (calcium hydroxide) and then ground into flour to make corn tortillas and tamales. That liming process is what gives masa harina its characteristic flavor: just a little tang to the bold corn taste. However, don’t confuse masa harina with just masa or masa dough; those are different products entirely. Masa harina is sold in 5-pound bags like wheat flour.
How do I store leftovers?
Beef Tamales are best when enjoyed right after you make them. However, they store well if you have leftovers or need to make them in advance. Let them cool and store them in a single file in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Or, you can freeze them for up to 4-5 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Squeeze a lime slice over your hot Beef Tamales and dig in! Some sides to consider include any kind of rice, including our Baked Rice with a can of Ro-tel Tomatoes added. Naturally, chips and salsa are a must, and our Best Homemade Salsa is a great fresh dip! In colder months, consider serving a soup with Beef Tamales. For instance, our Best Taco Soup is nice because you can make it a day or two ahead and just reheat when serving.
Beef Tamales
Ingredients
- 4 pounds beef chuck roast
- 6 cloves garlic divided
- 36 dried corn husks
- 4 dried ancho chiles
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- Salt to taste
- 3 cups lard
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 9 cups masa harina
Instructions
- Place beef chuck roast and 4 whole cloves of garlic in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 3.5 hours until beef is tender. Shred the beef and reserve 5 cups of the cooking liquid.
- Soak corn husks in warm water for 3 hours to make them pliable.
- Toast ancho chiles, remove stems and seeds, and grind them.
- In a skillet, brown flour in oil, add beef stock and spices, and simmer the shredded beef in this sauce for 45 minutes.
- Whip lard with salt, mix in masa harina, and gradually add reserved cooking liquid to achieve a soft dough consistency.
- Spread masa on corn husks, add beef filling, roll, and fold the husks.
- Steam tamales for 1 hour until the masa is firm.
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