Chicken Tamales

 

Consensus Tamales 
(makes 10)

    Mise en Place -Poached Chicken

4 Chicken Thighs,  2 Chicken Legs

4 ½ Cups Cold Water

1 tsp Kosher Salt or Chicken Bullion or Chicken Base

¼  White Onion, As is

1 Clove Garlic, Crushed

     Mise en Place - Red Chile Adobo

3 Tablespoons Neutral Oil

3 Dried Ancho Chiles, Stemmed, Seeded, Torn into 2" pieces

2 Guajillo Chiles, Stemmed, Seeded, Torn into 2" Pieces

1 Arbol Chile, Stemmed, Seeded, Cut in half.

½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds

½ Teaspoon Coriander Seeds

¼ Cup Cider Vinegar

1  Cup Chicken Broth (from poaching chicken, plus the onion and garlic)

1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Teaspoon Sugar

     Mise en Place - Masa

1 # Masa Harina

⅔ Cup Corn Meal (4 ounces)

2 ounces Chicken Fat

8 ounces Lard or Shortening

¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder

4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Tablespoon Dried Mexican Oregano

1 Teaspoon Red Chile Flakes

     Steps

 1.  Soak 15 Corn Husks in hot water, use a plate to keep leaves submerged

 2. In a pot, Cold Water, Chicken Thighs, Onion, Crushed Garlic and Salt.  Turn up 
    to high, bring to a boil

 3. Heat oil in a saute' pan until you see first whisp of smoke.  All at once, add torn
    Chiles, Cumin, Coriander, and Garlic, Keep tossing until you smell toasted
    chiles/spice.  Do Not Let Burn.  Turn off heat, add vinegar, stir.

 4. Turn Chicken down to a simmer for 15 minutes.  Turn off heat and let sit for
     another 10 minutes.

 5. Remove 1 ½ Cups Chicken Broth to a container.  Add toasted Chiles and stuff. 
    Also add 1 Tsp Oregano, 1 Tsp. Kosher Salt, and 1 Tsp Sugar.  Let steep for 1 hour.

 6 . Place Chicken thighs on a plate to let cool.

 7. In a large bowl, Combine 1# Masa Harina, Corn Meal, Baking Powder, 1 Tbls
     Dried Oregano, Red Chile Flakes, 4 Tsp Kosher Salt.

 8. Skim fat off of Chicken broth, if not 2oz, add 8oz lard plus enough get a total of
     10oz of fat altogether. Add to Masa mixture..  Use a hand mixer and cream
     together until a rough/clumpy mixture comes together.

 9. Heat 3 ¼ Cup of Chicken Broth to 150 degree-ish

10. Use hand mixer (if ya want) or stirring spoon to thoroughly combine to make a   
      smooth Masa. 

11.  Shred chicken, it will be only about 95% cooked.  This is perfect, it will cook the
     rest of the way when the tamales are steamed.

(From here on, reading itself won't make the process clear.  A video is coming)

12.  Lay out 10 husks.  Two blue scoops down the the center of the husk from the 
     top.  Use another leaf to press down and spread the mass 6 inches wide 5
     inches deep. 

13, Use a Tablespoon to sauce down the center of the masa, one tablespoon each.

14.  Chicken down the center over the sauce.  Gently press into the Masa.

15. Fold over so Masa touches Masa and wraps the meat/sauce.  

16. Fold up the bottom, then continue to roll and leave seam side down. Repeat
     with all the tamales.

17.  Use a damp piece of string to tie the tamale together, keeping the folded-up
      husk in place.

18.  Put two inches of water, a penny, and a steamer tray (legs down) into a pot
      deep enough to stand up tamales and cover.

19.  Use wadded aluminum foil to fill space and keep tamales standing.

20. Bring water to a boil.  Cover.  Take temperature inside a tamale.

21.  When interior temp of a tamale is 200', they are done.   Turn off heat and hold
      until ready to serve