Here's the recipe for the Honduran tamales traditionally served to guests on Christmas Eve. With the exception of formatting it for the forum, and making it clear that "green pepper" means "green BELL pepper," and not "green chiles," the recipe is entered, here, exactly as I have it. The "steps" mentioned in the "assembly instructions" refer to a page, in the book, that shows pictures numbered with those "steps." I have put the picture of that page after all the instructions. Also, I have eaten these, but have never made them, and can say they are MUCH tastier than the typical tamales.
Santa Bárbara Style Nacatamales
(Central-American tamales: Santa Bárbara, Honduras version)
Makes 20
Dough preparation ingredients:
Santa Bárbara Style Nacatamales
(Central-American tamales: Santa Bárbara, Honduras version)
Makes 20
Dough preparation ingredients:
- 5 C Corn flour/masa (e.g. Maseca)
- 15 C Water
- 1 1/2 C Chopped onion
- 1 C Chopped green bell pepper
- 1 2/3 C Vegetable shortening
- 2 tsp Ground white pepper
- 3 Tbsp Salt
- In a frying pan, melt 1 C vegetable shortening. Cook the onion and green pepper at medium heat until slightly golden. Cover the pan and cook at low heat for 10 minutes. Let cool and grind in the blender. Strain using a sieve.
- In an 8-quart pan, place the corn flour dissolving it gradually with the water. Add the salt, pepper and the sieved mixture of the onion and the green pepper.
- Cook at medium heat and stir the mixture constantly. When the dough begins to boil, add the remaining melted vegetable shortening. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- 2 pounds pork meat, without fat
- 1 C Dough prepared in the first step
- 1 1/2 C Tomatoes
- 1 C Onion
- 8 Cloves of garlic
- 1/2 C Chopped green bell pepper
- 1/2 C Tomato paste dissolved in water
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 1 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp Achiote
- 1 Tbsp Finely chopped jalapeño pepper
- Cut the pork meat into 2-inch pieces.
- Place the tomato, onion, garlic and green pepper in the blender and chop. Prepare the recado by mixing with the rest of the above ingredients and add them to the meat. Refrigerate overnight in a glass container or 8 hours before preparing the nacatamales.
- 2 C Short-gran rice, uncooked
- 2 C potatoes, cut lengthwise (2 x 1/4 inch)
- 2 C Green beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 C Peas
- 2 C Water
- 20 Plantain (or banana) leaves (4 x 12 inches) washed and soaked in boiling water
- 2 C Stuffed green olives
- 1 1/2 C Raisins
- 3/4 C Capers
- 2 Tbsp Corn oil
- 1 tsp Achiote
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Roll thin string
- 20 Pieces of aluminum foil
- Heat the oil in a small pan and cook the rice. Add the water and the achiote dissolved in hot oil. Season with salt and cook uncovered until the water evaporates.
- Take 1 plantain leaf and place 2 Tbsp of dough in the center and extend. (Step 1)
- Place the ingredients approximately in the following order: a piece of meat, 4 pieces of potato, 5 pieces of green beans, 1 Tbsp peas, 4 olives, 1 tsp capers, 1 tsp raisins, 3 tsp rice and 1 Tbsp of the meat recado. (Step 2)
- Fold the plantain leaf and wrap in the aluminum foil so that the size of the nacatamal remains 4 x 6 inches. (Steps 3, 4 and 5)
- Tie with the string (Step 6). Repeat the same process in making each nacatamal.
- Place in an 8-quart pan and add enough boiling water to cover them. Boil for 45 minutes and lower the heat afterwards and cook for 1 1/2 hours at low heat. Check once in a while to see that the water does not evaporate completely. (Step 7)
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?