Tamales with pulled brisket and chilies, not your average summer meal…but if you have a bit of braised brisket leftover from Passover in the freezer, why not make use of it? That is what I did today, with some easy masa dough, some dried chilies, onions, garlic and juices from the braised meat it was a cinch. Tamales are a basic dough in which you can fill with pretty much whatever you have, chicken, pork, beef, chilies, beans and cheese.

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Tamales

Based on Rick Bayless’s Authentic Mexican, cookbook.
Tamale dough:

3.5 oz Masa harina
4oz masarepa
1 1/4 cups of boiling waterDried and reconstituted corn husks or banana leaves.

Stir in the hot water into the Masa harina and masarepa and set aside to cool.
4oz. Lard or vegetable shortening if so inclined.
2 cups of prepared Masa,(above)
about 1/2 a cup of chicken stock at room temperature
1 tsp. baking powder
about a 1/2 to 1 tsp of salt depending on broth used, (homemade or store bought.)
Filling:
Shredded or pulled meat with whatever salsa you want or condiments like, chilies, raisins, olives, eggs, etc…
Beat lard until soft and light in mixer. add half of masa mix beating until incorporated, while your beating add in increments stock and the rest of the masa. Sprinkle salt and baking powder over the dough and mix for a couple of minutes.
Soak corn husks in boiling water and allow to cool and soften.
Take about a quarter cup of dough and place it in the middle of the corn husk that is laid out flat, flatten it into a square about 2×2 inches and fill about a tablespoon of meat down the center, fold over both sides to cover filling. Roll the husk to create a package over the other side, fold upward the pointed end and tie off with string or pieces of husks made into ties.

Steam for 1 1/2 hours until the masa separates from the husk and is somewhat firm.