tamale heaven

ok just a warning, ive only ever eaten the tamales i made and one other time a friend made basically the same recipe. so i dont *really* know what they are supposed to taste like. they might not be traditional but i know these ones are DAMN good!

something to note also is that masa is a prepared corn flour, it has been treated with lime which produces the same result as soaking flours...better digestibility

soak your corn husks in water for 15 minutes. i used about 20 but it depends how you fill them

3 cups masa
3/4 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
mix together

3/4 cups shortening, i did two scoops refined coconut oil and a scoop palm oil
mix that in pretty good so theres no more big chunks of oil.

1 jar of salsa regular size
1 can of beans , i used black once and refried pinto once they were both good
1 pound of cooked ground beef
mix that in and add water or broth until it soft but still thick. kinda like playdough but maybe a little softer.

get out your husks and use the ones that are too small to wrap to be your ties. peel them into strips. put about 3 spoonfuls in and shape it so it will fit and roll easier. (sorry this part is hard to describe, if you dont get it there is a you tube vid :) ) fold the small end of the husk over the masa mixture and roll from one side. it should form a roll that is closed on one side and open on the other. tie it with a piece of husk.

for me the hardest part was to get them to all stand up while steaming. you cant let water get in the top. i put some pot tops in the pan to take up some space and hold the tamales up. steam them for a half hour to 45 minutes. they will start to poke up out of the top and be very firm when they arre done.

we put salsa or hot sauce on them or just ate them plain. i read some where that they freeze well too. and my kids loved making them and eating them!