Southwestern Recipes
Pumpkin Tamales Filled with Shredded
Beef and California Raisins
Add nutritious pumpkin to beef-filled tamales for a healthy dish.
Yield: 16 tamales
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck or shoulder
- 1 onion, peeled
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 1 cup California raisins
- Salt and pepper
- Water
Tamales
- 3 cups masa harina
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- 2 teaspoons toasted ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/2 cup whipped vegetable shortening
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, warmed
- 16 dried corn husks, soaked in warm water
Instructions
- Filling: Place roast in a large stockpot and add cold water to cover.
- Cut onion in half and add to pot. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Remove beef from broth and let rest for 10 minutes; reserving broth.
- Shred beef, discarding excess fat.
- In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots and celery; cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in shredded beef and raisins along with 1 cup of reserved broth. Heat and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and cool completely.
- Tamales: Measure masa harina, baking powder, coriander and salt into mixing bowl; mix well.
- Beat in pumpkin and shortening.
- Slowly, add warm broth, stirring in 1/2 cup at a time until moist enough to form a ball that is wet but not too sticky. Cover with wet towel and set aside.
- When corn husks are soft and pliable, separate into individual pieces. Arrange 2 husks, slightly overlapping side by side, and alternating tips and stem ends to form rectangles about 9 x 7 inches. Spoon about 1/3 cup dough onto center of each corn husk; with wet fingers, spread to about 1/4 inch thick. Add about 1/4 cup shredded beef filling down center of dough. Fold long edges of husksover filling, lightly overlapping the edges. Fold ends under or twist and tie each end tightly with a narrow strip of corn husk to form a packet.
- Arrange the tamales in a large steamer with seam side facing up. Add water to bottom part of steamer and heat to boiling. Steam tamales for about 2 hours or until they are firm to the touch.
- To serve: Arrange tamales on a platter and serve while still very hot.
Nutrition
Per serving: Calories 710 (53% from fat); Total Fat 43g (sat 13g, mono 20g, poly 6g, trans 3g ); Cholesterol 80mg; Protein 28g; Carbohydrate 58g; (Dietary Fiber 7g; Sugars 18g; ); Iron 5mg; Sodium 1010mg; Calcium 130mg; Potassium 694mg
Recipe and photo used with permission from:
California Raisins
By Chef Pilar Sanchez