Belated 3 Kings Post! In years past, I’ve always made a Rosca de Reyes (funny story: In Mexico, COSTCO sells this traditional sweet bread for much cheaper than other places, so scalpers have hoarded them, eventually reselling them for profit. Many of them ended up with a ton of inventory that, of course, could not be sold the day after 3 Kings.)
The tradition of the Rosca de Reyes, if you are not familiar, is that this colossal ring of bread is shared between friends and family. Whoever gets the slice with a small plastic baby “Jesus” will have to host a party for everyone else, specifically a tamales party.
In the interest of reducing plastic waste and reducing our digestion of microplastics, I decided to just skip the whole process of selecting who will host the party and just go straight to making the tamales myself.
I’ve played around with this recipe multiple times, but I typically find my timing to be off or I encounter some technical difficulties. This time, I was determined to make it happen, and I had a few tricks up my sleeve to make the process easier. The first is: pre- purchased Char Siu! While I dabbled in making my own Char Siu for this purpose in the past, I decided to buy them from a reliable source instead. The other trick I employed is mixing in the chopped meat with the masa. I would’ve used masa preparada if I found it at our local Latin market, but fortunately, they ran out and so I ended up making them myself, which I realized resulted in tamales of better quality (I used masa preparada in past experiments). But feel free to take all shortcuts possible, as tamales are a labor of love.
Tamal has a Chinese counterpart called the 粽子 (zòngzi). It is similar in its construction and can be filled with savory or sweet fillings in addition to glutinous rice, versus masa. Traditionally, they are wrapped with either lotus, banana or bamboo leaves. Banana leaves are easier to find in our area, plus I love the scent and flavor it imparts to the tamales.
As for the sides: Because I only had a few of those Chinese Hot Mustard packets that came with my purchase of Char Siu, I included a recipe to make your own. Feel free to use store- bought mustard; and while you’re out shopping for ingredients, don’t forget to purchase the Roasted Green Chili Oil. Between the oil and the mustard, they add some heat to balance the sweetness of the BBQ’d meat; whereas the acidity from the pico de gallo cuts through all the savory flavors and makes these tamales reminiscent of its traditional counterparts. After all, I didn’t want to stray too far from the it’s roots.
Speaking of roots, I also got a lesson in Spanish, courtesy of my husband:
Tamal- single
TamalES- plural
Happy 3 Kings!
Char Siu Tamales Oaxaquenos
Yield: 16-18 tamales
Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
For the masa:
4 cups masa harina, I use the brand Maseca
2 tbsp baking powder
½ tbsp salt
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
5 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
For the Chinese hot mustard sauce:
4 tbsp dijon mustard, you want the smooth (not grainy) kind
1 tsp rice vinegar
¼ tsp ground mustard
¼ tsp curry powder
¼ tsp white pepper
1 tsp wasabi or horseradish, more to taste
Other:
1.5 lbs char siu (Chinese BBQ)
1-2 packages banana leaves
Roasted Chili Oil (Green), I like the Chuanwazi brand
Tomatoes, chopped, optional
White or yellow onion, chopped, optional
Jalapenos, chopped, optional
Instructions:
To make the masa, combine masa harina, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Add vegetable oil and broth. Using a stand mixer fitted with a mixing paddle, beat on medium for 3-5 minutes until well combined.
Roughly chop your Char Siu pork and add to the masa. Continue beating on low- medium for 3-5 minutes until well combined. Set aside.
To prepare the banana leaves, use a wet paper towel to gently wipe each leaf, front and back. Alternately, wash the banana leaves on both sides under running water. Gently pat dry and on an open flame (or an electric stove, which is what I have), carefully run the surface of the banana leaf in quick movements. You will know they are ready when they turn a darker shade of green and have a sheen on its surface.
To assemble:
In the middle of your banana leaf, place a generous scoop (or two, depending on the size you want) of your masa and BBQ’d pork mix.
Fold from the bottom, covering the mix. Fold from each side, covering the bottom fold. Take the entire “package” and fold it up onto the top fold.*
Place your tamales in a tamalera, if you have one, or a steamer, standing up on its sides. Steam for 90 minutes. Allow to fully cool before peeling the tamal, as it continues to cook and firm up during the cooling process.
Warm up prior to serving. Serve with pico de gallo, mustard and/or Roasted Green Chili oil.
*If your banana leaf breaks, double wrap your tamal with another banana leaf. This helps prevent leaks, which could lead to burning.
*Freezer- friendly! To warm up, place on a microwaveable plate, with a wet paper towel and microwave on high for 3- 5 minutes OR resteam for a few minutes. Resteaming is the best option for reheating, (but not always the most convenient).
Inspiration:
Hey It's Jen Lou 