Beef Tamales with Red Sauce (Tamales Rojos)
These beef tamales are made with shredded beef and red chile sauce. Tamales rojos are rich, smoky, and packed with flavor!
Servings: 50 Servings
Calories: 235kcal
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
Beef Filling
- 6 lbs beef chuck roast
- 1 large onion
- 8 cloves garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 avocado leaves (optional)
- 2 Mexican avocado leaves (optional)
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 10 cups water
Chile Sauce
- 5 hatch chiles
- 5 guajillo chiles
- 5 ancho chiles
- 3 cups beef broth (from cooked chuck roast)
- 1 tablespoon lard
Masa Ingredients
- 1 lb lard
- 6 cups masa harina
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 8 ounces corn husks
Instructions
- Add chuck roast, quartered onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves, avocado leaves (optional), peppercorns, oregano, and salt to a large stock pot. Cover with 8-10 cups of water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 3 hours or until tender and easy to shred. Add more water, as needed.
- Shred beef with two forks and add to a bowl. Strain beef broth through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside until needed. Discard solids. Submerge corn husks in warm water for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove stems and seeds from dried chiles, then toast in a hot cast-iron skillet until aromatic. Tear or cut into smaller pieces, then add to a jar and cover with 3 cups of hot broth. Seal the jar until the chiles soften. When the broth is no longer hot, blend until smooth (I used an immersion blender), then strain for a silky texture.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of lard in a large pan or Dutch oven, then saute 2 cups of chile sauce for a few minutes, over medium heat. Stir in shredded beef. If the mixture is too dry, add beef broth (but set aside at least 3 cups of broth for the masa).
- Meanwhile, whip lard in a stand mixer using the whisk attachment until light, fluffy, and white, about 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk masa harina, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin until combined. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the masa mixture, 3 cups beef broth, and 1 cup chile sauce, a little at a time, until all the ingredients are combined. Switch to a paddle attachment, and continue mixing on medium until light and fluffy, and a pinch of the masa mixture floats in a cup of water.
- Remove corn husks from water and give them a good shake, then pat dry. Lay them out on your work surface with the smooth side facing up and the narrow end pointing away from you. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of masa onto the wider end of each husk, spreading it out while leaving about a ½ to 1-inch border along the edges. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling right down the center.
- Fold one side of the husk over the filling, then bring the other side across to seal it. Fold the bottom end up toward the center, then tear a thin strip from another husk and tie it around the tamale to hold everything in place. Continue assembling until all the filling is used up.
- Fill a pot with a steamer basket with a few cups of water; the water level should be below the bottom of the steamer basket. Arrange approximately 20 tamales, filling-side up. Pile extra corn husks on top. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and steam, covered, for one hour. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you can't get the masa to float, don't worry, your tamales will still be delicious!
- Overlap smaller husks to make them big enough to fill. The amount of dough and filling will vary depending on the size of the corn husk.
- Tear the husks that are too small or too wrinkled into strips for tying the tamales once they're wrapped.
- Don't pack the tamales tightly; leave room for air circulation. If packed tightly, they will take longer to cook and cook unevenly.
- If you have leftover filling, masa, or corn husks, you can freeze them and use them the next time you make tamales.
- Store tamales in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tamale | Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 445mg | Potassium: 336mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g
