Makes 12-15
¾ cup quick grits
(not instant)
1 cup boiling water
¾ cup masa harina
12 large dried corn
husks
1 cup frozen corn,
thawed
4 tablespoons (½
stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and softened
¼ cup (2 ounces)
lard, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking
powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 ounces Monterey
Jack cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)
1 - 2 tablespoons
minced pickled jalapeños
1 cup shredded
cooked chicken, pork, beef, or black beans for vegetarian option
1. Place the grits
in a medium bowl, whisk in the boiling water, and let stand until most of the
water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in the masa harina to form a dough,
cover, and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring
2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in the corn husks, cover, and
simmer until softened and flexible, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Process the masa
dough, corn, butter, lard, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a food
processor until the mixture is light, sticky, and very smooth, about 1 minute,
stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. In a small bowl,
toss together the cheese, pickled jalapeños, and chicken. Working with one husk
at a time, spoon a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into the center of each husk. Nestle a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture into the center of the dough and, using the sides of the husk, push the
dough around the filling to encase it completely. Fold the sides then the bottom
of the husk over the filling, and lay seam side down on a large platter. Bundle the tamales in groups of 4 with twine.
5. Fit a large Dutch
oven with a steamer basket. Fill the pot with water until it just touches the
bottom of the basket and bring to a boil. Gently lay the tamales into the basket, seam side facing the edge of the steamer,
with the open ends facing up. Cover and steam, checking the water level often
and adding additional water as needed, until the tamales easily come free from
the husks, about 1 hour. Transfer the tamales to a large platter and serve hot.
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