If you can do as much prep work the night before.
Season the meat, shredded beef is much easier to work with then cubed
If necessary separate the corn husks before you start that assembly line.Some brands don't do that for you.You get this big bag of corn husk lumps.
I usually make the mesa the night before then refrigerate it.Take it out in the morning.
The morning of all I need to do is prepare the husks.I boil mine for about 30 minutes in a large roasting pan,keeping them submerged in the water.
When I need them I take out a dozen at a time,drain,completely dry them,then assemble.
Try to have the corn husk ties ready.It's a pain looking for one when your hand is full.They also need to be kept pliable.
Bring everything to the table.I start the line with Corn husks,Mesa,meats,ties,set the finished ones upright on a platter or have ziplock bags ready.
They can be steamed or nuked.To tell when they are done,pull back a corner of the husk.If the Mesa sticks it's not done.Depending on the size of the Tamale,(I make large ones) it will take about 30 minutes or so to fully cook.
Here's my own take on chili sauce.I add it to Beef,Chicken or Pork Tamales.It's a mild sauce.
Preheat oven @300 degrees
1 large bag of chili peppers,remove "stems and seeds that we don't neeeed".
Cut into large strips and then spread them onto a cookie sheet.Bake for 2 to 3 minutes.They burn very easily.
Remove them from the cookie to a bowl of cold water.Keep the water handy.
Add the chili's to a blender
Add 2 cups of the water that your chili's were cooling in.
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of crushed red peppers
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
4 garlic cloves leave whole
Blend it all together until it's smooth.
In a medium sauce pan.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to 2 teaspoons of flour.Whisk them together on medium heat,just until it starts to thicken up and brown just a bit.Remove it from the stove.
Add your chili sauce to the oil and flour.
Stir until it's well blended.Bring it back to the stove.On medium heat bring it to a low simmer.Add more of the water that you had the chili's soaking in,if the sauce is too thick.
And that's that.I just add enough of the sauce to the meat,to hold it together.
Good luck.
Munky.
Idon'tthinkIneedanymorecoffee