Herbed Cream Cheese & Pork Tamales

1An hour before, soak corn husks in a sink filled with cold water. Husks must be wet and pliable before using.

2In a food processor, combine cream cheese, onions, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Pulse until onions are chopped and mixture is completely blended. It may become slightly green from the onion.

3In a stand mixer, combine shortening and cream cheese mixture. Add 1 c. masa and mix. Dough will become stiff. Add water to loosen, but do not let your dough become batter. Add the second cup of masa, a bit more water, and mix. Again, add a little water to loosen. Add the third cup of masa, more water, and mix. You want the dough to be soft enough to spread with your fingers, but not so loose that it’s soupy. I usually add enough water to make it the consistency of soft biscuit dough

4To roll tamales, lay a wet corn husk on the work surface. Place approiximately 1/4 c.(large meatball size) dough into the center, and with wet fingers press the dough out to 1/4-1/2″ thickness. Place a small amount of shredded pork in the center of the dough. Roll up so that the two outer edges of the dough meet and the corn husk sides overlap. Fold under the ends to make a little package. Some people use string to tie the tamales closed. I find that tucking them under and pressing them down as I put them in the pan works just fine.

5Place rolled tamales in a steamer basket or the colander insert of a pasta pot. Add enough water to the bottom of the pot to steam, but do not let the water tough the tamales. Cover the pot with the lid and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Boil/steam for 20-30 minutes, depending on how many layers of tamales are in the pot. Remove the steamer basket and allow to cool for a few minutes before trying to open each tamale.

6Serve with red or green chili sauce or sour cream. Enjoy!