Not Tamale Pie
Feb. 1st, 2026 12:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Tamal de Cazuela (Mexican Tamal Casserole).
"An equally delicious, quicker alternative to tamales. This may be lesser-known than the Americanized Tamale Pie."
Masa
3 1/2 cups / 326 g masa harina (I used some of the four kilograms of gourmet imported masa the neighbors gave us)
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup / 113 g lard
2 3/8 cups / 539 g chicken stock (I used house-made)
Sauce
whole list of chiles and ingredients 1 cup enchilada sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
I added: 1 chile in adobo, minced
Filling
1 Tbsp veg oil
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic (Ha! I used... more.)
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
salt and pepper
1 cup chicken stock (also house-made)
1/2 cupraisins dried plums, chopped (the wife does not like raisins)
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed olives, chopped
15 dried corn husks
Whisk together the masa, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the lard on high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Lower the speed to low and add the masa mixture in a slow, steady stream, mixing until sandy. Continuing to beat at low speed, add the stock in a slow, steady stream. Once the stock is fully incorporated, beat at medium-high speed until the dough is light and fluffy, 8-10 minutes. Cover and set aside.
(long list of roasting, soaking, and puréeing chiles omitted in favor of opening a can of sauce) Mix in the spices.
Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the veg oil. Add the onion, sautéing until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the meat, salt, and pepper and cook, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains, 10-15 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the sauce, stock, raisins, and olives. Simmer for 15-20 minutes covered, then uncover and simmer 5 minutes more to thicken.
Heat the oven to 400°. Place about 15 corn husks in a large bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak until soft and pliable, about 10 minutes. Grease the base of a 4-quart cazuela with lard. (I used my Le Creuset.) Remove the corn husks from the water and shake them out. Layer 8-10 of the largest in the pot, concentrating them in the bottom but covering the sides of the pot as well. Overlap as needed and create some overhang around the edge.
Scoop about 2/3 of the masa into the pot and spread with wet hands into and even layer along the bottom, and about 1" up the sides. Spread the filling onto the masa base. Dollop the remaining masa on top and spread it into a ~even layer over the filling. Cover the top of the masa with the remaining corn husks, layering as needed.
Cover the pot with the lid and place in the oven. Bake for 60-90 minutes, until a sharp paring knife inserted into the center comes out clean, the top no longer looks wet, and the edges of the tamal are pulling away from the husks. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before unwrapping from the husks and serving in slices.
What worked: It was okay. We don't normally make tortillas so this was a start on our (probably lifetime) supply of masa. The neighbors liked it. The dried plums, leftover from our Xmas pudding, were fine in place of the raisins but weren't particularly noticeable.
We used banana leaves instead of corn husks (because we had a supply in the freezer); they mostly served the same purpose.
What didn't: I forgot to grease the pan, and it showed when I was putting away leftovers. I cooked the dish for about 70 minutes because I was running late, and the tamal did not set until later when it was cool. The flavor was on the blander side -- I have to be careful with chiles in adobo as they are thermonuclear, but the masa absorbed any heat. It could have used more herbs too.
Will I make it again? Maaaaybe. It's an okay dish, but a decent amount of work for a just-okay payoff, and there were a lot of dirty dishes for me to wash. On the flip side, I need to find recipes using all this masa.
"An equally delicious, quicker alternative to tamales. This may be lesser-known than the Americanized Tamale Pie."
Masa
3 1/2 cups / 326 g masa harina (I used some of the four kilograms of gourmet imported masa the neighbors gave us)
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup / 113 g lard
2 3/8 cups / 539 g chicken stock (I used house-made)
Sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
I added: 1 chile in adobo, minced
Filling
1 Tbsp veg oil
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic (Ha! I used... more.)
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
salt and pepper
1 cup chicken stock (also house-made)
1/2 cup
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed olives, chopped
15 dried corn husks
Whisk together the masa, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the lard on high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Lower the speed to low and add the masa mixture in a slow, steady stream, mixing until sandy. Continuing to beat at low speed, add the stock in a slow, steady stream. Once the stock is fully incorporated, beat at medium-high speed until the dough is light and fluffy, 8-10 minutes. Cover and set aside.
(long list of roasting, soaking, and puréeing chiles omitted in favor of opening a can of sauce) Mix in the spices.
Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the veg oil. Add the onion, sautéing until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the meat, salt, and pepper and cook, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains, 10-15 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the sauce, stock, raisins, and olives. Simmer for 15-20 minutes covered, then uncover and simmer 5 minutes more to thicken.
Heat the oven to 400°. Place about 15 corn husks in a large bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak until soft and pliable, about 10 minutes. Grease the base of a 4-quart cazuela with lard. (I used my Le Creuset.) Remove the corn husks from the water and shake them out. Layer 8-10 of the largest in the pot, concentrating them in the bottom but covering the sides of the pot as well. Overlap as needed and create some overhang around the edge.
Scoop about 2/3 of the masa into the pot and spread with wet hands into and even layer along the bottom, and about 1" up the sides. Spread the filling onto the masa base. Dollop the remaining masa on top and spread it into a ~even layer over the filling. Cover the top of the masa with the remaining corn husks, layering as needed.
Cover the pot with the lid and place in the oven. Bake for 60-90 minutes, until a sharp paring knife inserted into the center comes out clean, the top no longer looks wet, and the edges of the tamal are pulling away from the husks. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before unwrapping from the husks and serving in slices.
What worked: It was okay. We don't normally make tortillas so this was a start on our (probably lifetime) supply of masa. The neighbors liked it. The dried plums, leftover from our Xmas pudding, were fine in place of the raisins but weren't particularly noticeable.
We used banana leaves instead of corn husks (because we had a supply in the freezer); they mostly served the same purpose.
What didn't: I forgot to grease the pan, and it showed when I was putting away leftovers. I cooked the dish for about 70 minutes because I was running late, and the tamal did not set until later when it was cool. The flavor was on the blander side -- I have to be careful with chiles in adobo as they are thermonuclear, but the masa absorbed any heat. It could have used more herbs too.
Will I make it again? Maaaaybe. It's an okay dish, but a decent amount of work for a just-okay payoff, and there were a lot of dirty dishes for me to wash. On the flip side, I need to find recipes using all this masa.
