In Latin America, tamales are a celebration food served at Christmas and New Year’s Eve. But eating tamales is only part of the fun—making them is a celebration in and of itself. It’s a social occasion, an excuse to bring family and friends together and spend the day in the kitchen. These party-like gatherings, known as tamaladas, always result in a huge batch of delicious, steaming hot tamales—enough to feed everyone, with plenty of leftovers to give as gifts.

Making tamales begins with preparing a soft, rich corn dough called masa, along with a meat or vegetable filling and a sauce. The filling can be anything from spiced shredded pork (as it is in my猪玉米粉玉米饼配以双芝利酱食谱) to roast chicken or simple roasted poblanos. Masa and fi lling are wrapped in corn husks (or banana leaves) and then steamed. The process isn’t difficult; the key is getting the masa right and mastering the wrapping technique. The good news: We’ve got all the tips and techniques for delicious success.

Make the pork filling

用中火加热重型8夸脱锅中的猪油或油。分批工作，煮猪肉直至呈褐色，每侧3至4分钟。褐变后，将每批转移到碗中。

Return all of the pork to the pot and add the remaining pork filling ingredients and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the meat is fall-apart tender, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Remove the meat from the pot, cool briefly, and shred it using 2 forks. Strain the broth, discarding the solids, and let cool briefly. Skim off the excess fat and reserve the broth. (The recipe may be made to this point up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate the meat and broth separately.)

做辣酱

Heat 1-1/2 Tbs. of the lard or oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion and garlic to a blender.

Add the soaked chiles, tomatoes, and a little of the broth to the blender and purée until smooth.

加热剩余的1/2汤匙。用中高温加热锅中的猪油或油，加入masa harina，煮约1分钟。加入辣椒 - 豆腐混合物并煮熟，定期搅拌，直到颜色变暗3至4分钟。加入糖或蜂蜜，小茴香，牛至（如果使用），五香粉，丁香，2-1/2茶匙。盐和足够的猪肉汤将泥稀释到酱汁稠度。加入肉桂棒，降低热量，煮沸，偶尔搅拌，直到颜色稍微加深，稠度光滑，并在酱汁表面上产生轻微的光泽，再加上15至20分钟，并根据需要添加更多的肉汤。调味盐和糖。（酱汁可以提前2天组成；保持冷藏。）

Masa 101

Masa is a simple dough made from corn kernels that have been dried, rehydrated, and nixtamalized, or treated with lime (calcium oxide) to remove their skins. Once the skins are rubbed off, the kernels are thoroughly washed and ground into soft, pliable masa. Fresh masa is very perishable and therefore difficult to find outside Mexico and its bordering states, so it’s often dried and powdered to make masa harina. Masa harina can then be reconstituted into masa dough by mixing it with hot water. In tamale making, masa is usually beaten or whipped with fat (preferably lard), seasonings, and liquids (like broth), resulting in a soft, fluffy texture.

做马萨

In a large bowl, mix the masa harina with 2-1/4 cups hot (140°F to 160°F) water. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), whip the lard, butter, or shortening on medium-high speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp. salt and continue beating while adding the masa in golf-ball-size pieces, waiting a few seconds between each addition. When about half of the masa is mixed in, start alternating the masa with the pork broth until all of the masa is used, along with about 2 cups of the broth. Add 1/4 cup of the chile sauce and whip until light and fluffy, adding more broth if the mixture seems too dry.

To test if the masa is ready, take a small piece (about 1/2 tsp.) and drop it in a cup of cold water. It should easily float. If not, simply whip the masa for a few more minutes and test again. Often, adding a bit more of the pork broth or cool water during this second mixing will help; don’t add too much liquid, however, or you’ll end up with overly soft masa and shapeless tamales.

Soak the corn husks in very hot water for 30 to 45 minutes, or overnight in cool water with a plate or bowl set on top of the husks to keep them submerged. You’ll have enough husks to make the tamales, plus extra to line the steamer and make up for any broken husks.

在一个中等大小的碗中，将2杯智利酱与切碎的肉混合，然后加盐调味。

蒸玉米粉

用足够的水填充面食插入物，将其插入插入物的下方。没有插入物，盖上盖子并用高火煮沸。如果水变低，请准备好水壶或几乎沸腾的水。将玉米粉蒸肉直立（开放式最终）放在插入物中，为蒸汽循环留出空间。将插入物放入锅中。用额外的果壳覆盖玉米粉蒸肉（这有助于浓缩热量）。用盖子盖住锅。蒸1至1-1/2小时，根据需要调节热量以保持水的沸腾。经常检查水位，并根据需要添加更多，以防止锅干燥。

To test for doneness, quickly remove a tamale and replace the lid on the pot to continue the cooking. Put the tamale on the counter for a few minutes and then carefully unwrap it. If ready, the masa should be set and will pull away from the wrapper easily.

让玉米粉蒸肉休息5至10分钟，然后再服用，让Masa牢固。对于较软的玉米粉蒸肉，让它们放在锅中放在锅中，盖子和额外的叶子去除。对于更坚固的玉米粉蒸肉，让它们从锅里休息，上面覆盖着一块布。

Serve the tamales in their wrappers with extra sauce passed on the side, and have diners unwrap them just before eating. Once unwrapped, they cool quickly.

冻结，打包并给予

Perfect for serving at holiday parties and family gatherings, tamales also make a special gift from the kitchen. The tamales and sauce will keep for several days in the fridge and for up to three months in the freezer.

To freeze, put the steamed and cooled tamales in sealed freezer storage bags to keep them from drying out. Freeze the sauce in sealed freezer storage bags or covered containers.

To give, pack the tamales and sauce in a Styrofoam container with a cold pack to create a mini cooler; wrap with ribbon, if you like.

要重新加热，只需再次将玉米粉蒸肉蒸：冷藏10到12分钟，冷冻25至30分钟。如果冷冻的质地直接从冰箱转到蒸锅，它们的质地将具有更好的质感。在炉灶上或微波炉上加热调味料。