Tools of the trade - Tamale Husks, Fresh Pintos and Serrano Chicken

I have my corn husks for tamale making!
Got a bag of Maseca Corn Masa Mix to make the Tamales.

I am going to make fresh pintos tomorrow. The beans will be for the 3 doz Bean and Cheese Tamales and I shall also make 3 doz Serrano Green Chile Chicken tamales for New Years Eve along with the traditional Cinnamon Sugar Bunuelos which I learned to make from my grandmother/mother.

Here is the basic recipe for fresh PINTOS:

1 lb beans, cleaned
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 t. crushed black pepper
4 oz. tomato sauce
2 strips bacon, chopped coarsely
baking soda
1/4 cup cilantro, fresh torn
4 quarts of water + 1 beer

Clean beans, add a good handful of baking soda and cover overnight in a non-aluminum bowl with water to cover the beans. The next morning, rinse the beans three times, discarding water each time.

Add garlic, pepper, tomato sauce, bacon, and water + beer as well as cilantro. Cook for 6 hours or until the beans are tender and the bean skin curl when you pull them out of the water. Add cilantro -- if you have not doe so already. Add 1 t. sea salt AFTER the beans are cooked as it will cause the beans to burst when you add salt while they are cooking.

Use immediately!

Great with a big hunk of buttered cornbread!

Amount Per Serving
Serving Size 545g
Recipe makes 8 servings
Calories 260
Calories from Fat 103	40%
Total Fat 12.29g	15%
Saturated Fat 1.78g	7%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 95mg	4%
Potassium 826mg	24%
Total Carbs 19.5g	5%
Dietary Fiber 4.9g	16%
Sugars 0.61g	0%
Protein 22.67g	36%

Serrano Green Chile Chicken:
1/4 Onion sliced thinly
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1/4 t. Cayenne
1/4 c. Cilantro, chopped
2 cups fresh Green Chile sauce (buy my cookbook for the recipe) or use Hatch GREEN Chile Sauce
2 - 4 Serranos, minced
2 T Olive Oil
1/2 t Sea Salt
1/2 t  Pepper, ground

Add oil to a hot pan, add onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent. Add Chicken and Serrano's saute until just browned and turn. Add Cayenne, Green Chile Sauce, salt and pepper and simmer covered until the sauce thickens and chicken is no longer pink. Take chicken out. Shred it with two forks and return back to the pan, thicken sauce as needed. Correct seasoning and reserve for chicken tamales.

 Soaking Tamale husks in preparation of spreading corn masa and filling them before steaming the tamales.

 Here is a photo of the finished product, without the tamale husk, a Bean Tamale -- steamed and ready to be consumed with a little sprinkle of sea salt.