Fresh Corn Tamales with Tomatillo-Chile Sauce

Name: Fresh Corn Tamales with Tomatillo-Chile Sauce
Yield: Makes 12 tamales
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 large ears, fresh sweet corn (plus extra husks if needed); 2 cups, fresh masa (1 pound) or Substitute Masa (see recipe that follows); 2 ounces, unsalted butter, cut into half-inch cubes and softened slightly; 1/4 cup, fresh lard, cut into half-inch cubes; 2 tablespoons, sugar; 1/2 teaspoon, table salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons, baking powder; 1/2 pound, fresh tomatillos, husked and washed or two 13-ounce cans tomatillos, drained; 1 , jalapeño chile or 2 serrano chile peppers, stemmed (and seeded if you prefer a milder sauce); 2 tablespoons, chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 1/2 , small onion, chopped coarse; 1 small clove, garlic, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 1/2 teaspoons, lard or vegetable oil; 1/2 cup, chicken stock or beef stock or low-sodium chicken or beef broth; 2/3 cup, quick grits (not instant); 3/4 cup, masa harina

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated July/August 1994

These tamales are rich with the earthy flavors of both fresh and dried corn.

SERVESMakes 12 tamales

TIME1 hour

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

For a light tamale recipe, full of corn flavor, the keys were to use baking powder as the leavener and to beat the lard together with the masa to trap a lot of air. This caused the dough to expand as the tamales steamed, so they became much...

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