Corn and Cheese Tamales

Name: Corn and Cheese Tamales
Yield: Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 12 tamales) as a light main course
Cuisine: Latin America & Caribbean, Mexican
Ingredients: 3/4 cup, quick grits (not instant); 1 cup, boiling water; 3/4 cup, masa harina; 15 large, dried corn husks; 1 cup, frozen corn, thawed; 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick), unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and softened; 1/4 cup (2 ounces), lard, softened; 1 tablespoon, sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons, baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon, salt; 6 ounces, Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups); 1 - 2 tablespoons, minced pickled jalapeños

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Main Courses

Latin America & Caribbean

Tamales, moist corn cakes with savory fillings, rank high among those foods that are better ordered out because they’re just too complicated to make at home. Our goal was to bring this classic family dish back home.

SERVES4 to 6 (Makes 12 tamales) as a light main course

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

For our tamales recipe, we turned to readily available masa harina, or flour made from masa that has been dried. We supplemented the masa harina with grits and added frozen corn kernels—together they vastly improved the flavor of the dough....

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