Blue Corn Vegetable Tamales

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Blue Corn, native to the Southwest, gives these tamales a distinctive, nutty taste. Make them smaller than an entree tamale and serve as a side dish in place of a vegetable. This recipe is taken from Just North of the Border, by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach. Prima Publishing, 1992.

Ingredients

  • 6 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, chopped

  • 2 cups whole-kernel corn

  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  • Corn husks

  • 2 cups coarse blue cornmeal

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2 cups chicken broth

  • 1/3 cup lard or shortening

Instructions

Combine the chiles, corn, and cheese together for the filling.

Soak the corn husks in water to soften.

Mix together the blue cornmeal and salt. Slowly add the broth, stirring with a fork until the mixture holds together. Whip the lard or shortening until it is fluffy. Add the cornmeal mixture to the shortening and continue to beat. Drop a teaspoonful of dough into a glass of cold water. If the dough floats, it is ready. If it sinks, continue to beat it until it floats.

To assemble, select corn husks that measure about 5 by 8 inches or overlap smaller ones together. Place 2 tablespoons of dough in the center of the husk and pat or spread it evenly into a 2-by-3-inch rectangle. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling down the center and top with some cheese. Fold the husk around the dough and filling, being careful not to squeeze the tamale.

There are two basic ways of securing the corn husks. The first is to use two strips of husk to firmly tie each end of the tamale. This method works well with smaller corn husks.

The second method is to fold the tapered end over the filled husk and then fold the remaining end over it. Tie the tamale around the middle with a strip of husk to keep the ends folded down.

Place a rack in the bottom of a steamer or large pot. Make sure that the rack is high enough to keep the tamales above the water. Place the tamales on the rack, folded side down; if the pot is large enough, stand them up. Do not pack them tightly because they need to expand as they cook. Cover with additional husks or a towel to absorb the moisture. Bring the water to a boil, reduce to a gentle boil, and steam for an hour for each dozen tamales, or until done. To test for doneness, open one end of a husk; if the dough pulls away from the wrapper, it is done.

Sriracha Sauce

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A table condiment similar to ketchup–but much more pungent–sriracha sauce is named after a seaside town in Thailand. Increasingly popular, this sauce is found on the tables of Thai and Vietnamese restaurants all over North America. Fresh red chiles are the key to the flavor of this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh red serrano, cayenne, Thai, or chile de arbol chiles, stems removed
  • 2 1/2 cups rice vinegar (or substitute white distilled vinegar)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Instructions

Remove the stems from the chiles. Place the chiles and vinegar in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Turn off the heat and add the sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Place the saucepan contents in a food processor or blender and puree until a smooth thin-paste consistency. Add additional rice vinegar if the mixture is too thick. Allow the mixture to steep for several hours, place in glass containers, and refrigerate. The consistency should be slightly thinner than ketchup.

Optional: Strain the sauce through a sieve and discard the solids for a smooth, seedless consistency.

Nam Prik (Pepper Water Sauce)

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This is the typical Thai chile sauce that is found in many forms–served in restaurants, bottled, and made in homes. There are many variations, of which this is probably the most basic. It is served with almost every Thai appetizer and entree.

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 3 fresh, small Thai chiles, or substitute fresh piquins or chiltepins, stems removed, minced with the seeds (or more to taste)
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 cup prepared nam pla fish sauce (available in the ethnic sections of some grocery stores, or in Asian markets)
  • 2 cilantro leaves, chopped

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a jar and shake well. Allow to sit to blend the flavors. Use immediately and refrigerate the remaining sauce. It will last several weeks in the refrigerator.

Machaca Shredded Beef

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This recipe can be stuffed in enchilads, tacos, sopalillas.

Ingredients

  • 3-pound arm roast

  • Water

  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped green chile

  • 1 tomato, chopped

  • 1/2 onion, diced

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Place the roast in a large pan with water to cover and simmer until tender and the meat begins to fall apart, about 3 to 4 hours. Remove the roast from the pan, remove the fat and bone, and shred the meat by hand or with a fork.

Return the meat to the pan, add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed by the meat, about 30 minutes.