Tamales New Mexican Style
New Mexican tamales — made with masa flavoured generously with red chile and lard, stuffed with red chile-braised pork — are substantively different from Central Mexican tamales (MX-03) in both the masa and the filling. The masa is red from the chile worked into it; the filling is pork slow-braised in red chile until it falls apart. Every component carries the New Mexican chile character.
- **The red chile masa:** - Masa harina (nixtamalised corn flour) beaten with lard until the lard is fully incorporated. - Red chile sauce (RC-02) and broth added — the chile both seasons and colours the masa. - The float test as per MX-03 — a ball of correctly aerated masa floats in cold water. - The colour: the finished masa should be a warm, deep orange-red from the chile throughout. - **The red chile pork filling:** - Pork shoulder braised in red chile sauce with garlic and cumin until completely falling apart. - Cooled and shredded before use — the filling must not be warm when assembling the tamales (warm filling sets too quickly and is difficult to spread evenly). [VERIFY] Jamison's tamale recipe. - **The assembly:** - Corn husks soaked and dried as per MX-03. - The red chile masa spread in a thicker layer than Mexican tamales — New Mexican tamales tend toward a higher masa-to-filling ratio. - The filling placed in the centre. - **Steaming:** Upright in a large pot, covered, for 45–60 minutes. Doneness test identical to MX-03 — the masa should pull cleanly from the husk.
Rancho de Chimayó