Newburgh, New York has always been a special place for my family. It is where my mom went to college, where my parents were married, where I was born, very near where my brother went to the Culinary Institute of America, where some relatives still reside, and where other relatives, including my Grammy, are laid to rest.
There is this tiny, little box of a Mexican restaurant in Newburgh where every Thursday is tamale day. You have to let them know in advance how many you will be ordering and when they're sold out,
that's it. You have to wait until the next Thursday for another chance!
Perhaps this introduction to tamales fueled my belief that they are
special. I knew them as something that was coveted, that were a lot of work, and definitely worth it in the end.
If I see tamales on the menu at an authentic Mexican restaurant, you better put money on the fact that I'm going to order at least one to try. There is something so poignant to me when I see this dish on a menu, moreso than any other dish. I know that the recipe is most likely a very old one, taught to the maker by their mom or grandma. I also know that it is a recipe of love, with so much time and hands-on work put into it. How can I help but want to try it?
Up until this point, I had never made my own tamales. It never even occurred to me, until I learned that my dad had been mastering the skill and I got to watch him this summer.
Isn't it funny how watching somebody else do something makes it less scary and intimidating? I visited a cramped Mexican grocery in a strip mall and purchased dried corn husks, masa, and lard. Then, I turned to the king of Mexican cooking, Rick Bayless, for recipe inspiration. I've never been one to follow recipes to a T, so I read through a variety of Rick's dough and filling recipes until I decided what I wanted to do with mine.
I set aside my own tamale day, since I knew I'd be in the kitchen for hours on end. Johnny was warned, I mentally prepared myself, and looked forward to it on the calendar with great anticipation and slight anxiety.
First, I started the filling, which consisted of the meat and sauce. I knew it had to simmer for a long time, so I wanted to get it set up and cooking so I could concentrate on other things.
Filling:
3 oz. dried chiles (I used Anaheim)
8-10 cups water
2 tsp salt
~5 lbs pork (I just grabbed the cheapest cut available)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp crushed black peppercorns
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tbsp lard
Begin by breaking the dried chiles open and removing the seeds and membrane. Then rip the chiles into large pieces and toast in the bottom of a dry, heavy-bottomed pan over high heat (I used my dutch oven). Press down with a metal spatula until the chile's skin begins to blister and darkens. It will start to smell like popcorn with a bit of a chile kick. Once the chiles are toasted, move them to a small bowl and cover with hot water. Place a small plate over the chiles to keep them submerged.
In a large pot (I continued to use my dutch oven), bring 8-10 cups of water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the pork into 1" cubes. Add the salt and the pork to the water. For the first few minutes, use a large spoon to skim off any foam. Lower the heat to medium, partially cover the pot, and let the meat cook for 40 minutes, until it is really tender. Remove the meat to a large bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving the cooking liquid in another bowl.
Drain the chiles and put them in your food processor along with the garlic, cumin, pepper, and raisins. Add 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid and blend until smooth. In the same large pot, over high heat, melt the lard. Transfer the chile mixture to the pot and add an additional 1 cup of reserved liquid. Stir to incorporate, and let the sauce sear and thicken for about 5 minutes, covering with a mesh splatter lid. Lower the heat and let the sauce continue to reduce for another 15 minutes.
While the sauce is thickening, shred the pork with your hands. Once done, add the sauce and stir. Set the filling aside until you're ready to make the tamales.
Clean out your kitchen sink and fill it with very hot water. Separate the dried corn husks and drop them into the water. Place a large plate or dish on top to keep them submerged. These will soak while we move onto the dough.
Dough:
6 ears of fresh corn
8 cups masa
1 lb. lard
2 tsp salt
6 tsp baking powder
reserved cooking liquid from the meat
The above amounts are quadrupled. I made four smaller batches in the food processor, then transferred to a large bowl.
Begin by cutting the kernals off the corn. Then with the back of the knife or a spoon, scrape the ears to get the remainder of the kernals and sweet juice. Add to the food processor bowl and process until it's pureed. Add the remaining ingredients and run until it is a thick dough.
Once the four batches were in the large bowl, I used a hand mixture and slowly incorporated the remainder of the reserved cooking liquid (about 3-4 cups). The consistency will be like a thick cake batter.
Now you are
finally ready to start filling!
Clear a large area on the counter or a table. Place the bowl of your dough, the bowl of your filling, and a steamer basket within reach. Grab a pile of the corn husks and wrap them in a kitchen towel, which you will also need within reach.
First, take a husk and pat it dry. With the thin side facing you, spoon about 3 Tbsp of the dough onto the husk. Smooth out until the masa is about 4" x 2". Next, spoon about 1 Tbsp of the filling down the center of the dough. Now, grab both sides of the husk and bring up and inwards so the masa touches and "seals" in the filling. Continue rolling the excess husk into a tight packet, then bring the thin end upwards into a fold. Place seam side down into a husk-lined steamer basket.
Repeat, repeat, repeat - until your steamer basket is full.
Place over boiling water, cover, and steam for 1 hour. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes for the dough to firm up a bit.
Two batches of baskets were steamed, resulting in a total of 71 tamales and 7 hours in the kitchen. 
Was it worth it?
That question was answered in the first bite.
Yes.
The excess tamales were wrapped individually in wax paper and placed in zip bags destined for the freezer. They will keep for several months and can be reheated quickly and conveniently for a quick snack, or a tasty dinner in no time!
The other night my dad whipped up a meat sauce using his Italian sausage, leftover roast beef, and leftover pork. It was really hearty and thick. In fact, we ate it two nights and I froze about a quart of it too!
And the one part of the meal I was in charge of, boiling the spaghetti, ended up like this. (Yes, I threw it out b/c our floors are currently filthy.)
I chose to serve mine with the braising vegetables and roasted cabbage with cheese sauce (a favorite in our household).
First, I started the filling, which consisted of the meat and sauce. I knew it had to simmer for a long time, so I wanted to get it set up and cooking so I could concentrate on other things.
Begin by breaking the dried chiles open and removing the seeds and membrane. Then rip the chiles into large pieces and toast in the bottom of a dry, heavy-bottomed pan over high heat (I used my dutch oven). Press down with a metal spatula until the chile's skin begins to blister and darkens. It will start to smell like popcorn with a bit of a chile kick. Once the chiles are toasted, move them to a small bowl and cover with hot water. Place a small plate over the chiles to keep them submerged.
Drain the chiles and put them in your food processor along with the garlic, cumin, pepper, and raisins. Add 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid and blend until smooth. In the same large pot, over high heat, melt the lard. Transfer the chile mixture to the pot and add an additional 1 cup of reserved liquid. Stir to incorporate, and let the sauce sear and thicken for about 5 minutes, covering with a mesh splatter lid. Lower the heat and let the sauce continue to reduce for another 15 minutes.
While the sauce is thickening, shred the pork with your hands. Once done, add the sauce and stir. Set the filling aside until you're ready to make the tamales.
Begin by cutting the kernals off the corn. Then with the back of the knife or a spoon, scrape the ears to get the remainder of the kernals and sweet juice. Add to the food processor bowl and process until it's pureed. Add the remaining ingredients and run until it is a thick dough.
Once the four batches were in the large bowl, I used a hand mixture and slowly incorporated the remainder of the reserved cooking liquid (about 3-4 cups). The consistency will be like a thick cake batter.
First, take a husk and pat it dry. With the thin side facing you, spoon about 3 Tbsp of the dough onto the husk. Smooth out until the masa is about 4" x 2". Next, spoon about 1 Tbsp of the filling down the center of the dough. Now, grab both sides of the husk and bring up and inwards so the masa touches and "seals" in the filling. Continue rolling the excess husk into a tight packet, then bring the thin end upwards into a fold. Place seam side down into a husk-lined steamer basket.
Repeat, repeat, repeat - until your steamer basket is full.
Was it worth it?
That question was answered in the first bite.
Yes.
The excess tamales were wrapped individually in wax paper and placed in zip bags destined for the freezer. They will keep for several months and can be reheated quickly and conveniently for a quick snack, or a tasty dinner in no time!
This really hit the spot! Thanks for the idea, Biz! The pork was still moist and tender, while the sauce hit several notes of smoky, tart, sweet, and savory.
The above plate was Johnny's. I ate one very small pork chop and some of the roasted broccoli. I've been trying to make at least half of my meals be a big, loaded salad after failing miserably at the 101 Days of Summer Challenge. My goal had been to move more and tone up. While I did move more, unfortunately it did not counteract all the delicious food this summer! I ended up adding back any inches I had lost from the halfway check-in and I gained a whopping 7 pounds from the start of the challenge!
I had done a lot of chopping for dinner, so this particular salad wasn't that loaded. I usually start with a big bed of mixed greens and/or baby spinach. To that I like to add some mixture of avacado, fresh apples, oranges, and vegetables, canned beets, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, grated cheese, smoked salmon, boiled egg, and whatever leftovers I deem appropriate. It helps to have a wide variety of salad toppings to mix up so you don't get bored. My go to dressings are usually some variety of Newman's Own.
My first for this week was cooking a Stuffed Pork Loin! This is something that I've eaten a few times and has intrigued me for years, but was always scared to do myself. Luckily I bit the bullet and saw that it really was pretty darn easy!
Before I froze the last loin, I butterflied it, just as Laura had instructed. Today I just unrolled it and decided on stuffing choices.
1 1/2 lb. - 2 lb. pork loin, butterflied
First I seasoned the pork with salt and pepper. Then I spread the goat cheese on using a rubber spatula until it was evenly covered.
Next I sprinkled the minced garlic and celery evenly over the goat cheese. I layed the three pieces of salami so they went across the entire loin. Beginning at the end closest to the salami, I started rolling tightly pushing the ingredients in as needed, until I reached the other end.
I secured with toothpicks because I don't have any butcher's twine. (Tip: When using toothpicks in your cooking always count how many you have used. This way you can re-count when you remove them and avoid the risk of injuries or choking.) 
Slice using a sharp knife and serve displaying the beautiful rolls.
I served with some couscous and fresh corn on the cob! It was really juicy and flavorful. The goat cheese stayed really creamy, which gave the bites containing it a nice texture.
Place in a cold oven.
Oh, it was such a simple process! No babysitting it, turning it, and no mess. Just one step, pop it in the oven and come back when it's done! Such a great way to enjoy bacon!
1 onion, halved and sliced
*Note on chorizo: I did not pre-cook and drain my chorizo this time, but will in the future. I was able to strain off a lot of the fat with a spoon, but felt it could have been healthier.
We served on warmed tortillas and it was shockingly delicious. Seriously, one of those meals where I'm sitting there, chewing in disbelief that my own two hands created it!
And, trust me on this, add a dollop of sour cream and it brings the flavor up a million notches. I can't explain it, but just that one, simple topping knocked this one out of the park. Both Johnny and I absolutely loved it as is, but were rolling our eyes back in foodie ecstasy once the sour cream was added!
Honestly, I was surprised at how good this was! Johnny wandered into the kitchen to help me brown the sausage and ended up staying while the sauce was created. When he saw I was going to be adding the cream cheese he said a quiet "cooool." After a few bites he agreed it's crazy how big of a difference just adding cream cheese makes.
If you like vodka sauce, you'll like this. It's still very "tomatoey," just with a creamy goodness. You won't be able to put a finger on it, it doesn't taste "cream cheesy," just smooth and more "special" than your normal sauce. I would serve this dish to company it's that good!
Once the sausage is cooked, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the skillet. Surprisingly, there were barely any drippings, maybe 1 tsp, so I added the 2 Tbsp of butter to melt. Next, add the flour and stir to form a roux and let it tan for a little bit.
Add your cream and milk. (To be honest, you could make this with just milk, but I wanted it to be indulgent and I also had cream from the butterbeans on hand.) Whisk until the roux is dissolved and add the spices. Let simmer for a few minutes until it begins to thicken and then add the sausage back in.
You can eat it right out of the pan with a spoon (my vote!), or be civilized and spoon it over some good Southern food!
Mix the dry ingredients together and then cut in the shortening. Add the yeast and buttermilk, mixing well. If you do not have buttermilk on hand, just make your own by adding about 1 Tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice to the cup of milk and let sit for a few minutes, it'll thicken up.
Turn dough onto a lightly flowered surface and using the palms of your hands, press out to about 3/8" - 1/2" thick - no need to roll! Using a biscuit cutter (or a floured glass if you don't own one) cut out the biscuits. I've heard to not "spin" your cutter, you'll "seal" the edges of the biscuit and it won't rise as well. Instead, make a smooth down-up motion while cutting the biscuits.
Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
If you're going to be enjoying biscuits 'n gravy, like we did with the chicken fried steak, grab a biscuit or two and split it in half.
Ladle over some sausage gravy and thank your lucky stars for Southern cooks everywhere!
