Submitted by Jeanne Marshall, who writes:

A tamalada is 2 parties in one – getting a group of friends together to make tamales and then an even bigger group to eat them! My Hot Tamale – http://www.sonofthesouth.net/tamales/ has great tips if you’ve never tried tamales before.

These pumpkin black bean tamales were a big hit. Yield is a dozen tamales; recommend doubling the recipe for a party. Source: By Larry Luttropp, LA Times

Tamale Ingredients

• 1 package corn husks
• 2 cups (heaping) Maseca corn flour (get Tamale version)
• 2 cups to 2 1/2 cups warm chicken stock or water
• 1/2 pound lard
• 2 cups pureed cooked or canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, firmly packed (if you’ve got access to a Hispanic market, get 3 ounces piloncillo instead — grated or crushed) Salt

Bean Filling

• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons anise
• 2 To 3 pasilla de Oaxaca chilies OR dried chipotle chilies or canned chipotle in adobo sauce
• 2 cups To 2 1/2 cups cooked or
• Canned black beans, drained
• 5 To 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons Lard
• Salt

 

Prepare Bean Filling

Put water in small pan, add anise and boil until reduced by half. Strain and reserve infusion.

If using pasilla de Oaxaca or dried chipotles, cover with boiling water and let soak until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and remove stems. Canned chipotles need no preparation.

Working in batches, if necessary, puree beans with chilies, garlic and anise infusion in blender or food processor fitted with steel blade.

Melt lard in heavy skillet or wide, shallow saucepan over high heat. When very hot, add bean puree, watching for splatters. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until liquid is evaporated. Season to taste with salt. Cool to room temperature.

 

Assemble Tamales

Soak corn husks in water for at least 30 minutes. Take several and tear into long strips – you’ll use them to tie the tamales.

Mix masa harina in a bowl or pot with enough warm stock to make soft but not sticky dough. Beat lard in separate large bowl on medium speed until very light and fluffy. Add masa harina mixture and pumpkin puree to lard little at time, beating on medium speed and scraping down as needed. Mixture should be as light as butter cream. (If a small piece of dough floats in a small cup of water, you beat the lard enough)

Beat in cinnamon, piloncillo/brown sugar and salt to taste.

Place soaked corn husks flat on work space. Tear off some long, thin strips from a several husks. Place a large dollop of masa mixture in center of husk and spread across husk with spatula.

Place 1 heaping tablespoon Bean Filling in center of husk. Fold left and right edges of husk toward center to meet, overlapping to cover filling. Fold up bottom edge to center. Fasten by tying with thin strip of husk. Repeat with remaining husks, masa and filling. Steam the tamales for 45 -50 minutes.