Turkey Tamales

 
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I love Thanksgiving. It is such a wonderful time when we get the gather as a family for a day and enjoy each other’s company and more food than anyone could ever hope to eat. I know turkey is not always the most exciting thing to eat, and the amount of leftovers can seem a little daunting. We always make an effort to find ways to use the leftovers in a way that transforms them into something far from your typical Thanksgiving dinner. A few years ago we started taking our leftover turkey and making tamales. These things are amazing! They are a little labor intensive, but well worth it. If you have some family members staying for the weekend, this would be a great way to spend some time together. They freeze incredibly well, so everyones efforts can be rewarded with tamales to take home as well. I promise after you try these you will be hoping there is leftover turkey every year that you can use to make these.

Preparing The Meal

Begin by soaking the corn husks, submerging them in hot water. Let the corn husks soak until you are ready to use them, at least an hour or two.

While the husks are soaking you can begin working on the turkey filling. Take the leftover turkey, and shred it and chop it. Because this meat is going to be the filling, you want the pieces to be small so the meat does not fall out when you cut into the tamales.

Once you have the turkey chopped up, you can begin making the sauce for it. Begin by heating the olive oil in a heavy cast iron pan over medium heat until shimmering. When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Then, add the dried chiles and cook for another minute. Next, add the thyme, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, tomato paste, tomatoes, and chicken stock to the pan. Stir to combine all of the ingredients and simmer gently for an hour. After an hour remove the sauce from heat and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Once the sauce has cooled, pour the sauce into a blender and puree until very smooth. Then, pour some of the sauce over the chopped turkey in a bowl and mix to combine. Reserve some of the sauce for serving.

Next you can make the tamale dough by adding the masa, mashed sweet potatoes, lard, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and mixing well. Then, slowly add just enough hot water until you get a mixture that is between a batter and a dough.

Now that you have everything ready you can begin forming the tamales. Begin by taking a corn husk out of the water and lay flat with the narrow side towards you. Scoop some of the tamale dough onto the husk a spread it over the center of the husk. Make sure to leave about 1/4” between the dough and the edge of the husk. Then, scoop a tablespoon of the turkey filling into the center, and fold the husk over to seal the dough around the filling. Once the dough is sealed, roll the husk to create a tube, and fold the narrow end up, then tie it off with kitchen twine. When you have formed all of your tamales, get your steaming set up ready by setting a steamer insert into a large pot. Add enough water so it is just to the level of the steamer. Then, line the steamer with any spare corn husks you have. Next, place the tamales, open side up, into the steamer. Take your time and arrange so they do not tip over. The, cover the pot and steam for 1 hour. While the tamales cook, periodically check the water level in the pot, adding water as needed making sure it doesn't boil away.

To serve, reheat the reserved sauce. Add the sauce to a plate, unwrap some tamales and set on the sauce. Sprinkle with some cheddar cheese and cilantro. Eat immediately.

The Tamales

  • 2 Cups Leftover Mashed Sweet Potatoes

  • 2 1/2 Cups Masa Harina

  • 1/3 Cup Lard

  • 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

  • Corn husks

The Turkey

  • 1 1/2 Pounds of Leftover Turkey, Shredded and Chopped

  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

  • 1 Medium Yellow Onion, Chopped

  • 1 Clove Garlic, Chopped

  • 1 Jalapeno Pepper, Seeded and Chopped

  • 6 Dried Chiles (Such As Guajillo or Ancho), Seeded and Torn

  • 1/2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Allspice

  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

  • 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

  • 2 Roma Tomatoes, Diced

  • 2 Chicken Stock

  • Kosher Salt

 
Ty Kepler