Tamale Time...

So my new neighbor Susan invited me to join her and her friends for their 2nd annual "Tamale Night".  I was so excited, as Helen and I have always talked about making them, but neither one of us had ever done it.  I figured this was the opportunity to get some hands on training for people who had been down that ol' proverbial "Tamale Assembly Line"before.  I got my Facebook invite to the event, instructions of how to make your pork filling, where to get the needed ingredients, what to bring.  The Information was great!  I scanned over the internet looking for additional recipes and came across a Rick Bayless recipe for "Green Chile Chicken Tamales".  I got all my fillings together, a snack for the group, my pile of masa, the needed ziplock bags, spoon, and most important...Comfy Shoes!

I conveniently walked next door and picked myself a spot at the table.  First things first Joanna give me a giant scoop of red sauce, and two scoops of lard, and some of my meat juices to kneed into the masa.  About 30-40 minutes later, (and surely several visits to a Chiropractor for shoulder, and finger fatigue..kidding of course!) I was ready to start filling my tamales!  I heated up my meat and added a little more red sauce and the last of my meat juices.  then I went outside to get myself a pile of "ojas" or corn husks, that we had all given to Susan the day before, so she could soak them.  Then it was time for another lesson in tamale making.  Off I was making dozen after dozen of tamales.  I just hope that little "JER" voice in my head that kept saying, "Not too much masa, and lots of meat", didn't make my tamales to masa-less.  Each of the gals put in one or two tamales that Joanna started steaming right at the get go, so we could all do some sampling when we were done.  I was able to make 3 dozen pork, and a little more than 2 dozen chicken tamales.  I have a PILE of masa left, so after the new year, Helen and I are going to make some more.  A few more tamale tidbits.  Susan scattered the ojas out on towels in the backyard to dry out a little and by about mid evening of making the tamales, it was so cold that they were starting to ice up!  We started making the tamales at 6:00 PM, and I got home at about 12:00 Midnight! There were a total of 14 of us!  What a GREAT bunch of ladies!