Today we’re making red beef tamales!
The recipe for sweet potato tamales I shared around Thanksgiving was so popular, I just had to share another! If you are looking for more tamal recipes though, make sure to pick up a copy of Chicano Bakes.
Red beef tamales are in my top 3 favorite tamal flavors, followed by green chicken tamales (tamales de polllo en salsa verde), and tamales de rajas con queso. The red beef tamales were making today, are made with beef that’s been braised in a vibrant red guajillo chile sauce, that I also like to incorporate into the masa to season the dough. Although the tamales were making today are made using beef, you can easily swap it out for pork, or even chicken.
What are tamales?
Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a corn dough, or masa, made from nixtamalized corn flour, as well a filling, traditionally beef, chicken, pork, fish or vegetables, wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf, which is then steamed.
Recipe Overview
Tools needed to make Red Beef Tamales
Jump to RecipeFor this recipe, you’ll need a couple large bowls, a whisk, measuring spoons, measuring cups, mixing bowls, a spatula, a blender, a dutch oven and a steamer pot. Although this recipe calls for a stand mixer, you can easily make the masa in a large bowl.
One of the most important tools for this recipe, is the steamer pot. Make sure your steamer pot is large enough to fit a dozen tamales, and is deep enough to add a couple of cups of water. As the steam cooks the tamales and escapes, water will have to be replenished. If there isn’t enough space between the steamer insert and the bottom of the pot, you’ll find yourself refilling the pot with water often.
Ingredients for Red Beef tamales
To make red beef tamales at home you’ll need a few important ingredients:
Dried Corn Husks- We’ll be using dried corn husks to wrap the tamales. After buying the husks, I like to sort through and pick out the larger ones, as they give you more room to work with. Once you have your husks picked out, rehydrate them with hot water to make them pliable.
Masa Harina- Masa harina is the base of our dough! This corn flour is made from nixatamlized corn, and this recipe calls for Maseca masa harina, which is readily available across the country. If you use a different brand, it may need a little extra water. Personally, I really enjoy using the brand Masienda.
Baking Powder- Make sure your leavening is fresh! Baking powder can go bad after a while.
Kosher Salt- I use kosher salt in all of my recipes, for a quick substitute, use fine sea salt. Don’t forget, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt equals 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt.
Lard- Lard helps keep our tamales moist. It is important to beat the lard for a few minutes before making the masa, until it’s fluffy. It helps keep our crumb light and tender. If you’re making vegetarian tamales, opt for vegetable shortening.
Beef Stock- This is going to hydrate and help season our masa, if you’re making a vegetarian version, opt for vegetable stock.
Dried Guajillo Peppers-I like to use a combination of guajillo chiles and chiles anchos. Chiles guajillos are the dried form of the Mirasol pepper, and add a bright fruity flavor to the adobo.
Dried Chiles Anchos- Chiles anchos are the dried form of the poblano pepper and adds smoky depth to the sauce.
Step by Step Instructions and Tips to Make Red Beef Tamales
Jump to RecipeRehydrate the guajillo and ancho peppers. Place the peppers in a large bowl and submerge with boiling water. Let sit for 20 minutes to rehydrate.
Prepare the dried corn husks. Sort through the husks and pick out the larger ones.
Place the dried husks in a large bowl, and cover with boiling water. Let them rest for 15 minutes.
Once the peppers are rehydrated, make the adobo and marinate the beef.
In a large bowl whisk together the masa harina, baking powder, spices and salt. Don’t forget to use a food scale to weigh out the ingredients, many folks don’t realize they end up packing too much extra masa harina into their cups and it leads to a dense tamal.
Season your masa, after adding the reserved adobo to your masa, taste for salt and adjust to taste.
Portion out the dough. I like to use a large cookie scoop to portion out about 1/4 cup of dough per tamal. Wrap each tamal and steam until the masa cleanly peels away from the corn husk.
I hope you enjoy these red beef tamales. Feel free to serve them plain, or dress them up! I like to add a little dollop of crema Mexicana, and salsa roja, and finish off with a sprinkle of queso cotija. Make sure to accompany them with with a cup of champurrado, ponche navideño, and homemade rompope too. Anyways, stay warm, stay safe, and I hope you have a great Holiday season!
Red Beef Tamales (Tamales de Res en Chile Rojo)
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 24 large dried corn husks
- 10 large dried guajillo chiles ,stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles ,stemmed and seeded
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 6 garlic cloves , peeled
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 ½ beef chuck roast cut into 3-inch cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 ½ cups water (828 ml)
For the Masa:
- 4 cups corn masa harina (448g for tortillas)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium beef stock (591ml)
- ¾ cup reserved adobo (177ml)
- 1 ¼ cup lard (260g)
Instructions
- Start by rehydrating the corn husks. Place the corn husks in a large heat safe bowl, then cover with hot water and let sit for at least 15 minutes.
Make the Filling
- Place the dried guajillos and ancho chiles in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, and fill with enough water to cover by an inch. Let the water come to a boil, then once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let cook for 15 minutes. Reserve 3 ½ cups of the Chile soaking liquid.
- Once the peppers have softened, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a blender, then add in the garlic cloves, black peppercorns, cumin seeds, fresh thyme, kosher salt and 3½ cups of the Chile soaking liquid (if you don’t have enough to make up 3½ cups, add water until you have enough). Blend until smooth. Taste the sauce for salt then adjust. Reserve 1 cup of the chile sauce then then pour the rest into a large Dutch oven. Add the beef chunks, then add 3 ½ cups of beef stock, stir, then cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the flame to low and let cook for 3 to 3 ½ hours, until the beef shreds easily. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef, then use two forks to shred. Turn the flame up to medium, and let the sauce reduce for 12 minutes, then remove from the flame. Taste the sauce for salt and adjust, then toss the shredded beef back into the sauce.
Make the Masa
- In a large bowl, whisk together the masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Add the lard to the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment and whip the lard for 2 ½ minutes on medium speed. Reduce the speed to low, then alternate between adding the masa harina (1/4 cup at a time) and chile puree. Once all of the masa harina has been incorporated, pour in the chicken stock in a slow and steady stream. Turn the mixer off, then use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Gradually bump the speed up to medium-low and beat for 30 seconds then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough sit for 20 minutes to fully hydrate.
Assemble the Tamales
- Reserve 18 corn husks for the tamales then take a couple of extra husks and and rip 36 (¼-inch-wide 8-inch long) strips. Take two strips and tie them together at the ends, so you’re left with 18 strips (about 14 to 15 inches long). We’ll be using these to tie the tamales. Grab a large corn husk, and add about ⅓ cup (3oz/85g) of the masa. Use a spoon, offset spatula, or wet fingers to spread the masa down into a square, leaving an inch of space on the top, left and right side and at least 2 to 2 ½ inches of space on the bottom. Add two tablespoon of the filling to the center, then fold the right edge of the masa over to meet the left edge and press the edges down to seal. Tuck left side of the husk into the right side, then wrap the right side of the husk around to create a tube, then fold the bottom upwards. Tie a strip around the bottom of the tamal, to secure the bottom fold, then repeat the process with the remaining tamales.
- Add 5 to 6 cups of water to your steamer pot, then add the steamer insert and then place your tamales inside vertically, open side up. Place the lid on and bring the water to a boil (about 10-12 minutes) then reduce the flame to medium-low and let cook for 1 hour and 25 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes, until the masa cleanly pulls away from the husk. At the 1 hour mark, check the bottom of the pot for water, and replenish as needed. If the water for the steam runs out, the bottom of the pot will burn and get ruined. To reheat, steam for 30 to 40 minutes until fully warmed through.
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