The Best Authentic Colombian Tamales
Forget dry, bland tamales. These are packed with juicy pork, chicken, and a secret marinade that brings the Latina love.
Servings: 12 tamales
Cost: $24.50
Equipment
- 1 Steamer pot or basket Or bamboo steamer
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 medium green bell pepper
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 4 scallions
- 1 medium red onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp ground cumin
- ½ tbsp saffron powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup pickled jalapeños
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp dry oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper ground
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the Meat
- 10 oz pork fillet pork tenderloin
- 7 oz smoked bacon hardwood smoked, naturally smoked or applewood smoked
- 10 oz chicken thigh boneless and skinless
For the Veggies
- 2 medium potatoes diced Red Potatoes or Yukon Gold
- 1 cup green pea
- 1 cup carrot diced
- ½ cup sweet corn
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 medium tomato diced
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch Salt and pepper to taste
For the corn masa
- 16 oz precooked corn meal
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
- ½ tbsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 3½ cup chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
For Assembly
- 16 oz banana leaves
Instructions
The Marinade
- Remove the seeds from the bell peppers and cut them into large pieces.
- Roughly chop the green onions and the red onions then place garlic cloves, cumin, saffron powder, salt, chicken stock, jalapenos, tomato paste, ground coriander, dry oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and olive oil into a blender.
- Blend on high speed for about 1 min until you get a smooth marinade. Reserve.
The Meat
- Thinly slice the pork filet and bacon and cut chicken into small pieces.
- Place pork fillet, smoked bacon, chicken and 1½ cups of your already made marinade, mix and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
For the Veggies
- In a bowl stir the chopped onions with diced potatoes, peas, carrots and corn.
- Heat a pan with olive oil, then add the veggies.
- Add garlic paste, salt and pepper, mix well and cook for 2min.
- Then add the diced tomato and tomato paste, stir, turn off the heat and transfer the veggies to a bowl.
- Let them cool in the fridge.
Corn Masa
- In a bowl, whisk corn meal, ground cumin, smoked paprika, parsley, coriander, onion powder, salt, tomato paste, garlic paste, chicken stock and milk. Pour 1 cup of your already made marinade whisk until you get a batter that holds together slightly. Reserve.
Assembly
- Prepare the banana leaves by removing the central rib and wiping them clean, if they are too tough to handle, you can soften them by dipping in simmering water before cutting and assembling. Cut them into rectangles around 9 x 12 inches.
- Take a banana leaf and spread about ⅓ cup corn masa in the center. Make a rough 4 inch circle.
- Add some meat filling in the middle so it covers ¾ of the corn masa, then place a bit of vegetables on top to cover the meat. Don't cram in too much filling as it will be harder to wrap and too much to eat.
- Finish with a spoonful of corn masa over the filling.
Folding instructions
- Lift the long side of the leaf closest to you and fold it over the filling. For a full video of this process just watch it here.
- Bring the opposite long side up and overlap it over the first fold by about ½ inch (1 cm), creating a tight tube.
- Gently press the masa from the outside to ensure the filling is sealed.
- Fold the empty left and right ends of the leaf underneath the packet. You should end up with a neat, rectangular brick
- Flip the tamale over so the folded seams are underneath (the weight of the tamale keeps it sealed).
Cooking
- Prepare your steamer pot. Fill the bottom with water, ensuring it doesn't touch the rack. Line the steamer rack with leftover banana leaf scraps. This protects the tamales from direct heat and adds extra aroma!
- Place the tamales into the steamer. You can stack them in layers, but leave small gaps for steam to circulate. Cover the tamales with extra leaves or a damp tea towel, then place the lid on tight.
- Steam at approx approx 194°F / 90°C for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Keep a kettle of hot water nearby. Check the pot every 20–30 minutes to make sure the water hasn't boiled dry!
- Once the tamales are cooked let them rest for about 15–20 min to cool slightly. This allows the masa to firm up and stop sticking to the banana leaf before serving.
- You can open the banana leaves and eat.
Video
Notes
- Use Pre-cooked Corn Meal (known as Masarepa). The most common brand in the US is P.A.N. (yellow or white package). Do not use standard American cornmeal (gritty), cornstarch, or fresh masa dough meant for tortillas, as the texture will not work.
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The Banana Leaves If your leaves are tearing easily, you may not have warmed them enough. pass them over a gas flame for a few seconds or dip them in hot water until they turn a glossy dark green and feel like fabric.
- Emergency Fix: If a leaf tears while folding, patch it with a scrap piece of leaf, or wrap the whole tamale in a layer of aluminum foil over the leaf to hold the shape.
- If the tamales are soft or squishy when you first remove from the steamer, this is normal. Do not try to unwrap them immediately. They need 15–20 minutes of resting time to firm up and set.
- Make Ahead & Freezing Cooked tamales keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you need longer place cooked and cooled tamales in a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in a steamer or microwave.
- Reheating best method is to steam for 15–20 minutes until hot through. Microwave is the fastest option just wrap the tamale (still in the leaf) in a damp paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes. The damp towel creates steam and prevents the masa from drying out.
- Don't use Chicken with Skin on, I recommend using boneless, skinless thighs. Chicken skin becomes rubbery when steamed and can make the masa slimy. The marinade provides enough fat to keep the meat juicy without the skin.
- Want a fresh kick? Drizzle these with Authentic Chimichurri a classic from Uruguay & Argentina) for an incredible herb flavor that cuts through the rich masa.
Nutrition
Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1363mg | Potassium: 1006mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2835IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 5mg