DECEMBER 2020 117salad spinner, and spin to remove excess
water. (Drying the corn well is essential
for grinding it evenly.) Transfer half of the
corn (about 2^1 / 2 cups) to a food processor
fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until ker-
nels are coarsely chopped, 6 to 8 pulses.
Process until corn is very finely ground,
3 to 5 minutes, stopping occasionally to
scrape the sides of the bowl and break
up if it forms a ball. Transfer mixture to a
large bowl. Repeat process with remain-
ing corn, and add ground corn to the bowl
with the first batch. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Sprinkle salt over corn mixture. Add
water, 1 teaspoon at a time, kneading
masa in bowl at least 30 seconds after
each addition. Continue adding water
and kneading until the texture is similar
to Play-Doh, slightly tacky but not too
sticky, 10 to 15 teaspoons of water total
and about 10 minutes of kneading. It’s
important to incorporate a small amount
of water at a time, allowing the masa
to absorb the moisture and gradually
become soft and pliable. If it feels a little
dry, add more water, but only 1 teaspoon
at a time to avoid overhydrating it. If it
gets too sticky or feels too wet, let masa
stand, uncovered, 20 minutes; gently
knead to achieve a drier texture. To
test if the dough is properly hydrated,
form a golf ball–size ball in your hands.
Press between your palms to flatten to a
(^1) / 2 -inch-thick disk. The dough along the
edges should be smooth; if it cracks, con-
tinue adding water and kneading. If the
masa doesn’t release cleanly from your
palms, it is too wet.
- Cover bowl with a damp kitchen towel
to prevent surface of masa from drying
out. Use immediately, or let stand at room
temperature up to 4 hours. If it dries out,
dip your hands in water, and gently knead
to add more moisture until the masa is
soft, tender, and pliable.
MAKE AHEAD Masa can be wrapped
tightly in plastic wrap and stored in
refrigerator up to 4 days.
Masa Preparada for Tamales
ACTIVE 10 MIN; TOTAL 15 MIN
MAKES ENOUGH FOR 24 TAMALESWhether you grind your own fresh masa or
you pick some up at a local Latin market,
it’s the secret to perfect tamales. A dough
made from masa harina can be used if
fresh masa is unavailable, but it will lack
the sweet corn aroma and fluffy texture of
fresh masa. Paola Briseño González often
uses duck fat but switches to shortening
for vegetarian guests.1 cup lard, duck fat, or shortening
(about 7^1 / 2 oz.)
11 / 2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 lb. Homemade Fresh Masa or dough
made from masa harina (about 3^1 / 2
cups)
1 cup lower-sodium chicken or
vegetable stock, divided- Combine lard, salt, and baking powder
in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the
paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high
speed until light and fluffy, about 4 min-
utes, stopping occasionally to scrape
sides of bowl. With mixer running on low
speed, gradually add masa. Once all masa
is added, return to medium-high speed;
beat until mixture is fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. - Reduce speed to medium-low, and
gradually stream in^1 / 2 cup chicken stock.
Beat until mixture is well combined and
smooth, 3 to 5 minutes, stopping occa-
sionally to scrape sides of bowl. The masa
preparada should have the consistency
of thick cake batter. If mixture is too
thick, add additional chicken stock, 2
tablespoons at a time, beating well after
each addition, until correct consistency is
achieved. Cover bowl with a damp towel,
and proceed with assembling tamales.
MAKE AHEAD Masa preparada can be held
at room temperature up to 4 hours.
NOTE Find fresh masa in the refrigerated
section of Latin markets.
YELLOW DENT CORN
For first-time masa makers, the
high content of soft starch in
yellow dent corn will produce
soft, pliable dough that is easy
to work with, whether ground
in a molino or a food processor.
Aptly named for the indentation
on each kernel, dent corn is typi-
cally sold by the pound at Latin
markets or can be ordered from
Great River Organic Milling. ($35
for a 25-lb. bag, amazon.com)HEIRLOOM MAIZE
For cooks well-versed in making
masa, try heirloom varieties of
Mexican corn, which typically
have a lower soft-starch content
than dent corn and need to be
ground in a stone molino.CAL
Pickling lime, or “cal” as it is
referred to in Spanish, creates
an alkaline cooking solution for
turning corn into nixtamal. Cal
breaks down the outer hull of
the corn and softens the starch
within, making it more nutritious
and easier to grind and form
into a dough. (From $2 at Latin
markets)MASA HARINA
When fresh masa isn’t an
option, make a quick dough
using masa harina. Try the
one from Masienda (fro m $7,
masienda.com), made from
single-origin heirloom corn
sourced from Oaxaca, or Gold
Mine’s Organic Yellow Masa
Harina (from $10, amazon.com).
They’re convenient-yet-flavorful
alternatives to fresh masa.SHIPPING TAMALES
Tamales can be individually
frozen and arranged in a gallon-
size ziplock plastic bag with
the air pressed out. Add ice
packs to a thermal box, and ship
overnight.MAIL-ORDER TAMALES
Would you just like to have
tamales arrive at your door?
Restaurant Editor Khushbu
Shah likes to order from Tucson
Tamale, where each tamale
is rolled by hand and fillings
include meat, vegetarian, and
vegan options. (From $7, tucson
tamale.com)TA M A L E
TIPS