Basic Masa Dough

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Masa corn makes up the part of the tamale that surrounds the meat filling.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups freshly ground masa for tamales or 3 cups masa harina

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 cup fresh lard, at room temperature

  • 1 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken stock

Instructions

If you’re using masa harina, pour it into a bowl and add 2 cups warm water. Work the mixture into a dough with your hands and then set it aside to rest for about 15 minutes.

Add the lard to the workbowl of a standing mixer fixed with the whisk attachment (or use a regular hand mixer in a large bowl) and beat it together with the salt and baking powder until light and fluffy.

If you’re using a standing mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. While beating, add the reconstituted (or freshly ground) masa by handfuls into the workbowl. Add the stock and beat until combined. Taste the mixture and add salt if necessary.

Continue beating until the masa is light and fluffy, 15 or 20 minutes. The masa is ready when a grape-sized ball of dough floats in a glass of cold water. If the dough sinks continue beating 5 minutes longer, then test it again.


Smoky Black Beans

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Meaty, slow-cooked beans make an appearance on Latin and Caribbean plates from Little Havana to Little Haiti and everywhere in between. Some are served with rice, some are stewed with every flavorful cut of meat that fits in the pot, as in Brazilian feijoada. What most versions have in common is the richness and smoky flavor of pork. My simplified version uses bacon and ham hocks for loads of flavor with a minimal amount of fuss. Starting with dried beans takes some advance prep, but it is an easy way to achieve authentic results! Note: this recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 14 oz. dried black beans, rinsed, picked over, soaked overnight and drained
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 5 strips center cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and cut in half
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 2 ham hocks
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Sour cream, hot sauce, fresh cilantro and chopped scallions, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add the beans, ginger, bay leaves, ham hocks and enough water to cover by 2 inches.
 Turn the heat up to high in order to bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a steady simmer. Cook for 2 hours or until the beans are tender. During the cooking time, stir the beans occasionally and use a spoon to skim off any fat or scum that rises to the surface. If the water evaporates before the beans finish cooking, add just enough to keep them mostly covered. By the time the beans are done, the majority of the water should evaporate, creating a thick consistency.

Remove the giner, ham hocks and bay leaves from the pan. Stir the bacon pieces into the beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing the sour cream, hot sauce, cilantro and scallions for guests to garnish as they like.

Chipolte-Habanero Hot Sauce

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Jalapeno, habanero and Scotch bonnet are the most common types of fresh chiles found in Miami cuisine. Plenty of chipotles (smoked jalapenos sold both dry and canned) are used too, as well as the many other dried varieties available. Though most recipes call for some type of chile, the real source of heat in many Latin and Caribbean dishes is the hot sauce. Here, I have included two versions. The Chipotle-Habanero Sauce is a thinner, Latin-style sauce with a scorching finish, and the other is a chunky Caribbean-style version with a little sweetness to temper the heat.

Note: this recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 3 dried chipotle peppers
    1 tablespoon canola oil

    1 medium onion, chopped

    Salt and pepper, to taste

    1 tablespoon mustard seeds, ground in a mortar or spice grinder (or 1 tablespoon mustard powder)

    1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped

    1 clove garlic, chopped

    1/4 cup pineapple juice

    3 habanero chiles, chopped

    1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

    1 teaspoon tomato paste

    1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses

    2 tablespoons white vinegar

    1 teaspoon red curry powder

    1/2 teaspoon chile powder

Instructions

Soak the dried chipotle peppers in warm water for 1 hour. Drain the chipotles, reserving the soaking water, and finely chop.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground mustard seeds and chopped chipotles and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the remaining ingredients, bring the contents to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

If you have an immersion blender, put it directly into the saucepan and run it until you reach the desired consistency. If you want a thinner sauce, add small amounts of the reserved chipotle soaking water.

If you are using a regular blender, be sure to leave the air hole open so steam can escape. Hold a dish towel loosely over the hole while blending. Puree to the desired consistency. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.

New Mexico Red Chile sauce

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This is my version of New Mexico’s famous red chile sauce. Mixed with shredded pork, it is used as a tamale filling, but it is also ladled over the tamales as well as enchiladas, huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, stuffed sopaipillas, chiles rellenos and almost anything else you can think of. You may not need four cups of the sauce for your recipe, but you might as well make the whole batch; freeze extra portions in small resealable plastic containers.

Ingredients

•    24 dried red New Mexico chile pods
•    5 cups beef stock, chicken stock or water
•    2 tablespoons bacon grease, lard or vegetable oil
•    2 cloves garlic, minced
•    2 tablespoons flour
•    1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
•    Salt, to taste
•    1 teaspoon honey, or to taste (optional)

Instructions

In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, toast the chiles on both sides (you’ll have to do this in batches) until they soften slightly and become aromatic. When the chiles are cool enough to handle, remove the stems and seeds.

Transfer the chiles to a deep saucepan and pour over them about 4 cups water (or enough to just barely cover. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the chiles to rest, about 15 minutes.

Working in batches, puree the chiles with their soaking liquid.

In the cast-iron skillet, over medium heat, melt the bacon grease. Add the garlic and flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture becomes golden. Add the pureed chiles and stir quickly while the sauce bubbles and spatters. Reduce the heat, add the oregano and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt. If the sauce is a little bitter, mellow it with the honey.

Haitian Legume

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

“Legume” may be the general term for beans, but this stew is a hearty mix of marinated beef and vegetables. All the ingredients can be found at any supermarket, but the combination of habanero chiles, thyme and allspice gives this dish the exotic flavor of the Caribbean. Serve it over mounds of rice or with hunks of crusty bread to mop up the spiced broth. Note: this recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

•    1/4 cup chopped parsley
•    2 garlic cloves, minced
•    1 habanero chile, finely chopped
•    2 tablespoons white vinegar
•    2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
•    Freshly ground pepper, to taste
•    1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces

For the Stew:

•    3 tablespoons canola or olive oil, divided
•    Salt and pepper to taste
•    1/2 onion, chopped
•    1 to 2 habanero chiles, finely chopped
•    2 cloves garlic, minced
•    3 tablespoons tomato paste
•    4 cups low sodium chicken broth (canned or made from bouillon)
•    1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
•    1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
•    3 to 4 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
•    1/2 head of cabbage, cored and shredded
•    1 1/2 cups frozen, shelled lima beans
•    2 cups frozen French cut string beans
•    Chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Marinate the meat: Combine the parsley, garlic, habanero, vinegar, oil, pepper and beef in a large bowl. Toss well, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.

Make the stew: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat. Add half of the beef to the pan, season with salt and cook, turning once or twice, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove beef and any juices to a plate. Repeat with 1 more tablespoon of oil and the rest of the beef. Add the browned beef and juices to the plate and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and adjust the heat to medium-high. Add the onion and habanero, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and lightly browned. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth and return the beef to the pan. Add the thyme and allspice and bring the stew to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the carrots to the stew, replace the lid and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cabbage, lima beans and string beans. Cover and continue cooking for 25 minutes more. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper, as needed. Ladle into four bowls, sprinkle with parsley and serve.