Delicious Red Chile Meat Recipe for Tamales

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Tamales are the perfect holiday treat, warm and spicy, a steamed bundle of masa, and a tasty filling, all wrapped in a corn husk. Red tamales are a memorable part of the holiday feast, and the making of them is a celebrated tradition in the Hispanic home. 

The Corn Husk-Wrapped Delightful Bundles of Joy 

Who says you can’t enjoy tamales all year round? These little steamed pockets of happiness are especially popular during the holiday season, but let’s be real, they’re always welcome at any time! Now, let’s talk fillings because it’s a whole new world of deliciousness. With options like chicken, beef, pork, corn, or chile peppers, there’s a tamale for everyone’s taste buds. So, what’s your favorite?

How to make this Red Chile Meat Recipe

Start with the meat: Pork and Beef are the most commonly used meats for tamales. 

•  Place all ingredients in a slow cooker on low (6-8 hrs.). I usually cook meat the day before making tamales, especially if you are making dozens of tamales.  When meat is cooked, shred meat with 2 forks, place it in a bowl, and cover. Refrigerate until ready to use.

*Note: Instant Pot: 20 minutes for every pound of beef roast, or 15 minutes for every pound of pork roast.

Red Chile Sauce

Hatch Red Chile Pods -Dried Guajillo, New Mexico Chile or Dried Ancho Chile Pods

• Rinse and discard the stems and seeds from the chile pods. Place the pods in a large pot and cover them completely with water. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer for 30 minutes. When pods have softened, remove chiles from the pot. Let cool slightly. Reserve water in the pot.
• In the pot add the bouillon cube in chile pod water on medium heat until dissolved. Let Cool.

When cool, add small amounts of chile pods, flour, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and 1 cup of reserved water to a blender or food processor, and blend until liquid paste mixture( make sure to stop and stir chile pods in the blender)

Keep doing this until all pods are done. (Save any liquid in chile pod water for chile gravy) With a mesh strainer, pour the liquid chile mixture into a large bowl. 

Remove any seeds, and chile peppers skins when straining the mixture. In a skillet on medium heat, add the chile mixture and whisk gently. Stir and check for consistency, chile sauce should be smooth on the back of a spoon. 

If too thick add a little chile pod water to get the right consistency. Add salt to taste.

Making Red Tamales

Combine red chile sauce with cooked shredded meat in the slow cooker, and add just enough red chile sauce to the meat without making it soupy. Cook for 2 hours on the low setting. Before using meat, to make tamales, let it cool for 30 minutes.

Putting it all together and what you’ll need:

Red Chile Meat:  This recipe makes enough red chile meat for 3 dozen tamales, but might make less or more depending on how much meat is placed on the dough. 

Red Chile Sauce: Dried red chili pods can be found in mild, medium, or hot varieties, offering different heat levels.

Tamale dough:  Make the dough the day of tamale making…here is the recipe for the masa, and instructions to put your tamale together.

Dried Corn Husks: Soak at least 3 dozen tamale corn husks in very hot water for 1 hour. Rinse corn silk & debris off the corn husks.

A Tamale pot is perfect for steaming tamales.  Place tamales on top of the steamable insert, and place 1 inch of water on the bottom. The tamales take about 1.5 to 2 hours to cook.  Always keep at least 1 inch of water on the bottom for steaming.

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Red Chile Tamale Meat Recipe

Eunice Huerta

Tamales are a perfect holiday treat, warm and spicy, a steamed bundle of masa and a tasty filling, all wrapped in a corn husk.

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• TAMALE MEAT
• 4 lbs boneless pork butt or boneless beef chuck roast
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 cups of water
• RED CHILE SAUCE
• 2 packages 8 oz dried New Mexico Chile pods, stemmed and cleaned
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• Salt to taste

Instructions

 

• TAMALE MEAT INSTRUCTIONS
• Place all garlic & onion powder, salt, cumin, and meat in a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours (I usually cook meat the day before)
• Shred meat with 2 forks, and place in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
• For Instant Pot: Place all ingredients in Instant Pot for approximately 80 minutes of cooking time.
• RED CHILE SAUCE INSTRUCTIONS
• Rinse and remove the stems and seeds of chile pods. Place chile pods in a large pot, and add enough water to fully cover the pods. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes, then remove pods from the pot. Let cool slightly—reserve water in the pot.
• In the pot add bouillon cube in chile pod water on medium heat until dissolved. Let Cool.
• When slightly cool, add small amounts of chile pods, flour, garlic cloves, and 1 cup of water to a blender or food processor, and blend until it becomes a paste mixture( make sure to stop and stir pods in the blender).
• Keep doing this until all pods are done. (Save any liquid in chile pod water for chile sauce)
• With a mesh strainer, pour the liquid chile mixture through it, into a large bowl. Remove any seeds, and chile skins when straining the mixture.
• Add chile mixture in a large skillet on medium heat and whisk gently. Stir and check for consistency, chile sauce should be smooth on the back of a spoon. If too thick add a little chile pod water for consistency.
• Add salt, garlic powder, and cumin, and cook for at least 5 minutes more. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. *See notes
• Before assembling the tamales, add meat and red chile sauce in a slow cooker on low heat for 2 hours. Add enough red chile sauce mixture to the meat without making it soupy, and add salt to taste(if needed) Let cool for 30 minutes before making tamales.

Keyword tamales, red chile meat, red chile tamales, red chile sauce, tamale meat

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