Ecuadorian Tamales with Chicken or Pork
Ecuadorian tamales: fluffy white corn dough filled with chicken or pork sofrito, hard-boiled egg, raisins and olives, wrapped in leaves and steamed.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 1/2 lb chicken or pork cooked and shredded
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onion chopped
- 1/2 bell pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tsp ground annatto (achiote)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
For the dough
- 1 lb white corn flour for tamales or masa harina
- 1/2 cup lard or butter
- 3 eggs separated
- 2 cups hot chicken or pork broth
- 1 tsp baking powder
- salt to taste
To assemble
- 3 hard-boiled eggs sliced
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 15 olives
- 15 banana leaves or corn husks cleaned
Instructions
- Make the filling: sauté the onion, pepper, garlic, annatto and cumin in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the shredded meat and cilantro, season and let it cool.
- Beat the lard until creamy. Add the egg yolks one at a time.
- Add the corn flour little by little, alternating with the hot broth, and knead into a soft, smooth dough. Add salt and baking powder.
- Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them gently into the dough.
- Place a leaf on the counter, spread 3 tablespoons of dough in the center, add a spoonful of filling, a slice of egg, 2 raisins and an olive, and cover with a little more dough.
- Fold the leaf into a package and tie it if needed.
- Arrange the tamales in a steamer pot lined with leaves and steam over medium heat for 45 to 50 minutes.
- Let them rest 10 minutes before opening. Serve warm with coffee.