Green Corn Tamales

Every once in a while I have a strong NEED to taste the food of my teenage years. Having spent my teen years in southern Arizona, Green Corn Tamales were the food of the fall and holiday season.  I seem to remember them with fresh corn, strait off the cob, but I now live in Texas and it is February and a girl does what a girl has to do.  So I have spent weeks perusing various tamale recipes.  And finally decided I was ready to tackle this big project.

Our cast of characters:  Corn Husks.  Masa.  Monterey Jack Cheese.  Corn.  Green Chilies.  Chicken.  Unsalted Butter.

the pieces ready for assembly.  Shredded cheese, masa mix, shredded chicken.

I know it looks gross, but trust me it's important

Lunch is Served!

Green Corn Tamales

20 dry corn husks, soaked in hot water to make pliable

3 chicken breasts

4 medium heat green chiles

Layer in pressure cooker, add 1 c water, pressure high 15 minutes.  Natural release.  When cool use Bosch with paddles to shred. (Chicken and chilies, not liquid)

2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 c unsalted butter

1 tsp salt

1tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tbs sugar

In clean mixer, using paddles whip until fluffy.

Meanwhile in another bowl mix 2 c masa harina (This is the dry stuff, found in the mexican food isle of the grocery...not the dough like I have in the picture...I had to go back to the market)  and 1 can of drained corn (processed in food processor so it's cut smaller, but not paste).  Add 1 1/2 c chicken broth, 1/2 c at a time.  Mix should be pea size, like making piecrust.

Now mix masa mixture into fluffy butter, adding a cup at a time, continue mixing with paddles 10 minutes.  Drop a small peice into a cup of water.  If it floats, you are ready.

Use glad press n seal on counter top to keep mess to a minimum.

Taking a corn husk lay flat and add a scoop of masa.   Spread with rubber spatula keeping about1/3 inch thick.  Put a line of cheese topped with chicken in center.  Pull sides of husk together, then gently open up.  Using the husk, make sure tamale is sealed.  Open husk again, now roll like a burrito, pull top down, roll the sides in.  I left one end open.  

Once all tamales are assembled, stack on steamer close together with open end up.  Add 1 c water, pressure on High for 20 minutes, natural release for 10 minutes.

I served mine with a swizzle of Ranch dressing on top.

Unconsumed tamales may be wrapped in ziplock bags and frozen.

Green Chile Venison

I was defrosting my deep freeze the other week and as I was hanging my head upside down in the freezer reaching what was on the bottom, I found some venison that was given to me by a neighbor.   Evidently his 15 year old teenage daughter shot her first whitetail deer, but because she had looked into the eyes of the deer, she refused to eat the venison and begged her father to get rid of it.  So her funny teenage mind blessed my freezer with the ultimate in yummyness!  All of a sudden my memories flased back to growing up in southern Airzona and the delicious mexican food my mother served regularly.  What do other families eat when they don't eat mexican food?   So right then and there I decided I NEEDED a good green chilie in my life.  The only problem was I was still in the middle of freezer defrostation.  I know you are thinking "Dang!  Her life is sooooo hard!"  Thank you for your sympathetic thoughts.    So I finished the freezer and took my venison inside for wonderfulness to hapen.  After scouring my brain for hidden childhood recipes, I finally gave in and went to pinterest where I read multiple recipes for green chile stew, both pork and cicken. Then with that as my starting point, I used what I had and adapted it for the pressure cooker.  

This recipe made enough for christmas eve green chile sourcream enchiladas and a dozen burritos for the freezer 

Green Chile Venison Stew

2 3/4 inch thick venison steaks/chops*

1 lb ground venison**

1 large onion (chopped)

1 garlic clove (chopped)

2 8 oz cans of salsa verde

2 cans green chiles

1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and chopped

6 red potatoes cut in quarters

1 c chicken broth

1 can red kidney beans (drained)

1 can black beans (draied)

Cut the steaks into chunks (like stew meat).  Using the brown function on your pc, brown the chunks and the ground meat (may need a small amount of crisco, depending on the fat content of your venison)  Set meat aside. 

Using the brown function, brown onion and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Once onion is translucent, add meat back to cooker. Turn off pc.   On top of the meat onion mixture add 1 can of salsa verde, green chilies, chopped jalapeno, potatoes.   Add chicken broth and top with the 2nd can of salsa verde.  Pressure on high 25-30 minutes.  Natural release for 10 minutes.  Quick release after that.  Open pressure cooker and using a potato masher squish all that deliciousness together.  Add the beans and continue to mash.  Eat a big ol bowl with chips and sour cream on top.  Use for enchiladas. Make burritos.  Its very versitile and oh so good!

* may use pork or chicken 

**ground beef or pork may be used

Pressure Cooker:  Brown, High

Natural release 10 minutes, quick release after that

No trivet, food directly in liquid