Beef Barbacoa Tamales

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Season beef cheek meat evenly with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. Add cheek meat and brown on each side for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove browned meat and set aside.
2. In the same pot, add 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add softened chile peppers, onion, tomatoes, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, vinegar, salt, cumin, oregano, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Using a ladle, transfer chile mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.
5. Transfer browned cheek meat and pan juices back to Dutch oven. Pour red chile sauce over meat. Partially cover with lid and simmer over medium-low heat for 3 hours, turning meat occasionally, until tender and beef cheek meat reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF.
6. Remove cheek meat from red chile braising sauce and cool. Shred meat. Strain red chile sauce into a small saucepan. In a bowl, combine shredded meat and ½ cup red chile sauce. Reserve remaining red chile sauce.
7. While beef cheeks are cooking, rinse corn husks and remove any remaining corn silk. Submerge corn husks in hot water and soak until soft and pliable. Drain and reserve.
8. To prepare masa dough: In a medium bowl, combine masa harina, baking powder, salt, and cumin.
9. In a large mixing bowl, combine shortening and 2 tablespoons reserved red chile sauce. Using an electric mixer, whip until light and fluffy. Add masa harina mixture and beat until fully blended. Slowly add chicken broth and beat on high until mixture forms a smooth slightly sticky dough.
10. To assemble each tamal: Spread masa dough in a thin layer (about 2 tablespoons) in the center of a corn husk, spoon beef barbacoa filling down the center of masa, fold husk closed and tie with a thin strip of corn husk. Repeat with remaining masa and filling.
11. Add water to a tamalera or large steamer. Line tamale steamer with corn husks. Arrange tamales upright in steamer, top with a layer of corn husks, cover, and steam tamales for 45 to 60 minutes until masa starts to pull away from corn husks.
12. While tamales are steaming, heat reserved red chile sauce. Serve tamales with red chile sauce.