Simple Black Bean Tamales
A simple black bean and masa filling, steamed to perfection in a corn husk! These black bean tamales are easy to make and please both kids and adults!
Ingredients
- ~12 large dried corn husks See notes
- 1/2 cup pork lard See notes
- 1/4 white onion, cut into large chunks
- 2.2 lbs prepared masa ~1 kg, see notes
- 1.5 cups blended black beans
- Salt to taste See notes
- 1/3 lb cheese, cut into strips ~ 144g, optional
Instructions
- Separate corn husks. Fill a large bin or sink with water and submerge corn husks. Allow to soak until pliable, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from water and allow excess water to drain off
- Place lard, onion and a pinch of salt into shallow pan over low heat on the stove. Heat until lard is melted and onion starts to turn translucent, ~ 5 minutes
- Discard the onion from the lard and remove the pan from the heat. Allow the lard to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, place the masa, black beans, lard and salt
- Mix ingredients by hand until combined and all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. The masa will be sticky. It takes me about 10-15 minutes mixing by hand to incorporate the ingredients.
- Taste the masa for salt and add if necessary. See notes on salt.
- Using a spoon, place ~1/3 cup masa mixture into the curved part of the corn husk and extend 1/2 to 2/3 upwards towards the pointed ends. You will want to leave about 1/2-1 inch gap between the bottom of the corn husk and the masa mixture. Place a strip of cheese on top of the masa mixture, if using. See photos for reference and notes on husks.
- Fold the sides over and the pointed top part downwards toward the curved part of the husk to create a packet. See photos for reference.
- Repeat previous 2 steps until all of the masa is gone.
- Place water in the bottom of a tamalera or pot fitted with a steamer basket. Heat over high heat to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. See notes.
- Place the tamales standing upright with the folded part of the tamal towards the bottom of the pot. Or, lay the tamales flat, overlapping in layers if there is not room for them to stand upright.
- Cover the pot and allow the tamales to steam for 1-2 hours or until the masa is cooked through. See notes.
- Enjoy these warm, with the husks removed. You can top these with a salsa of your choice or Mexican cream and shredded cheese.
Notes
- This tamal is denser and more compact than other versions. This is due to the use of the tortilla masa used in this recipe and how the masa is prepared. If you like a fluffier texture to your cooked tamal, this recipe is not for you!
- Corn husks are usually sold in packages in the Hispanic food aisle of the grocery store. For this recipe, you will need 12 large husks. I typically soak additional husks in case any of the husks have tears. You can then use smaller pieces placed on the inside or outside of the tamal to cover any tears and ensure that the masa mixture is completely covered. Any leftover husks can be dried and stored for future use.
- I use traditional pork lard in this recipe, but vegetable shortening can be substituted in equal quantities for a vegetarian version.
- I use a masa prepared for tortillas for this recipe. The masa is wet, not dry cornflour. I have seen prepared tortilla masa in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, close to the meat. If you are starting with cornflour like Maseca, you will need to add water to prepare the masa according to the package directions prior to starting.
- My Mexican host mother used to say that the salt evaporated from the tamales during the steaming process. She always slightly over-salted her masa to compensate. In my experience this holds true. A masa that is salted perfectly prior to cooking, tends to be a bit bland once it is finished. I slightly over salt the masa to compensate.
- You may need to add water to your pot during the cooking process, depending on how much water your pot can hold below the steamer basket and how quickly that quantity evaporates. If you need to add water, pour water down the side of the pot to avoid getting the tamales too wet.
- These tamales usually take me around 2 hours to cook through. I start checking for doneness at about 1.5 hours. To check for doneness, remove a tamal from the pot and gently peel back the husk. The masa should feel firm, not mushy and the husk should easily peel back from the filling. If the tamal is not done, re-wrap in the corn husk and place it back in the pot.
- I don't have a microwave, so I reheat these by steaming on the stove. From the fridge, it should take 7-10 minutes to reheat all the way through or 30-35 minutes from frozen. Open and check them to make sure that they are heated all of the way through prior to consuming.