World Flavors Cookbook

Tamal Colorado

Name: Tamal Colorado
Cook time: 90 min
Cuisine: Guatemala
Ingredients: For masa: 1kg masa harina, 500ml pork broth, 100ml lard, 1 tsp baking powder, salt; For filling: 600g pork shoulder, cubed; For recado colorado: 4 guajillo chilies, 2 ancho chilies, 4 tomatoes, 1 head garlic, 1 onion, 1 tsp cumin, cinnamon, cloves; Banana leaves, toasted

Guatemalan red tamal filled with pork in recado colorado sauce, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed — the cornerstone of Christmas and Holy Week celebrations.

Cuisine: Guatemala

Ingredients

For masa: 1kg masa harina, 500ml pork broth, 100ml lard, 1 tsp baking powder, salt
For filling: 600g pork shoulder, cubed
For recado colorado: 4 guajillo chilies, 2 ancho chilies, 4 tomatoes, 1 head garlic, 1 onion, 1 tsp cumin, cinnamon, cloves
Banana leaves, toasted

Instructions

Soak and toast dried chilies. Blend with roasted tomatoes, garlic, and spices into recado.
Cook pork in recado until tender. Cool.
Beat lard until fluffy. Add masa harina and broth alternately. Season.
Soften banana leaves over flame. Cut into 30cm pieces.
Spread masa on leaf. Add pork filling with sauce.
Fold and wrap. Steam 1.5 hours.