Tamales or Hallacas

Tamales have many variations among different Latin American countries and even within these countries' inner regions. This specific recipe belongs to Colombia's Caribbean region, where these are commonly known as Hallacas.

Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours
Servings: 12

Ingredients for meat stuffing (pork)
4 lbs pork tenderloin, chopped
5 tsp salt
2.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
5 tsp cumin powder
1 garlic head, peeled and minced
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 red onion, sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
1 cubanelle, chopped
1/2 cabbage, chopped
2 cups large string beans, chopped

Ingredients for dough
6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 cubanelle, minced
4 cups of yellow corn meal
Vegetable oil, if needed

Ingredients for non-meat stuffing
4 boiled eggs, peeled and sliced (get about 24 slices)
1/2 red onion, sliced and cut in half (get about 12 slices)
1 tomato, sliced and cut in half (get about 12 slices)
1.5 cups green onion, chopped
4 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 tsp cumin powder
2 cups apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup cappers
1 cup raisins

Assembly Ingredients
24 plantain or "bijao" leaves, washed and dried* (approx. 20 inches or 50cm long)
Extra plantain or "bijao" leaves, washed and dried
Sewing thread or "mahagua cordage"

*If you're using bijao leaves, use a meat tenderizer to soften the veins. You don't need to do this when using the plantain leaves.
When washing the bijao leaves, soak them in boiling water for 5 minutes. For the plantain leaves you can just clean them up with a water-dampered cloth"
If you can't find these leaves, use foil paper for wrapping

Steps for meat stuffing (pork)
1. In a large pot pan season pork pieces with salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, vinegar, onion, tomato, cubanelle, cabbage and string beans
2. Add enough water to cover these ingredients and put a lid on the pot. Heat over medium-high until the pork is thoroughly cooked. This should take aprox. 45 minutes. Set aside
3. In the meantime, heat a pot pan over high heat. Add 6 cups of water

Steps for dough
1. In a large pot pan, heat 6 cups of water and add chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, cumin and cubanelle. Bring to a boil
2. Add the corn meal to a large bowl and slowly pour in the boiling broth while carefully mixing with a spoon
3. Mix thoroughly with the spoon. As soon as it cools off, start kneading with your hands. Use extra water if it's too dry, extra corn meal if it's too moist or oil to smoothen it if necessary
4. Let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes

Steps for non-meat stuffing
1. Place the eggs, onion, tomatoes and green onions separately in four different bowls
2. Add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp vinegar to each of these bowls, thoroughly mixing with each of their original ingredients. Set aside
3. Place capers and raisins in individual bowls. Set aside

Assembly steps
1. Place a plantain or "bijao" leaf on a large, flat surface
2. Place a second leave crosswise over the first (If you're using "bijao" leaves, the vein should be facing down)

3. Add 1/4 cup of the dough in the center of the upper leave and press. Top it with pork (from the meat stuffing) and a bit of its broth and the following ingredients from the non-meat stuffing portion: 1 or 2 egg slices, 1 onion slice, 1 tomato slice, a fingerful of green onions, capers and raisins
4. Top with 1/4 cup of more dough, sealing the edges as well as possible

5. Tuck in the sides of the leaves and roll

6. Place the roll over the second leave, tuck in the sides and roll again

7. Tie securely, crossing over the thread (or cordage) like a present and finishing up with a knot, not a bow (this can be loosened easily)
8. Repeat these steps for a total of 12 hallacas. You'll end up with stuffing left overs

9. In a large pot pan, add the broth in which the pork was cooked. Add extra water if you think it will be needed to cover the 12 hallacas

10. Add the extra leaves to the bottom of the pot and bring the water to a boil. As soon as the water boils, place the hallacas on top of these leaves and cover with the remaining extra leaves and the pot's lid
11. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove from pot and let them rest "standing up" vertically. After they drain for about 10 minutes, cut the knot off and open the leaves carefully

12. Serve immediately. You can save some for later use after they have cooled off. If you are going to eat them within a couple of days, store the hallacas in the fridge and cook in boiling water with a pinch of salt and some vinegar, for about 15 minutes (wait until water is boiling to place the hallacas in the pot.) If you are going to eat them after more than 3 days, don't cook for 30 minutes on step 11, but just for 10 minutes. Store the hallacas in the freezer and whenever you want to eat them, boil enough water with salt and vinegar to cover the hallacas. As soon as the water boils, place the frozen hallacas in the pot, cover with a lid and cook for approx. 1 hour