333. Tamale - A National Dish Of Mexico

Boil a pound of fresh pork, or veal, or a small fowl until tender; then remove skin and bones and shred coarsely. Scald a cup and a half of white corn meal in enough of the broth, well salted, to make a stiff mush to which add a tablespoon of lard. Fry the meat slightly in a large spoon of color (No. 119), then skim out and stir in a little ground chile, a tablespoon of flour and enough broth to make a very thick sauce, which add to the meat, also a dozen ripe olives and a sliced hard boiled egg. Have ready five dozen or more selected dried corn leaves, which have been soaked in tepid water until pliable. Dry them and cut in uniform lengths; then gather into bunches of ten and tie at one end. Form the meat mixture into two-inch oblong rolls, place each on a leaf in a tamale, and fold in another leaf; then spread layers of the cornmeal mush on the inside of the other leaves. When all are tried, roll to look like a large bon-bon, tie the ends and cook in boiling water for about two hours.

334. Tamale Loaf

Cut a flank steak into cubes. Chop an onion, a chile pepper and a tomato fine, and fry slowly in a large spoon of lard with the meat, adding a little water, from time to time, to keep from burning. When brown add enough boiling water to make a pint of gravy and simmer until the beef is tender; then season with salt and a teaspoon of chile powder. Skim out the meat and pass through a fine chopper, return to the gravy and thicken with white corn-meal - enough to make it like thick mush. Press it into a greased bread tin with a weight on it and when cold cut in thick slices and fry. Serve with chile sauce (No. 117).

335. Tamale Pudding - Mexican

Remove fat and bones from two pounds of fresh pork cut into small pieces and simmer until tender. Strain from the broth and brown slightly in a large spoon of color (No. 119). Add a cup of the broth, salt, and a tablespoon of chile powder and cook slowly. Heat a can of kornlet with a little milk, salt and a teaspoon of sugar. Add a tablespoon of melted lard and a beaten egg. Spread a layer on a pudding dish ; then a layer of the meat, and sprinkle with ripe olives, sliced, and repeat until the dish is full. Bake for an hour in a slow oven, sprinkling with water if too dry. Chicken can be used instead of pork.