In this week's Chef's Quick Tip, Tina Redwine shows us how to make a delicious dish served in Mexico during the holidays.

3 1/2 cups masa harina for tamales (20 ounces)

3 cups very hot water

1/2 pound lard

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup chicken stock

In a large bowl, stir the masa with the hot water until evenly moistened. Knead several times to make a smooth dough.
2. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the lard with the butter at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the salt and baking powder and beat at medium-low speed until incorporated. With the machine on, add the masa in 4 batches, beating until smooth and scraping down the bowl occasionally. Pour in the stock in a steady stream and beat until the dough is fluffy and soft, about 2 minutes; it should have the consistency of thick corn bread batter. Refrigerate the tamale dough in the bowl for 30 minutes.

3. Return the bowl to the mixer and beat the dough at high speed for 1 minute before assembling the tamales.

3 lbs. chicken thighs boneless

1 oz adobo seasoning

1 tsp ground cumin

4 oz tomato sauce

2 oz chopped onion

1 tbsp chopped garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 cup chicken stock

4 oz evoo

Season chicken with adobo
Heat olive oil in sauce pan, and sear chicken
add remaining ingredients, cover and place in 300F oven
cook for 45 to 1 hour, until tender, and pull apart meat
let cool

Place 4 oz masa into corn husk, and spread evenly
place 3 oz of pulled chicken onto masa
roll tamale up and use strips of corn husk to tie up
using double steamer, cook tamales for 15 to 20 min until masa is firm

Chef Diego Burgos

Culinary Director

Michael Jordan's Steak House and SolToro at the Mohegan Sun