By Nicole Newman | Jan 29, 2020
With a filmography that spans nearly 40 years, Almodo has always been consistent with his memorable, outspoken, and nuanced female leads.
To soften hojas, pour plenty of very hot water over them and leave to soak. Shake well to get rid of excess water and pat them dry with a towel.
Cut the brisket into large squares and put into a large pot with the onion, garlic, salt, and peppercorns. Cover the beef with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender. Set the beef aside to cool off in the broth. Strain, reserving the broth, and chop beef with garlic.
Cover chiles and comino seeds with water and bring to a boil. Let them stand and cool, then slit them open and remove seeds and veins. Grind/blend them along with the comino into a paste.
Melt lard, add chile paste and sautée stirring. Add beef and garlic. Add the broth and let the mixture cook. Add salt as necessary.
For masa, melt the lard. Use a large mixer to mix masa, salt, baking soda, broth, and the lard. Beat until the masa floats in a cup of cold water. If it doesn’t float, beat more melted lard into the mixture. Beat until fluffy and semi-shiny.
For tamales, spread a thin coating of the masa over the broadest part of the corn husk. Spoon some beef filling. Fold the sides of the corn husks, forming a tightly closed “bottom” and leaving the top open.
Put a bowl at the bottom of a pot and fill with leftover corn husks. Fill the bottom of the pot with leftover with water and bring to a boil. Stack the tamales upright, with the folded part down at the bottom. Cover the tamales with more corn shucks. Cover with a tightly fitting lid.
Cook tamales. Keep water in a teapot simmering so that you can refill the pot when necessary. Tamales are done when you open the corn husk, and the masa peels away easily + the tamale is completely smooth.