How to make 123 tamales from costa rica

the most consuming time is on cleaning well the banana leaves.. it comes frozen in packs..let them cool and star cleaning with a light wet cloth...

the seasoning is key.. i used spanish seasonings.. get chicken seasoning and salt .. will need it for all meats

the pork... seasoning well add garlic and set it in a oven cooking bag.. add 1 cup of water or orange juice .. oven 1 hr 380.. the idea is cook it and get a lot of juice out it..

the juice from the pork in the oven and one chicken in pieces in a lot of water make this... seasoning well ...like making a lot of chicken soup.. safe the chicken and mix all the broth together..

heres the base... MASA... corn flour

the paper is for wraping all at he end if you dont want to use a lot of banana leaves..or want to save it for later in the freezer

potatoes... peel.. cook in salty water... make pure... ready... mix with broth and corn flour lil by lil .. i used my kitchen maid... if need more liquid used the water from potatoes

all together must looks like a nice semi-liquid mash potatoes and must be lil salty...MASA

ok..leaves clean?? ok cut the side ,,, need a lil knife !!! no ridges!! make squares like the size of a medium salad plate..

set one in top of another ...biger one on the bottom.. cross like this..!! now one big spoon of the masa!!

set a table w/ all handy ...have fun!!

make many...

add a piece of chicken or meat... in the midle..

one small spoon of red or yellow rice ( under cook rice / hard lil water )

2 pieces of green beans few peas...

some of this (4 )

2 carrots ( round and cooked )

1 olive

pepers 1 red 1 green

chicken one!!

getting there...

tie

tie... by pairs...how??? get the corners up.. put them together and roll down .. ones you reach the masa close the sides inside.. need to be very tie .. need to cook in water at least for 2 hours..

i like to cover them with paper because i also freeze them for later.. keep them better...

set them in a big pot with water

boil...

2 hrs

tamales!!!

the color depends of your sesoning !!

enjoy!! is our christmas most tipical plate!!

Merry Christmas!!!

this the final product.... we get one with some of this sauce on top and a cup of coffee!!