Pork Tamale Pie

Possible Cooking Methods:   Stovetop and Oven   images

Here’s a quick and easy dinner for those busy weeknights. While it’s not exactly like eating tamales, this dish has the flavor of traditional pork tamales without all the work. For classic tamales, a flavorful filling (often pork) is encased in masa (a dough made from masa harina) and then wrapped in corn husks or plantain leaves and steamed to cook. When I was teaching cooking classes in San Francisco, the tamale class was the messiest one of all – we would end up with masa everywhere! In this pork tamale pie, we simply top a quick pork filling with the tamale dough and bake it in the oven. It’s delicious and easy and, of course, there’s only one pan to wash. For a more authentic taste, don’t be tempted to try to substitute cornmeal or corn flour for the masa harina. Masa harina is a very fine corn flour that has been soaked in limewater and consequently gives a very distinct flavor to the masa dough.

1 tablespoon olive oil

2½ pounds ground pork

1 onion, chopped

1 poblano pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1½ teaspoons salt

1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, crushed by hand

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1½ cups corn kernels

1 cup grated pepper Jack cheese

Masa Crust:

1 cup instant masa flour or masa harina

1 cup hot water

4 tablespoons butter, softened

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup chicken stock

Stovetop and Oven Directions

Serves:6

Cooking Time:60 minutes

1.  Prepare the masa for the masa crust by combining the masa flour and hot water together in a bowl. Set it aside to soak for 20 minutes.

2.  Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

3.  Heat a large 12-inch oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and brown the pork and onion together in the pan until the pork is no longer pink. Add the poblano pepper, garlic, chili powder, coriander, oregano, salt, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste and corn kernels. Bring the mixture to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes and then remove the pan from the heat.

4.  Continue making the masa crust while the pork is simmering. Use an electric hand or stand mixer to beat the butter, baking powder, chili powder and salt together until fluffy. Gradually add the soaked masa mixture and pour in the chicken stock, beating until a soft, sticky dough is formed.

5.  Spoon the dough over the pork mixture around the edges of the pan, spreading it out but leaving a 5-inch hole in the middle. Fill the hole with the pepper Jack cheese and transfer the pan to the oven.

6.  Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.