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Dutch Oven Tamales #7239668 07/30/18 02:29 PM
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Dave Scott Offline OP
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Okay, I've never made tamales but I've been thinking of some sort of new trail food and got thinking.... Shredded up beef jerky and spices. Corn husks, cornmeal/flour to butter the inside of the husks. A little water in a dutch oven and maybe you could bake half a dozen tamales easy and have little to no clean up- just toss the husks in the fire when you're done.
Anyone fool around with this? How'd it word out?

Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7239710 07/30/18 03:07 PM
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redchevy Offline
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Tamales make great camping food. Put them on a grate over open fire to warm and they get a good smoke flavor, burn the husks when done. Its been too long since ive done it... maybe ill make another run of tamales before this coming deer season so we have some at the ranch again.

If your talking about making tamales out of beef jerkey while camping I think that has got to be one of the worst ideas ive ever heard.


It's hell eatin em live
Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7242125 08/01/18 07:54 PM
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Dave Scott Offline OP
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Well they use jerky, or carne seca, in a chimichanga but they pound it into shreds and maybe boil it a little. I'm hoping on some small game which might work better. The idea of no dishes- just burn it all up in the fire (husks that is) is okay with me. I need a pot for cowboy coffee so I could do that and then use the pot to boil the jerky shreds.

Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7242244 08/01/18 09:26 PM
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that isn't jerky its machaca. kinda similar but it is very very very dried meat almost inedible without working it first. in order to use it you have to smash it with (traditionally and still do) use a large rock like a mortar and pestle like a molcajete. Then that needs to be rehydrated for a while using water or another liquid but I agree that wouldn't make for a great tamale. Not without a lot of extra time and work anyway. You need lots of moisture with your stuffing otherwise the masa can get quite dry even if you make a good masa with lots of lard. Interesting thought though... Now that machaca goes great with breakfast though!


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Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: BuckRage] #7242248 08/01/18 09:32 PM
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redchevy Offline
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Originally Posted By: BuckRage
that isn't jerky its machaca. kinda similar but it is very very very dried meat almost inedible without working it first. in order to use it you have to smash it with (traditionally and still do) use a large rock like a mortar and pestle like a molcajete. Then that needs to be rehydrated for a while using water or another liquid but I agree that wouldn't make for a great tamale. Not without a lot of extra time and work anyway. You need lots of moisture with your stuffing otherwise the masa can get quite dry even if you make a good masa with lots of lard. Interesting thought though... Now that machaca goes great with breakfast though!


Interesting reading this, I think that is where I went wrong with my first batch of tamales is I didn't leave my stuffing juicy enough, it made the massa crubly.


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Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7242249 08/01/18 09:34 PM
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If your looking for a low maintenance meal then bringing ready to eat tamales is great.

Making them is anything buy low maintenance in my mind I think I dirtied every bowl spoon etc. in my house. If you have never tried making them at home give it a go, it not something I would care to do sitting around a camp fire.


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Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7242265 08/01/18 09:49 PM
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Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7242452 08/02/18 01:00 AM
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stuffing needs to be almost soupy


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Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7242909 08/02/18 03:17 PM
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I would make tamales at home before you try making them over a camp fire, especially for your first time. Tamales aren't exactly a 'trail food' unless they are already made and you are just re-heating them.

Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7242940 08/02/18 03:45 PM
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I love tamales! but only helped make them once, and it seemed like a royal PITA with the amount of effort it takes.


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Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7244975 08/04/18 01:45 PM
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Dave Scott Offline OP
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Well, I didn't explain that if I want to eat beef jerky for lunch I just eat a stick of it but for cooking I pound it out into slivers. I've done that for years. I usually use minute rice because it cooks fast, a beef bullion cube, and maybe a cup of pounded out jerky slivers.
Now this is trail cooking- no water sources, dump station, etc.- back country.
I might just stay with that but thought maybe something else would be interesting. I'll be small game hunting so ideally that would be the meat, the jerky would be back up.
In any event I got this idea that masa flour could be mixed up on site and put in corn husks with meat or jerky in the middle and steam cooked about an hour. Beans take a long time to cook but lentils only take 20 minutes or so. Now I'm thinking lentil chili with whatever meat I get thrown in.
BTW- I'm a ghastly cook.

Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7246075 08/05/18 05:38 PM
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Pound the jerky, don't boil it. You're looking to almost make a powder. Seen Rick Bayless do this. Very common in parts of Mexico.


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Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7246968 08/06/18 05:32 PM
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I like the way you think. I've made tamales before. Believe if it was me I'd try to come up with a masa drop dumpling. Seems like it would be easier than messing with corn husks and all that. Make the chili, drop them on top and let them cook.


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Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7246970 08/06/18 05:34 PM
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The way I do it the pieces of jerky are about the diameter of a toothpick and 1/2" long. So far I put bullion in water and bring to a boil, add the jerky for a few minutes and bring back to a boil and then toss in minute rice- take off the heat and cover for 5 minutes. Not gourmet but dinner none the less.

Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7249805 08/09/18 01:50 AM
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I pay $5 a dozen for good pork tamales here in weslaco that's what I had for supper tonight

Re: Dutch Oven Tamales [Re: Dave Scott] #7250224 08/09/18 02:25 PM
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Dave Scott Offline OP
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Well, after giving the matter some thought, I've decided I'm not that talented a cook to be messing with all that out in a dry area. Maybe I'll just do some chili.

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