Nacatamales (Banana Leaf Wrapped Central American Tamales) Recipe

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Nacatamales (Banana Leaf Wrapped Central American Tamales)
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Ingredients
19
Count
Nutrition
1297
Calories
Total time
1620
Minutes
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Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Season the pork with salt, pepper,cumin and paprika to taste. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the chipotle salsa (depending on how hot you like it) to the pork. Place in a large bowl and pour 1/4 cup sour orange juice over pork. Cover and let marinate for about 30 minutes in refrigerator.
  2. Place the masa harina, lard,salt, and 2 tablespoons of the chicken knorr in the bowl of an electric mixer. Blend on a low speed to incorporate the fat into the masa harina and give it a mealy texture. You may have to do this and the next step in two batches if your mixer bowl is not large enough to hold all the ingredients without overflowing.
  3. With the mixer still on low speed, add remaining 1/2 cup of the sour orange juice and enough chicken stock to make a soft, moist dough (about 7 cups added intermitently between mixing). It should be almost like the texture of mashed potatoes but thicker. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 2-3 minutes to incorporate some air into the masa and make it fluffier. Cover the bowl and set the masa aside to rest for at least 30 minutes.
  4. After the resting period, place the masa in a large pot and on medium heat, stir the masa slowly and constantly for about 20 mintues adding 2 more cups of water or chichen stock (1/2 cup every 5 minutes for the 20 mintues of stirring). Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. Drain the marinade from the pork and set aside. Heat oil in large frying pan on high heat. Once it is heated, add the cubed pork and brown for abour 3 minutes (being careful of splattering oil). Set aside and let cool for about 5 minutes Reserve pan juices from pork in another bowl.
  6. Place the rice (with the watere still in it) in a microwave safe bowl and cook for about 2 minutes. The rice will be semi cooked. Set aside.
  7. Assemble all of your filling ingredients and assembly items on a large table or work surface. Gather family and friends to help in an assembly line.
  8. Lay out a banana leaf square with the smooth side up. Place 1 cup of the masa in the middle of the banana leaf and, using wetted hands, spread it out a little. Put about 4 pieces of pork on top of the masa and sprinkle 1 or 2 tablespoons of rice over the pork. Lay 5 or 6 pieces of potato on top of the pork, add 1 table spoon green beans/garganzo beans, add 1 olive and add a little bit of the pan juices from the pork. Top off with 1 or 2 cilantro leaves.
  9. Fold the top edge of the banana leaf down over the filling. Bring the bottom edge of the banana leaf up over this. Then fold in both sides to make a rectangular package. Be careful not to wrap it too tightly or the filling will squeeze out. Flip the package over so it is seam side down.
  10. Set the tamal in the middle of an aluminum foil square and wrap it up tightly the same way you wrapped up the banana leaf. Set aside and repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 10 to 12 nacatamales in total.
  11. Add 2 or 3 inches of water to a tamalera or pot large enough to hold all the nacatamales. (You may have to use two pots if you don't have one big enough to hold the nacatamales in one batch.) Place a rack in the bottom or toss in enough wadded up aluminum foil to hold the nacatamales mostly out of the water. Add the nacatamales and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low and steam for about 3 hours. Add more water as needed to keep the pot from boiling dry.
  12. Once cooked, drain the water and let tamales rest for atleast 2 hours in the pot so that the masa can become firm.
  13. Remove the nacatamales from the pot, take off their aluminum foil covering and serve warm. Each diner opens the banana leaf on his or her own nacatamal before eating.
  14. This is MY family recipe. Nacatamales are a general name used for ANY central American tamale wrapped in a banana leaf, not just Nicaraguan. If you make yours differently, that's great! But keep in mind that there is no authentic recipe so PLEASE do not compare MY recipe to other recipes as I am sure everyones is different. It is very helpful to others if you rate according to your experience and result with this particular recipe. Thanks and enjoy!
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Nutrition Facts

Per ServingPer 100 g
Amount Per 1 Serving
Calories 1296.63 Kcal (5429 kJ)
Calories from fat 666.97 Kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 74.11g 114%
Cholesterol 159.07mg 53%
Sodium 2841.02mg 118%
Potassium 2227.57mg 47%
Total Carbs 115.59g 39%
Sugars 35.2g 141%
Dietary Fiber 14.55g 58%
Protein 51.38g 103%
Vitamin C 30.9mg 51%
Vitamin A 0.2mg 7%
Iron 3.2mg 18%
Calcium 147.3mg 15%
Amount Per 100 g
Calories 123.4 Kcal (517 kJ)
Calories from fat 63.47 Kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7.05g 114%
Cholesterol 15.14mg 53%
Sodium 270.37mg 118%
Potassium 211.99mg 47%
Total Carbs 11g 39%
Sugars 3.35g 141%
Dietary Fiber 1.39g 58%
Protein 4.89g 103%
Vitamin C 2.9mg 51%
Iron 0.3mg 18%
Calcium 14mg 15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Find out how many calories should you eat.

Tastes

  • salty
  • savory
  • bitter
  • sweet
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Recipe Tags

Weightwatchers Points

  • 31.3
    Points
  • 35
    PointsPlus

Good Points

  • saturated fat free,
  • low cholesterol

Bad Points

  • High in Sodium,
  • High in Total Fat

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