Nacatamal Recipe (Nacatamales): Nicaraguan Pork Tamal

Steps

1. 1Season the pork with acid and spices, and soak the rice

   15 min (rest 2 hours in the refrigerator)

   Cut the pork shoulder into 1 inches (3 cm) cubes and mix with ½ cup (90 ml) orange juice, 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice, 2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar, 12 g salt, the cumin, chili powder, and 1.5 tbsp (20 ml) annatto oil in a plastic bag or lidded container. When the surface of the meat is orange and the aroma of sourness is even, leave it in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Don't season it at room temperature, since that warms the meat juices. Wash 2 oz (60 g) rice in a separate bowl and soak in plenty of water for 1 hour.

   Don't discard all the liquid from the pork taken out of the bag; keep just 2 tbsp. If a lot of leftover marinade goes into the parcels, the dough turns watery, so keep it to what coats the surface of the meat. If the meat taken from the refrigerator smells off or is slimy, don't use it, and don't try to hide its condition with seasoning.

2. 2Make the annatto oil and aromatic vegetable paste

   12 min (low heat)

   Put 2 tbsp (30 ml) rice bran oil and 8 g annatto seeds in a small pot and warm over low heat for 2 minutes. When the oil is red-orange and small bubbles appear around the seeds, turn off the heat and remove the seeds with a tea strainer. Heating until it smokes brings out bitterness, so stop as soon as the oil changes color. Use 1.5 tbsp (20 ml) of the annatto oil for the pork and the rest for the dough and the aromatic vegetables.

   Finely chop 3.5 oz (100 g) onion, 5.5 oz (150 g) tomato, 2.75 oz (80 g) green pepper, and 2 cloves garlic and sauté with 2 tsp of the remaining annatto oil over medium-low for 5 minutes. It is done when the onion is translucent, the tomato's moisture has reduced slightly, and a thin layer of red oil remains on the bottom of the pot. Bitterness from scorched aromatics can't be undone, so rather than saving them by adding water, move just the unscorched part to another bowl.

3. 3Knead the masa with stock and heat it in a pot

   20 min (low to medium-low heat)

   Put 1 lb (450 g) masa harina, 2¾ cups (650 ml) warmed chicken stock, ¼ cup (60 ml) orange juice, 10 g salt, and half the aromatic vegetables in a bowl and mix until no lumps of flour remain. Put half the 3.25 oz (90 g) lard and the rest of the aromatic vegetables in a pot, warm over medium-low heat, and add the dough. Knead for 10 to 12 minutes, tracing the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, and mix in the remaining lard in two portions.

   Stop when the dough comes away from the sides of the pot, a line drawn with the wooden spoon stays about 2 seconds, and it falls slowly when scooped with a spoon. If it is stiff, add warm stock 1 tbsp at a time; if loose, add masa harina 10 g at a time. Adding liquid all at once is hard to undo, so aim for a state slightly softer than mashed potato.

   Why heat the dough first

   Masa harina holds together even just by letting it absorb water, but steamed for a long time with pork juices it tends to run toward the edges of the parcel. Building stickiness in the pot first supports the filling inside the parcel and keeps the dough from collapsing when you open the leaf.

4. 4Soften the leaves and cut the fillings to the same thickness

   15 min (low heat if toasting the leaves)

   Wash the banana leaves under running water and wipe dry with a cloth. Pass each side about 6 inches (15 cm) above a low flame for 10 seconds, or pour boiling water over them to soften. They are ready when the leaf surface turns deep green and the white veins don't crack when folded. Cut away any burnt black parts, as they will be bitter.

   Cut the potatoes 0.5 inches (1 cm) thick, the tomato 0.5 inches (1 cm), the onion 0.25 inch (5 mm), and the green pepper 0.5 inches (1 cm) wide. Drain the soaked rice in a sieve and shed the surface water. Divide the olives, raisins, and mint into six, and your hands won't stall hunting for filling while wrapping. Prepare 12 leaves of 12 inches (30 cm) square, including reinforcement for tears.

5. 5Layer dough and fillings in the center of the leaf

   25 min (about 4 min per parcel)

   Overlap two leaves so they cross in the center. Spread about 6.5 oz (180 g) dough in the center to 6 inches (15 cm) square, and place in order 10 g soaked rice, 3.5 oz (100 g) pork, 1.75 oz (50 g) potato, tomato, onion, green pepper, 2 olives, 5 g raisins, and mint. Putting the rice directly on the dough lets it absorb meat juices easily, and putting the meat on top lets the fat drip down into the filling. Leave 1.5 inches (4 cm) clear from the edge of the dough.

   If you overfill, the dough is pushed out when the leaf is folded. If the height at the center goes above 1.5 inches (4 cm), reduce the pork or potato slightly and move it to another parcel. Don't go above 10 g rice per parcel. Spoon just 1 tsp of the reserved marinade over the meat, and don't add excess liquid.

6. 6Fold the leaf and tie the square parcel with twine

   20 min (about 3 min per parcel)

   Fold the near and far sides of the leaf to the center, then the left and right sides, making a square parcel in which the filling doesn't move. Pulling the folds hard tears the leaf, so fold while pressing lightly on the parcel with your palm. If a leaf tears, put the torn side in the center of another leaf to reinforce it and rewrap.

   Place the parcel seam side down, pass a 23.5 inches (60 cm) length of twine around lengthwise and crosswise, and tie two spots. If the knots are too tight, the dough swollen by steam pushes out the sides. Leave about a finger's width of slack, with enough strength that the contents don't move when you lift the parcel. If the surface of the leaf starts to dry, cover with a damp cloth and wait.

   How to place parcels to prevent water leaking in

   Until they go into the steamer, keep the parcels seam side down. If the overlap of the leaves is on top, water drops from the pot get in through the seam and only the edge of the dough turns watery. If the leaves are small, overlapping a second one rotated 45 degrees keeps liquid from coming out of the corners.

7. 7Steam without stacking, never letting the steam run out

   3 hours (10 min to a boil, 2 hours 50 min of steaming)

   Put 2.75 quarts (2.5 L) water in the bottom of the steamer and confirm the water level is below the steaming rack. Lay torn leaves on the bottom and arrange the parcels seam side down with gaps between. Cover and heat on high for 10 minutes, and when steam comes out steadily, lower to medium, then medium-low, and steam for 2 hours 50 minutes. Packing parcels vertically makes the heat at the center slow to rise, so use a steaming surface of about 11 inches (28 cm) where the six don't overlap.

   Listen to the sound at the bottom of the pot every 30 minutes, and if water is low, add boiling water ½ cup (100 ml) at a time down the side of the pot. If the water runs out and the leaves touch the bottom, the leaves scorch and bitterness transfers. Opening the lid repeatedly lets steam escape, so don't open it except to add water, and don't shorten the steaming time. A traditional large pot runs 5 to 6 hours. Here, six parcels and heating the masa first mean 3 hours is enough, provided the internal temperature checks out.

8. 8Check internal temperature and the state of the rice and dough

   15 min (add 15 min at a time if not done)

   Take out the largest parcel, open the twine and leaf a little, and insert a thermometer into the thick part of the pork. Confirm the center has been at 167°F (75°C) for 1 minute or more. It is done steaming if the rice has swelled, a bamboo skewer goes through the potato, the dough doesn't stick to the leaf, and the pork fibers fall apart with a fork. If the temperature hasn't been reached, the rice has a hard core, or the dough is floury, return the leaf and add 15 minutes at a time over medium heat.

   When the edge of the dough has absorbed water and run, without opening the whole parcel, check the water level in the steamer and the seam of the parcel. For a parcel that took in water, rewrap the outside in leaf with no tears, and if the texture doesn't recover after another 10 to 15 minutes, set that parcel aside to eat. For safety, don't judge doneness by tasting meat that still looks pink.

9. 9Rest, then open with curtido

   15 min (10 min rest)

   Move the steamed parcels to a plate and rest them for 10 minutes, covered. The excess steam settles and the dough firms, making it easier to remove from the leaf. Meanwhile cut the tomato into 0.5 inches (1 cm) dice and the onion 0.25 inch (5 mm) wide, and sprinkle 3 g salt on 9 oz (250 g) cabbage and leave 5 minutes. Squeeze lightly and mix with the tomato, onion, rice vinegar, lime juice, and chili powder. It is done when the cabbage core still has some crunch and the edge of the vinegar has softened slightly.

   At the table, open each parcel and set the dough and filling on the leaf. With curtido alongside, the pork's fat and the heaviness of the masa are cut, and the aroma of mint and citrus comes back. To bring out the feel of a Nicaraguan weekend breakfast, serve strong coffee and enjoy the unwrapping without rushing.