Blue Corn Tamale Pie [2048x1536 - 316KB] | Poal: Say what you want.

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Blue Corn Tamale Pie [2048x1536 - 316KB] (poal.co)

Look in the sky - it's a pie. No wait - it's bread. And it's got bacon! But why is it blue??? All you pie and bread faggots can fight it out and let me know what the consensus is.

Tamale pie - low tier comfort food at its basest level. It uses masa flour for the dough - basically it's corn flour that underwent nixtamalization (treated with an alkaline solution) prior to grinding into flour. It transforms the resultant corn into a form where more of the proteins and minerals are available for bio absorption. But blue? Yes, I bought a bag of the blue corn variety. Anyway...

Dough

1 & ½ cups masa harina flour 1 & ½ cups chicken or other broth ½ cup (less a Tbsp) lard or bacon fat 1 tsp coarse salt 1 tsp baking powder

Place flour in a large bowl, and fluff with a whisk. Add chicken broth, and combine well. Into another bowl add the lard (if you spurge out and use Crisco, you are truly a faggot) in small pieces, sprinkle with the salt and baking powder, and beat with a hand mixer until well combined and fluffy. Spoon small daubs of the lard mixture into the masa, scattering it on and in it. Blend thoroughly with the hand mixer until the dough is uniform and has the consistency of stiff mashed potatoes. Scrape down in the bowl to combine, cover with plastic wrap and toss it in the frig for at least an hour.

Filling

I make it up on the fly. You could use canned chili, refried beans, a medley of roasted and seasoned vegetables - the sky is the limit. Basically you just don't want big chunks of stuff that will protrude through your top crust. I used the following:

1/4 lb ground beef 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 2 dried Mulato chiles ½ cup chicken broth ½ cup water 2 garlic cloves, minced 1- 4 ounce can chopped green chiles 1 - 15 ounce can black bean, drained 1 Tbsp powdered green chile spice mix

Combine the broth and water in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, toss in the dried chiles, remove from heat and let soak/cool for an hour. Retrieve chiles, remove stems and seeds, chop and return to broth. Bring to a simmer, and then process/puree in a blender. Combine and brown meats lightly, drain, return to heat, add onions and cook until soft and fragrant. Add garlic, cook for 2 minutes more. Add chopped chiles, black beans and spice mix, and cook to warm through. Take the simmered chile broth, and strain into the meat/bean mixture. Cook until liquid reduces by 2/3rds. A lot of verbiage just to cook dinner, eh? It was a labor of love, but the hard part remains: Assembly.

I've appended a recipe link at the end of this ducksertation that is the basis for this mess, and provides the zen and science behind the masa dough. Like all cooking websites these days, it is verbose - even more than I am. But there's good info in it - particularly about assembling the pie. But note that they suggest putting 2/3rds of the dough in the bottom of the skillet and forming a well for the topping. This is folly. I suggest using slightly less than half the dough for the base, eliminating the well, and using the remaining dough on the top crust - because forming the top crust is a PITA. Read the link for remaining instructions, because I've already rambled on long enough.

Last thoughts before more pics:

Cook this in cast iron so you have a handy handle and get a crispy crust.
Cook at 375, but crank it up to 425 for the last 15 minutes to get more crust/bread browning. 55 minutes total was good for this half sized pie. It runs 75 minutes for the full size version.
My dough recipe is half that of the linked recipe - which calls for a 12 inch skillet. I cooked mine in an 8 inch ( No. 6) skillet. Should have gone with the No. 7.
Read the base recipe - particularly about how you'll have leftover filling. I used almost half the filling I made, but should have used maybe a third of it tops.
This pairs well with sour cream, guac and salsa. Resist the urge to pollute it by covering it with cheese.
It goes without saying, but it could have used more bacon.

Quack ~~~~~~ Base recipe https://www.seriouseats.com/mexican-tamale-pie-cazuela-de-tamal-black-bean-recipe

Masa flour

Shameless plug Restored this skillet last month, and this is its first cook. Local produce - about 100 years old.

Completed dough

Filling needs to reduce a bit

Bottom layer

Filling is in

Half the top crust

Into the oven Oy vey - annuda shoah!

And done!

Look in the sky - it's a pie. No wait - it's bread. And it's got bacon! But why is it blue??? All you pie and bread faggots can fight it out and let me know what the consensus is. Tamale pie - low tier comfort food at its basest level. It uses masa flour for the dough - basically it's corn flour that underwent nixtamalization (treated with an alkaline solution) prior to grinding into flour. It transforms the resultant corn into a form where more of the proteins and minerals are available for bio absorption. But blue? Yes, I bought a bag of the blue corn variety. Anyway... Dough 1 & ½ cups masa harina flour 1 & ½ cups chicken or other broth ½ cup (less a Tbsp) lard or bacon fat 1 tsp coarse salt 1 tsp baking powder Place flour in a large bowl, and fluff with a whisk. Add chicken broth, and combine well. Into another bowl add the lard (if you spurge out and use Crisco, you are truly a faggot) in small pieces, sprinkle with the salt and baking powder, and beat with a hand mixer until well combined and fluffy. Spoon small daubs of the lard mixture into the masa, scattering it on and in it. Blend thoroughly with the hand mixer until the dough is uniform and has the consistency of stiff mashed potatoes. Scrape down in the bowl to combine, cover with plastic wrap and toss it in the frig for at least an hour. Filling I make it up on the fly. You could use canned chili, refried beans, a medley of roasted and seasoned vegetables - the sky is the limit. Basically you just don't want big chunks of stuff that will protrude through your top crust. I used the following: 1/4 lb ground beef 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 2 dried Mulato chiles ½ cup chicken broth ½ cup water 2 garlic cloves, minced 1- 4 ounce can chopped green chiles 1 - 15 ounce can black bean, drained 1 Tbsp powdered green chile spice mix Combine the broth and water in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, toss in the dried chiles, remove from heat and let soak/cool for an hour. Retrieve chiles, remove stems and seeds, chop and return to broth. Bring to a simmer, and then process/puree in a blender. Combine and brown meats lightly, drain, return to heat, add onions and cook until soft and fragrant. Add garlic, cook for 2 minutes more. Add chopped chiles, black beans and spice mix, and cook to warm through. Take the simmered chile broth, and strain into the meat/bean mixture. Cook until liquid reduces by 2/3rds. A lot of verbiage just to cook dinner, eh? It was a labor of love, but the hard part remains: Assembly. I've appended a recipe link at the end of this ducksertation that is the basis for this mess, and provides the zen and science behind the masa dough. Like all cooking websites these days, it is verbose - even more than I am. But there's good info in it - particularly about assembling the pie. But note that they suggest putting 2/3rds of the dough in the bottom of the skillet and forming a well for the topping. This is folly. I suggest using slightly less than half the dough for the base, eliminating the well, and using the remaining dough on the top crust - because forming the top crust is a PITA. Read the link for remaining instructions, because I've already rambled on long enough. Last thoughts before more pics: * Cook this in cast iron so you have a handy handle and get a crispy crust. * Cook at 375, but crank it up to 425 for the last 15 minutes to get more crust/bread browning. 55 minutes total was good for this half sized pie. It runs 75 minutes for the full size version. * My dough recipe is half that of the linked recipe - which calls for a 12 inch skillet. I cooked mine in an 8 inch ( No. 6) skillet. Should have gone with the No. 7. * Read the base recipe - particularly about how you'll have leftover filling. I used almost half the filling I made, but should have used maybe a third of it tops. * This pairs well with sour cream, guac and salsa. Resist the urge to pollute it by covering it with cheese. * It goes without saying, but it could have used more bacon. Quack ~~~~~~ Base recipe https://www.seriouseats.com/mexican-tamale-pie-cazuela-de-tamal-black-bean-recipe [Masa flour ](https://poal.co/static/images/c2e4e0f2bdcc6c1c.jpg) [Shameless plug](https://poal.co/static/images/d933f9f9731e3037.jpg) Restored this skillet last month, and this is its first cook. Local produce - about 100 years old. [Completed dough](https://poal.co/static/images/c6333379393a05c2.jpg) [Filling needs to reduce a bit](https://poal.co/static/images/9a8339e0c35f3e37.jpg) [Bottom layer](https://poal.co/static/images/8e3361c461631f8b.jpg) [Filling is in](https://poal.co/static/images/9e0bc98484533f1e.jpg) [Half the top crust](https://poal.co/static/images/9e23c180d1733f0e.jpg) [Into the oven](https://poal.co/static/images/d69c90f1188cc180.jpg) Oy vey - annuda shoah! [And done!](https://poal.co/static/images/71614a039b0b178e.jpg)

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