Nightshade-free Tamales! (Gluten-free, VAD)

Nightshade-free Tamales! (Gluten-free, VAD)

Nightshade free Tamalas are as good as you remember them, but healthier and gentler to digest! This delicious authentic recipe features fluffy and easy to make masa dough and a wonderful meat filling in a spiced gravy, without the chile peppers. Gluten-free, low in vA, low in lectins, medium in oxalates and low in salicylates.

Course Appetizer, DInner, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword gluten-free, low lectin, low oxalate, low salicylate, nightshade-free, Tamales, VAD

Prep Time 55

Cook Time 2

Total Time 3

Servings tamales

Calories 236kcal

Author Megan

Cost $9

Equipment

large pot or Instant Pot (or other brand pressure cooker)
large sauté pan or saucepan
steamer basket or Instant Pot

Ingredients

Masa Dough

2 cups masa harina white masa for low Vitamin A
2 cups Meat Stock This gets made automatically when the meat cooks, so you don't need to buy or make this ingredient separately.
1/2 cup butter or duck fat, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt or Potassium Salt
1 package dried corn husks (You'll need about 8 ounces for this recipe, but fine to buy a bigger bag for future uses.)

Meat and Sauce Filling

1 pound beef stew meat cubed
4 cups water
2 Tablespoons rice flour
2 teaspoons sea salt or Potassium Salt (This is used with the water to cook the meat and create Meat Stock.)
1-½ teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ginger powder
For optional additional spices, see Notes section below. Only for not-low-vA diet.

Instructions

Meat and Sauce filling (Get this started first.)

Place meat in pot with lid. Add 4 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt.
For Stove Top, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to lowest setting that still allows a slow simmer. Cover and simmer until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours. Check water level to make sure it remains almost the same and doesn't evaporate during cooking (otherwise, add water, as needed). When cooking process is over, measure out 2 cups + 1 cup (divided) of the remaining liquid, which is now called Meat Stock. You'll need this in the next steps.
For Instant Pot, choose "Stew" setting, and cook 35 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally or do a QPR, whichever you prefer.
When meat is done cooking, do Step 1 under Masa Dough and Husks, which is to get your corn husks soaking.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked stew meat to cutting board. Allow to cool until it's cool enough to handle. Slice each cube of beef into about 3 slices. Set aside. (Some stew meat will just be falling apart at this point, in which case, slices are less important. Other stew meat remains pretty firm, in which case the slices are very important, because the meat won't shred, but it will still be tender once sliced. My process photos show the firmer slices, but my finished tamales show another batch I made with "fall apart" meat; both are fine and good.)
In large pan, whisk together 1 cup cooled Meat Stock, rice flour, cumin, ginger and sea salt. Heat over medium heat, whisking, until it thickens and simmers for a couple of minutes. Reduce heat to low, and fold/stir in the sliced reserved meat. Remove from heat. Now, taste for salt, and add more if you think it needs it. Set aside while you make the Masa Dough.

Masa Dough and Husks

Soak the corn husks in a bowl of very hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. This photo doesn't show it, but submerge them. Sometimes I weight them down with a bowl on top.
In a large bowl, combine the masa harina, baking powder and salt; mix in the butter and enough broth as necessary to form a spongy dough (about 2 cups). (I use electric handheld beaters.)
Spread the dough out over the corn husks to ⅓-½ inch thickness -- about ¼ cup of masa dough in each corn husk. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of the meat filling into the center. (The amount you can add depends on the size of the husk. If you overfill, it will spill out of the sides or top during cooking.)
Fold the husk in half length-wise; then fold the "leftover" hanging husk from one side into the center. Tear vertical strips from the smaller soaked corn husks to create little belts for the tamales.
Now, fold the narrow bottom up onto the center, and secure with the husk tie, just one fold/half knot.
For Stove Top: Place in a steamer basket over simmering water; cover. Steam for 1 hour.
For Instant Pot: Put 1-1/2 cups water in base of insert. Top trivet or fill steamer basket with layered tamales. Choose Manual setting, and cook 35 minutes. Allow steam to release naturally for at least 20 minutes, or longer is okay too. Have each person unwrap their own, to serve. Provide a large bowl on the table for the husks.
Serve with refried or other beans and salad, as well as any other sides you enjoy: rice, salsa, sour cream, guacamole etc.

Notes

Nightshade-free Mexican Spice Mix

If you're not on a low vitamin A diet and want a more robust flavor in the chile-free Meat Filling, combine the following herbs and spices (in with Step 4 for the Meat Filling):

1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon tamarind paste

Nutrition