Hand-Tied Milk-Braised Pork Tamales #FoodieReads

I was inspired to share this after reading An Irish Bookshop Murder by Lucy Connelly, the first Mercy McCarthy Mystery.

On the Page

An Irish Bookshop Murder by Lucy Connelly introduces us to twins Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy who have recently moved to Ireland - from Texas - after the death of a grandfather they had never met. Mercy is an author of murder mystery novel while Lizzie has a background in farming. In addition to his home, they have also inherited a bookstore.

Not long after their arrival, one of the neighbors on their exclusive cul de sac is murdered. Mercy sets out to try to find the killer. Her sleuthing causes tension between her and the detective in change, Kieran. Because one of their neighbors is a chef, there is plenty of food inspiration on the pages. Some of it is traditionally Irish, but much is not.

"'In addition to the colcannon, we have a potato farl, which is a potato bread. There is also bacon stuffed cabbage rolls.' He motioned for our plates and then put a serving of each of the dishes on them. 'The rolls are stuffed with smoked salmon,' he said, 'and the last bit is my take on Irish stew'" (pg. 73).

"Since my brain needed protein, I also took a few slices of Irish cheddar for my plate. I’d never had that kind of cheddar until the other night at our welcoming party, and I was a fan" (pg. 130). I finally tracked down some Irish cheddar for myself, but what sent me into the kitchen was this passage and some leftover masa.

I closed the shop at five. I’m heating tamales, rice, and beans that Rob made for us. He’s talented, and all this Latin food keeps me from missing home too much.

No spoilers about who did it, but I will say that they solve the case and Mercy and Lizzie are welcomed to the neighborhood with open arms...leading to the sequel which I also devoured. More on that soon.

A Tamale-Making Party

Just after New Year's my best friend and her family hosted a tamale-making party. Then she dropped off some of the extra masa for me. And I made a batch of tamales for myself.

Hand-Tied Milk-Braised Pork Tamales

Milk-Braised Pork

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless pork roast

• 1/2 cup sliced onions

• 1/2 cup chopped celery

• olive oil

• 2 cups organic whole milk

• 1 dried pepper

• 1 cinnamon stick

• freshly ground salt

• freshly ground pepper

Tamale (if you don't have any extra prepared masa from another recipe)

• 6 cups harina

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup vinegar

• 4 cups organic chicken broth

• shredded pork

• 2 cups beans, cooked (I used heirloom Anasazi beans)

• 1 cup crumbled cheese (I used a Greek feta)

• 1/2 cup salsa

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro + more for garnish

• corn husks for wrapping

• sour cream, for garnish

• salsa, for garnish

Milk-Braised Pork

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. Cook onions and celery until softened and beginning to caramelize. Sear the pork roast on each side, approximately 1 to 2 minutes per side. Pour in the milk and add the dried pepper and cinnamon stick.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork is fork-tender, approximately two hours. Uncover pork; simmer until liquid evaporates and pork begins to brown, approximately half an hour. Remove the chili and cinnamon stick and continue to cook, for another 10 minutes, until the pork is nicely browned. Shred pork with a fork.

For the tamales: Place the corn husks in a large lidded pot. Pour boiling water over the top and cover. Let soak for an hour. Drain when ready to assemble.

For the masa: Mix the first five ingredients together in a bowl and stir till it comes together into a ball. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

For the filling: Mix the meat mixture, beans, cheese, salsa, and 1/4 cup cilantro together.

To assemble: Lay a corn husk on a cutting board and spoon 1/4 cup of the masa into the center. Press it as flat as possible. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon on top of the masa.

Fold the edge of the corn husk over the stuffing and roll the corn husk to form tight roll. I like to tie a small piece of husk around each tamale, but it's more aesthetic than anything else; they hold together just fine without that tie.

Place the tamales upright in a large pot, suspended over water. Bring the water to a boil, then cover the pot tightly and steam for 60-70 minutes.

To serve, each diner opens the corn husk on his or her own plate. Garnish with sour cream, salsa, and cilantro leaves.

I am adding this to the January 2025 #FoodieReads Link-Up.