Tamale Cups

There's been a can of maseca sitting in the pantry for a few years - compliments of a Relief Society "sharing" table - and I've been wondering what to do with it. When going through my recipe binder a couple of months ago I rediscovered another Relief Society find - a friend's instructions for making tamales. I was all prepared to make them this week, but didn't check the recipe until after I had gone to the store, and I'm missing a few ingredients. However, I was in the mood for tamales, so looked for something similar using what I already had. Success! We'll try Tamale Cups.

Tamale Cups

Pork Filling

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 cups cooked pork, shredded
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1-2 cups tomato sauce/water mixture

To prepare the filling, saute the onion and garlic in the oil. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat through.

Masa Shells

• 2 cups maseca or masa harina or corn flour
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup melted shortening or vegetable oil
• 1 1/3 cups beef or chicken broth

Combine the dry ingredients, then stir in the liquid ones until fully incorporated.

To create the tamale cups, place a spoonful (about 1/4 cup) of the corn dough into each of 12 regular-sized, greased muffin tins. Press into the sides and bottom. (My rarely used Pampered Chef tool is perfect for this step, and that's why I keep it around.) Place a spoonful (about 1/8 cup) of the filling into each indentation.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Serve with Mexican cheese, sour cream, and/or salsa and chopped cilantro.

Note: I had some leftover tomato sauce which I mixed with some water to make about one cup of liquid. The original recipe called for a small can of tomato paste mixed with 1 cup water. My filling may be a bit on the dry side, but it was enough to fill the shells, and we're going to serve it with sour cream and salsa anyway. Also, I didn't premix my taco seasoning, just tossed in what I felt like from the various spices - chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, and dried red pepper flakes.