Hanukkah Brisket Tamales - Taste With The Eyes

Hanukkah Brisket Tamales

Sending my warmest wishes to you at Hanukkah
May you be blessed with joy, good health, peace, and tender brisket….

Oh how we adore our brisket. And since the cooking process takes over eight hours, I usually make enough for leftovers and extra to freeze for later too. This year – the intersection of Hanukkah, brisket in the freezer, spying some mouth-watering tamales at LA’s Grand Central Market, and a tamalada (my Latino friends’ traditional Christmas season tamale-making party) – led to a unique holiday treat…Hanukkah Brisket Tamales. Made with my super-tender beef brisket, from a recipe that we have been making for many years. It is so good it’s one of the few recipes that I never adjust. The addition of carrots sautéed in olive oil and seasoned with a bit of cumin, salt and pepper plus a medley of sautéed onion and jalapeño adds fresh flavor and spiciness. The (optional) gouda cheese brings another dimension of smokiness and creamy texture. And lastly, who could resist the adorable little packages all wrapped up like a present, representing the age-old Jewish custom to give gifts of gelt to children on Hanukkah.

Note: Omit dairy or replace with non-dairy vegan substitutes for your Observant guests who follow the laws of kashrut (Jewish dietary laws).

Hanukkah Brisket Tamales Recipe

Fresh Banana Leaves (Hojas de Platano)

Cut banana leaves into 12″ squares. Rinse in cool water and dry thoroughly with kitchen towels. Briefly pass the squares over an open flame so they become soft and glossy. Set aside.

Olive Oil Tamale Batter (no lard or shortening)

Batter Ingredients:

3 1/2 c. masa harina
2 t. baking powder
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. Kosher salt
2/3 c. olive oil, partially frozen
3 c. chicken stock, warm

In a large mixing bowl, blend the dry ingredients with a hand mixer. Add olive oil a spoonful at a time. Then stream in 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock. Use the last 1/2 cup of stock if needed to make a soft cookie-dough-like batter.

Note: Batter recipe adapted from Terry Hope Romero.

Brisket

My brisket recipe can be found here.

Composing the Tamales

Filling Ingredients:

brisket, shredded
sautéed carrot, small dice
sautéed onion and jalapeño, small dice
smoked gouda, sliced (optional)

Spread a rectangle of batter (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup) onto the dull side of a banana leaf. Spread brisket over the batter. Top half the brisket with sautéed carrot, onion and jalapeño. Place a square of smoked gouda cheese over the vegetable mixture. Fold the right third of the leaf over the middle third to enclose the filling in the batter (see picture above). Then fold the other third over. Next, fold up the bottom and top portions to form a package. Tie with string.

Place tamale packets vertically in a steamer. Steam, covered, for 60 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Remove from heat, uncover, and let stand for 15 minutes.

Serve hot tamales with salsas and crema (optional).

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And if my Hanukkah Brisket Tamales got you in the holiday mood for more – you might enjoy taking a peek at other festive recipes from some fabulous bloggers below…