Smoked Birria Tamales

These delicious tamales are a bit of a labor of love, but they are SO worth every second. Get your family together and create an assembly line to help put these together for everyone to enjoy!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword birria tamales

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 4

Servings people

Calories 428kcal

Author Nicole Johnson

Equipment

Traeger

Ingredients

Birria

4 pounds beef chuck roast or stew meat
4 dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
3 dried ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
2 dried chiles de árbol stems and seeds removed; adjust to taste
1 large white onion peeled and quartered
5 cloves garlic peeled
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground thyme
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 cups beef broth plus more if needed
Salt to taste
Oil for browning

Tamale Masa

25 dried corn husks soaked in warm water until pliable
3 cups masa harina
1 cup lard or vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2½ cups warm beef broth or warm water; add gradually, may need an additional 1/2 cup

Instructions

Make the Comsommé

Remove stems and seeds from the guajillo, ancho, and chiles de árbol.
Add all of the birria ingredients (except the beef) to a stock pot and bring to a simmer.
Let simmer for 30 minutes, and then let cool until it is safe to blend.
Blend until smooth.

Smoke and Braise

Preheat your Traeger to 225°F.
Season the beef with salt. Add it to the smoker and let it smoke for 1 hour.
Remove from the smoker.
Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the roast on both sides.
Return all the browned beef to the pot.
Pour in the blended chile sauce and add additional broth so the beef is covered.
Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and let it cook on low heat until the meat is very tender, about 2–3 hours. Check and stir occasionally, adding liquid if needed so it doesn’t dry out.

Shred the Meat

Once the beef is fork-tender, remove it from the pot and shred with two forks.
Return shredded meat to the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed.

Make the Tamale Masa

Soak the corn husks
Place the corn husks in a large bowl.
Cover with warm water and let them soak until they are soft and pliable.
Keep them submerged by weighing them down with a plate if needed.

Mix Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, combine masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Stir to blend.
Mix in the lard (or shortening).
Add lard to the dry ingredients.
Use a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed (or work by hand) until the mixture resembles damp sand.
Add warm broth gradually.
Pour in warm beef broth (or water), a little at a time.
Mix until you have a soft dough that spreads easily.
You want a spreadable consistency (not too stiff, not overly wet).

Assemble the Tamales

Lay out a husk and shake off any excess water.
Place it on a flat surface, smoother side facing up.
Spread about 2–3 tablespoons of masa onto the husk, starting near the wide end.
Leave about 1 inch of space at the top and sides for folding.
Place a spoonful of shredded birria in the center of the masa.
Fold one side of the husk over the filling, then fold the opposite side over.
Fold the narrow end up toward the center.
Tie with strips of corn husk or baker's twine.
Repeat for all tamales.

Steam the Tamales

Fill a large pot or tamale steamer with water below the steamer rack or basket level.
Bring water to a simmer.
Load the tamales
Stand tamales upright in the steamer, open end facing up.
Cover the pot with a lid.
Steam for about 60–90 minutes, checking water level occasionally and adding more hot water if needed.
Tamales are done when the masa is set and pulls away easily from the husk.
Serve hot. If you want extra sauce, spoon some of the reserved consommé over the tamales.
Enjoy them straight out of the steamer.

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