pulled pork and tamales?


 
A

Anton

TVWBB Fan
I smoked two pork butts this weekend. I'm sitting at work today day dreaming about my pork and came across the idea of using some of it to make tamales with. Has anyone done this?

When I have made tamales in the past they have always been steamed. Would it be possible to cook them on the WSM?
 
I haven't done it myself but a friend tells me that left over BBQ makes excellent enchiladas. I'd guess using it for tamale filling would work just as well.

Sorry I can't help you any further.

Joe
 
We have a mexican fiesta potluck planned in the near future and your post gave me an idea. What about using a mexican/spanish based rub on the butt. That would give the pork a more authentic mexican/spanish flavor and fit well in making tamales, tacos or whatever. So, I think tamales would be a great idea. Let me know how they turn out.
 
Butt for tamales works very well. I augment the pork with some semi-pureed roasted chilies and add some goat cheese as a binder. I save some bark on the side, mince it, and work that in as well.

You really have to steam tamales, imo. The masa needs the steam environment to cook and become light.

And leftover butt does make great enchiladas (terrific with a mole sauce), tostadas, burritos, and tacos. I use more leftover butt for those things than any other.
 
I'm gonna try it here in the next few days. My plan is going to be for a more bbq flavored tamale. Or I may try two kinds, one with a bbq style sauce and one with a more mexican chili based sauce and see how they compare.

I'll post my results...
 
Sounds great. Please let us know. You can use the juices left in the foil when you remove the butt after resting and build on that for your Q sauce. Nice smoke, meat, and bark flavors there.
 
Well I finallay scraped together enough time to make this happen.

I made an ancho chili sauce two days ago. Then last night made the tamales. Threw a pulled pork packet out of the freezer and into the boiling water. Two hours later I had a couple dozen tasty tamales.

I steamed them (smoking them didn't sound feasable). But I wonder if you could smoke them for maybe an hour after they were steamed. Something to try another next time.

Overall they turned out great. Definitely a good use of the PP
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If you try smoking them, please let us know. I make tamales quite a bit... steaming them is the only way I know to maintain the moisture in the masa/lard mixture. Seems that smoking would dry them out a bit... but maybe if they were sitting directly above the water pan? Who knows...

let us know
 
Anton ... my experience with tamales is that (a) pork is a great combination and (b) the pork is usually chopped very fine. Did you chop the pulled pork very fine or were you able to use larger pieces?
 
I used the pieces as they were. I'm not sure how small pulled pork is supposed to be, so maybe mine is smaller than normal. I just shredded it apart. I actually like the bigger pieces in the tamales, and every now and then I get one with a big ole peice of bark in it. mmmmmmmm, those are the good ones
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I've done pulled pork quesadillas many times, but now I've got a new one -- pork tamales!

I can see that on the near horizon for the table.
 
Makes me think about rubbing a butt with taco seasoning just for tacos,burritos, ect. I am sure that this has been done by a member or 2.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dale Perry:
Makes me think about rubbing a butt with taco seasoning just for tacos,burritos, ect. I am sure that this has been done by a member or 2. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I haven't used taco seasonings, but I always have a heavy mexican influence in my rubs. I usually toast chipotles (dried, not in adobo) anchos and guajillos, grind them up with cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and dried mexican oregano and add to that a bit of onion and garlic powder. That gives you get a kickin mexican chile powder. That is my base, then depending on what I'm cooking (chicken, pulled pork, ribs, etc.) I add the appropriate level of salt and sugar to make a rub. It works great when the leftovers are going to be used in tacos/enchiladas, etc.

Here's the usual proportions for my mexican chile powder:

6-7 chipotles (dried, not in adobo sauce)
3 guajillo chiles
2 ancho chiles
2 tsps whole coriander seeds
1.5 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 Tbs dried mexican oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Toast the chiles on a dry, hot skillet (or in a hot oven) until they get fragrant. (don't let them burn, they'll get bitter). Let them cool, cut or tear them in half to remove the seeds. Toast the coriander and cumin, and throw them in a spice grinder with the chiles and oregano. grind it up to the desired fineness, stir in the onion and garlic powder, and you have a mexican chile that would make your abuelita proud...

anyhow, with the addition of salt and sugar (turbinado is my fav for this) it makes a GREAT rub for pork. cut down a bit on the sugar and it is great on chicken.
 
Pulled pork pizza is great.

Pulled pork, bbq sauce, melted cheese over some nachos makes a great snack. I got the idea from the bugaboo creek restaurant, they used pulled chicken.
 
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