Dutch Oven tamales

[crockett]

Going out to the desert on the border in a month or so. Primitive camping back of beyond. Yee Haw :thumbsup: Well I got thinking about some new thing to cook. Chili is okay but then thought about tamales. They're wrapped up in cornhusks so no plate needed and you can toss the husk in the fire and burn them up once you're done. Dutch oven should not even need to be cleaned. All the stuff ought to pack well, husks, cornmeal/flour, shredded jerky, onion, jalapeno, some spices.
Anyone ever try it with jerky? Any recipes?

 

[coloradoclyde]

Sounds like fun, take a camera.... you can use the lid of many Dutch ovens as a skillet or griddle too, I've made breakfast on my Dutch oven lid ........Fresh baked bread is always nice when camping.....

 

[satx78247]

I'll NOT use jerky for anything but trail snacks, as squirrels/rabbits/hares are too common & easy to take in TX for me to NOT eat fresh meat in camp, presuming that NO fresh beef/pork/goat/lamb is available.

Even TX jackrabbit is FINE if cooked until tender & then shredded for all sorts of Tex-Mex & NA cooking.

yours, satx

 

[tenngun]

I’ve gravitated to puddings in camp,( tamales are just Mexican puddings) I I don’t know if you would have to boil the jerky first. Cooked they should keep overnight for breakfast. You could slice them like a hunters pudding and lightly fry in the morning.

 

[satx78247]

Sounds interesting, though I always just steam or re-steam my tamales in the husk.
(Tamales of every sort are one of my favorites.)

yours, satx

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Sure, you're just turning the DO into a cast iron, steamer....Here's two blog articles on that very thing...

Dutch Oven Tamales in 2007

Same author does them again in 2010

LD

 

[Nativearizonan]

I think I would rather use canned meat than jerky, because of the extra, and lengthy, step to soften the jerky. Fresh meat would definitely be my first choice, though. Some locals make tamales with no meat, just lard and masa, and eat them during the day whenever they get hungry, as lunch or snack. Add a can of green chiles, and some cheese, if you have it, and make some green chile tamales.

 

[coloradoclyde]

:shocked2: ....Canned meat, dried meat, Tamales....Man, I'm not going camping with you epicureans.... I'm more the fine wine and cheese kind of guy.....:haha:

P.S.....Don't forget the TP and Pepto.... :wink:

 

[tenngun]

Don’t knock canned meat, especially home canned.

 

[R.C.BINGAMAN]

I, am with you tenngun my favorite is cold packed venison with a close second being cotton tail rabbit. AN APPALICHIAN HUNTER

 

[Loyalist Dave]

IF you're going to have masa flour and a Dutch Oven anyway, you should also try using the lid, inverted, as a makeshift comal, and also do up some pupusas

LD

 

[Ames]

Can we share recipes for canned venison here or should it have its own thread? Don't want to :hijacked:
Curious because the old methods had you cover it in liquids, new methods seem to favor dry packing, relying on the meats own juices. ???

 

[R.C.BINGAMAN]

Clean the meat very well soaking in very cold ice water a few times to remove as much blood as possible be sure to remove as much fat, tendons, gristle as possible. For the venison cut into chunks about a inch or inch and a half, place in super clean quart mason jar to shoulder of jar I will then place a beef bullion cube in the jar and cover the meat with water use just enough water to cover the meat not completely fill the jar. screw on lids tightly and place in canner, fill canner with water covering completely the jars and boil until done, Some folks will use a pressure cooker but I do not like them.remove the jars from the canner and let cool. During the cooling process listen for the jar lids to make a clinking sound at which time the lids will be divited in a downward position this is the seal make sure this happens or the meat will spoil. Same for the rabbit no bullion cube this time I will use a heaping table spoon of kosher salt, also you do not have to bone the rabbit if you do not want to but I find it works better if you do.

 

[tenngun]

I like to pressure cook it as I find it a little more tender, a little garlic powder and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce is good.
To reduce salt low sodium beef or chicken broth is good in place of water or boulion cube. I’ve never done rabbit but put up lots of chicken.
Mixed meats are also pretty good. Beef pork and chicken with a chicken broth cover is real good. I’ve never made tamales from it but great burritos and SOB stews.

 

[NeilMacleod]

better be tender after 90min in a pc lol.

 

[tenngun]

:grin:

 

[Ames]

Wet or dry pack, conventional wisdom calls for the high temps of the pressure cooker to kill pathogens. I would stick with a PC for low acid foods. I was just curious about the liquids used.
Then I can put them in the tamales.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I would stick with a PC for low acid foods. I was just curious about the liquids used.
Then I can put them in the tamales.

As a kid, prior to the government pronouncement to not use a water-bath to can meats due to botulism, we had a "neighborhood granny" who did all sorts of canning and jam making. Canned meat too. She never had a problem, but she canned sauerbraten and hasenpfeffer..., which might account for why she didn't have problems.

LD

 

[NeilMacleod]

Wet or dry pack, conventional wisdom calls for the high temps of the pressure cooker to kill pathogens. I would stick with a PC for low acid foods. I was just curious about the liquids used.
Then I can put them in the tamales.

25psi 90min minimum.

 

[crockett]

Well, some of this is trying to be PC- at least to some extent. The jerky was "back up" meat. If I get any small game I figured I'd boil it some and then cut it off the bone and add chili powder, cumin, maybe chopped up onion and jalapeno.
On the beef jerky, carne seca is dried meat- used to some extent in Southwest cusine. If you pound it out- like to make pemican- it goes pretty good in one pot meals. Corn dodgers were sort of cowboy food and go pretty good with any sort of chili and they keep so that would be pc to a degree.
Anytime you're in the desert water is critical so I can't waste much.
Looking forward to those starry skies above- nothing like it.
BTW, I found an internet source for an all steel French skillet (various styles). The 8" pan is large with high sides, good for campfires, and the steel is about 3/32" which is very substantial. All metal handle and only about EIGHT DOLLARS. I got one and they are great. https://www.tigerchef.com/winco-csfp-8-polished-carbon-steel-french-style-fry-pan-8-5-8andquot.html