Tamales. Yes, Tamales.

We love Tamales. By "love" I mean "I make at least 15 dozen at a time and they rarely last a week unless I hide a few in the freezer". However, if you can't have corn or you can't have starch or you can't have gluten tamales are out, right?

Nope. This recipe is for almost-starch-free tamales. It's difficult to estimate exactly how much starch is in each tamale, since the amount of "masa" in each one is somewhat variable. But based on how I make them, there is less than 1/2 gram of starch in each one, so they are almost effectively starch free. The last time I made them I made regular tamales (with corn masa) and served them during a party. I had wrapped them with color coded strings, but most people didn't pay attention and no one (even myself) could tell the difference. They were that good- and that close to the original. It's really important to use almond and oat flour- the two together approximate the nuttiness of the corn masa really well.

Finally, this recipe makes a lot. You can either divide the recipe and make less, or freeze some of the meat (cooked and shredded) and broth for later use. Since tamale making is a serious investment of time, this might be a good option.

Nearly Starch Free Tamales

For the meat filling:

Ingredients

* 4 teaspoons chili powder
* 1 tablespoon freshly toasted and ground cumin seeds
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 10-14 pounds pork butt or shoulder, trimmed
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil, divided
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 6 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced

For the wrappers:

* 2-3 packages dried corn husks or parchment paper if you can't use corn products

For the dough:

* 6-8 cups almond flour (use more as needed)
* 1 1/2 cups oat flour
* 1 1/2 cups flax seed
* 2 tablespoons kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons baking powder
* 12 ounces lard, approximately 1 1/2 cup
* 6 to 10 cups reserved cooking liquid, more as needed (may use chicken broth if cooking liquid is not sufficient)

For the meat filling:

Using a large stockpot, add a couple tablespoons of oil and sear pork on all sides. Add chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, salt, black pepper to the pork and add enough water to completely cover the meat, approximately 2 1/2 quarts. Cover, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meat is very tender and falling apart, about 3-4 hours. Add water as needed, but if possible avoid adding water during the last hour to allow the flavors to concentrate. Remove the meat from the water to a cutting board, and set aside to cool. Leave the cooking liquid in the pot, once cool remove to a large bowl or other container. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, shred discarding any skin, bones, cartilage and excess fat. Return stockpot to stove over medium heat and add the remaining vegetable oil. Once shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is semi-translucent, approximately 2 minutes. Add the garlic and chili and continue to cook for another minute. Add the meat and 2-3 cups reserved cooking liquid and cook until heated through and the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside until ready to assemble.

For the wrappers:

While the meat is cooking, place the husks in a large bowl or container and submerge completely in hot water. Soak the husks until they are soft and pliable, at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours. If you find that they like to float to the top, as I do, place a large heavy dinner plate over the husks to help submerge them. If you are using parchment, cut into several dozen 8" squares.

For the dough:

Place the almond meal, oat flour, flax seed, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and combine. Add the lard and using your hands, knead together until the lard is well incorporated into the dry mixture. Gradually add enough of the reserved cooking liquid to create a dough that is like thick mashed potatoes. The dough should be moist but not wet. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside until ready to use. You may find that the texture has changed with a resting time, add more reserved liquid or chicken broth as needed.

To assemble the tamales:

Remove a corn husk from the water and pat to remove excess water. Working in batches of 6, lay the husks on a towel and spread about 2 tablespoons of the dough in an even layer across the wide end of the husk to within 1/2-inch of the edges. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the meat mixture in a line down the center of the dough. Roll the husk so the dough surrounds the meat and fold the bottom under to finish creating the tamale. Repeat until all the husks, dough and filling are used. Tie the tamales, around the center in groups of 3 with kitchen twine or cotton yarn.

To steam the tamales:

Place a steamer basket in the bottom of an 11-quart pot and add enough water to come to the bottom of the basket. Stand the tamales close together on their folded ends and lean them in towards the center, away from the sides of the pot. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Check the water level every 15 to 20 minutes, and add boiling water by pouring down the side of the pot, if necessary. Steam until the dough is firm and pulls away from the husk easily, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If you are using parchment, be extra careful that the tamales do not rest in standing water.

Serve warm with enchilada sauce, hot sauce, any other condiment of your choice or even just plain. Store leftover tamales, still in their corn husks, in ziploc bags in the freezer, for up to a month (if you can hide them that well, of course). To reheat, remove the plastic wrap and steam until heated through.