Black Bean Tamales with Pibil Pork
Vaporcitos de Xpelón con Cochinita Pibil
Recipe Yield
14 to 16 tamales
Cooking time
1 hour 25 minutes
Rate this recipe
Ingredients
For the pibil pork filling:
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons achiote paste broken into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound pork loin or tenderloin cut into 1 1/2 to 2” chunks
- 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1 habanero stemmed, finely chopped
- 1/2 pound ripe Roma tomatoes diced or crushed
For the masa:
- 3 1/4 cups masa harina about 1 pound
- 2 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup lard or vegetable shortening
- 2 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
- 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or epazote leaves
To assemble the tamales and serve:
- 16 to 18 pieces of fresh or thawed banana leaves of about 12” length rinsed, plus more for steaming tamales
- Roasted Tomato and Habanero Salsa to serve
To Prepare
To make the filling:
- In the jar of a blender, add the chicken broth, achiote paste, vinegar, oregano, cumin and allspice, and puree until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large deep skillet or casserole over medium-high heat. Once it shimmers, add the pork pieces and season with the salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, flipping as it browns on all sides and starts letting out its juice. Add the onion, stir, and cook for a minute. Add the habanero and tomato and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, until vegetables soften.
- Pour in the achiote mixture and stir. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, place the lid on, and cook for 30 minutes, until the liquid has thickened considerably and darkened. Remove the lid, stir, place the lid ajar, and continue cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes. The mix should still be wet but the sauce should have thickened and darkened a lot more. Remove from the heat. Shred the meat into the sauce with a couple forks. Let it cool down.
To make the masa:
- In a large bowl, combine the masa harina with the chicken broth. Using your hands, knead the dough until thoroughly mixed and very smooth, not “grainy.” Add the lard or vegetable shortening, and work it in, kneading, for a few minutes. Add the salt, black beans and cilantro, and mix until fully incorporated.
To assemble the tamales:
- To prepare the banana leaves, turn a burner on to medium-low heat. Slowly pass each banana-leaf piece over the flame on both sides, until they change color and become fragrant and set aside (so they will be resilient, malleable and not break).
- One by one, set each leaf piece on your counter with the shiny, outer side down. Spoon about 1/3 cup of masa onto the center and spread it to form a rectangle of about 5”x 3.” With the spoon, or your finger, make a shallow channel down the middle, creating a stripe in the masa. Add a couple tablespoons of pibil pork. Gently close each tamal by folding the longer sides first and then the shorter sides, as if making a flat and tight package, but being careful not to press on the tamal too much.
- Prepare your tamalera or steamer by adding just enough water to touch the bottom of the steaming basket. Line the steaming basket with a few banana-leaf pieces to gently cover the base. One by one, add the tamales, stacking them as evenly as you can, staggered in the same position as when you made them: laying them flat. Once you are done, cover with a few more pieces of banana leaves.
- Set the steamer uncovered over high heat, once there is a bit of steam coming out and the water starts boiling a few minutes later, cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for an hour. The leaves will have changed to a much darker color and will have completely wilted to wrap themselves as a second skin over the tamales, and the tamales should feel firm. Turn off the heat. Let the tamales sit for at least 15 minutes before serving so they will settle. Serve the tamales with the Roasted Tomato and Habanero Salsa.
Comments
29comments inBlack Bean Tamales with Pibil Pork
Mara Enriquez Thompson
Jan 23
Hola Pati!
I came here to ask if I can use corn husks inspead of the banana leaves. I see that others have asked the same question. You are so kind to respond. We throughly enjoy your show, and love your recipes. Now my brother and his four boys are also avid fans and have binged watched all the seasons. We are very prous of your success and accomplishments.
Muchas gracias de esta Mexico-Americana que tiene el mismo orgullo de nuestra cultura y gastronamia.
Mara
Pati Jinich
Jan 27
Gracias a ti Mara! Of course you can use corn husks if you cannot find banana leaves, which I think give these tamales a very peculiar and yummy flavor, but the corn husks work as well 🙂
Liz Yuras
Jan 21
This was my first try of making tamales. Your instructions were clear and precise. I didn’t have any banana leaves so used regular corn husk. They were delicious. My husband couldn’t get over it. Perfect amount for first try.
Plan on making again but will have banana leaves.
Pati Jinich
Jan 27
Let me know how do you like them better Liz!
CN
Jan 06
What is brand of recado paste you used and where to buy it?
Thanks
Pati Jinich
Jan 14
I like La Anita, you can find it in Latin or Hispanic markets or online 🙂
Boo Scruff
Dec 26
I so want to try “Black Bean Tamales w/Pibil Pork. but I cannot stand banana leaves, they seem to impart an after taste that I cannot get over. Can I not use the corn leaves instead. Or, what else can I use ? Please help
Thanks so much
Pati Jinich
Jan 14
Of course Boo, go for the corn husks and enjoy!
Lars
Dec 25
I made this recipe for Christmas Eve, and everyone loved it, including me! I did use chicken thighs instead of pork, but otherwise I followed the recipe fairly closely.
My local market here in Cathedral City, CA, Cárdenas, sells huge quantities of fresh masa, and so I used that. However, it came with pork lard, salt, and baking powder already mixed it, although I had to add a bit more salt. Also, they did not have banana leaves (that I saw), and so I used corn husks instead. If I had been at my house in Los Angeles, I could have cut leaves from my banana tree. I used twice as much cilantro as your recipe called for, and I did like the flavor in the tamales.
Incidentally, my favorite Mexican food is in the Yucatan, and I have visited there many times.
Pati Jinich
Jan 14
Thanks for sharing Lars, sounds like your tamales were delicious!
pattyarceo@hotmail.com
Dec 16
Hola Pati, de casualidad sabes la receta de los tamales de frijoles dulces? No se de donde son pero mi abuelita los hacía deliciosos, con especias como clavo, canela, azúcar y no se que mas, nunca más los he comido desde que ella se fue!!! Gracias
Pati Jinich
Dec 20
Hola! No tengo esa receta pero la voy a buscar, se oye deliciosa!
Sheri
Dec 13
Hi Patti, I love watching you cook! I love love love it! I had a question, can I use my Insta-pot/pressure cooker for the tamales?
Pati Jinich
Dec 20
Hi Sheri, thanks so much for reaching out. The truth is I don’t own an instapot or a pressure cooker so I won’t be of much help here 🙁
Kitty
Dec 12
Do you think this recipe could be adapted to do as a tamal casserole? I have no helpers to make tamales, but this sounds so delicious!
Pati Jinich
Dec 19
I do not see why not Kitty! And also, I have this recipe for tamal casserole in case you want to check it out 😉 https://patijinich.com/chicken-and-salsa-verde-tamal-casserole/
Sylvia Dana
Dec 12
Hi Pati,
I’m kosher, can I use chicken instead of pork and how much?
Pati Jinich
Dec 19
Of course Sylvia, go ahead and use this pibil chicken recipe for your filling and wrap up your tamales, enjoy! https://patijinich.com/fast-track-chicken-pibil-sandwich/
Jonathan
Nov 04
Pati, love your show and your recipes! Question about the cut of pork you use for this: you say loin but watching the episode you made this on and the cut looks much fattier than loin. More like pork shoulder. Would pork shoulder work well? Thanks!
Pati Jinich
Nov 06
Hey Jonathan, I normally use loin but ask my butcher to leave the fatty coat on for flavor 🙂 However you can use shoulder or any other cut that you like better.
Diana (dianaernesto@icloud.com)
Nov 03
What do you do with banana leaves if you don’t have a gas stove?
Pati Jinich
Nov 03
Just warm them up a bit in a pan or a comal, like if you were warming up tortillas 🙂
Anonymous
Nov 04
Gracias, my sister-in-law taught me how to make Salvadoran tamales and they just wash and dry the banana leaves but they also wrap tamales in a special paper before wrapping them in the banana leaf.
Anonymous
Oct 28
My name is Olga Carrillo I live in Hellskitchen10036 in Manhattan, and I try not to miss your show I’m a puertorican, I love my food but I also love Mexican food as well. I thank you so much 💓.
Sincerely olgac0875@gmail.com
Pati Jinich
Nov 03
Thanks so very much for your sweet message Olga, un abrazo!
Kay Johnson
Oct 20
Looks delicious a must try. Love everything
Pati Jinich
Nov 03
Thanks so much Kay, you are going to love these tamales!
Bessy America Garcia
Oct 20
Gracias Patty,por tan ricas fabulosas recetas, que deseaba tener .
Soy fiel seguidora tuya tanto por este medio, como en el canal de television, igual en YouTube. Dios te bendiga y a tu familia, mi saludo es desde Connecticut .
Pati Jinich
Nov 03
Mil gracias Bessy, que linda! Abrazos para ti 😉