Tamales are a delicious and hearty Mexican staple perfect for gatherings and celebrations When making tamales, pork is a classic filling choice prized for its rich, meaty flavor But determining how much pork to buy can be tricky when trying to yield the right amount of tamales.
In this complete guide, we’ll break down how to calculate the number of tamales per pound of pork. You’ll learn proper meat-to-masa ratios how preparation factors in, and tips for maximizing each pound. With this knowledge, you can approach your next tamalada with confidence!
The Magic Number: Expect 12-15 Tamales Per Pound of Pork
When it comes to pork-filled tamales, the general rule of thumb is 12-15 tamales per pound of boneless pork. This average accounts for using 1-2 tablespoons of shredded pork filling per tamale. It assumes you are using a fattier cut like pork shoulder or butt.
Of course, variables like tamale size and preferred filling amount can alter the exact yield. But this 12-15 per pound estimate provides a helpful starting point for pork-to-tamale calculations. You can then adjust quantities as needed to fit your recipe.
Why the Meat-to-Masa Ratio Matters
Creating perfectly balanced tamales relies on using the right meat-to-masa ratio. The optimal proportion is 1 pound of meat to 1 pound of masa. This ensures the tamales are hearty, flavorful, and satisfying.
Too little meat makes the tamales dense and dry. Too much meat overwhelms the dough and throws off the ideal texture. When using pork, stick close to a 1:1 meat-to-masa ratio for best results. You can then tweak based on personal preferences.
Size Matters: Calculating Tamales for Large vs. Small Batches
Tamale size significantly impacts yield per pound of pork. Larger tamales require more filling and masa per piece, reducing the total number you can make. Smaller tamales need less of each ingredient per unit, allowing you to stretch a pound further.
For extra-large tamales, expect approximately 8-10 per pound of pork. For smaller tamales, estimate closer to 18-20 per pound. Gauge your batch size, then adjust filling and masa amounts accordingly.
Maximizing Use of Each Pound
A few preparation tips can help maximize tamale yield per pound of pork:
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Choose leaner cuts with less fat/gristle
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Cook until fall-apart tender
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Drain/reserve pork cooking liquid for flavor
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Shred pork finely and evenly
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Use a scale for precise filling measurements
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Portion masa dough into equal-sized balls
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Work quickly to avoid dough drying out
Proper techniques ensure you utilize the most meat from each pound for extended tamale output.
Step-by-Step Guide for Pork Tamale Success
Follow this handy step-by-step guide using the ratios and estimates above, and you’ll have delicious pork tamales every time.
Ingredients per Batch
- 1 pound boneless pork shoulder
- 1 pound masa harina
- 12-15 dried corn husks
- Seasonings: cumin, garlic, salt, pepper, etc.
Instructions
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Cook pork until extremely tender, 3-4 hours. Shred pork finely.
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In a bowl, mix masa harina with 1 1⁄4 cups warm broth, 1⁄4 cup lard, and 1 tsp salt. Knead until pliable dough forms.
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Soak corn husks in water 30 minutes until soft and pliable.
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Spread 2-3 tbsp masa on husk. Add 1-2 tbsp shredded pork in center.
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Fold long sides of husk over filling, then fold up bottom and tie with string. Repeat for all tamales.
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Stand tamales upright in steamer. Steam 60-90 minutes until masa is firm.
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Remove strings and serve warm with desired toppings like salsa and guacamole.
Get More Miles from Your Pork for Tamaladas
Armed with this knowledge of how many tasty tamales you can expect per pound of pork, you can confidently plan for your next tamalada. Now you can relax and focus on creating the perfect masa, flavorful fillings, and celebration instead of worrying about proportions. ¡Buen provecho!
Tamales are a holiday essential in Tucson: Here’s how to make them + where to find them
Editors note: This story was originally published in 2021.
Tamales are difficult to make. It’s part of why they feel so special around the holidays. Preparing the red chile beef, making the masa, putting it all together, and steaming it can easily take a whole day or more, and sometimes into the next. Spreading the masa and folding the corn husks require fine motor skills most of us don’t practice regularly.
For that reason, any book on how to make tamales won’t teach you how to hold the corn husk and spread the masa evenly. Only practice will do that.
You should have seen Matilde Santa Cruz pinch the corn husk with her thumb on the narrow end and her fingers flat against the wide open tongue. Soon, it will be a tamale.
She puts a small amount of masa in the middle of the husk and flattens her hand as she spreads it out evenly the other way. She slightly changes her grip, and the corn husk bends off the edge of her hand. The sticky masa sticks to the husk as she spreads it out to her wrist. I can tell you this and it won’t help, not really.
Matilde learned these skills by making tamales for 74 years. She has also been making tortillas at Tucson Meet Yourself for almost 20 years. She recognizes recipes for masa on sight. When you cut the masa with maseca (corn meal), the tamale comes out too even and mealy. When you don’t add enough lard, the tamale will stick to its wrapper after it’s boiled. (She says to steam a few practice tamales without filling to see how much lard to masaa you need before putting together dozens of bad ones.) ).
If you want to learn how to make tamales for Christmas dinner, the best thing to do is to get help from a friend like Matilde. Watching her, trying and failing under her tutelage, is the only way to really get better. That’s how traditions work: they are passed down from person to person, in a kitchen or across a table. But this article is a starting place.
And if nothing else works, I’ll let you know where to buy the good ones.
- Big, shallow bowl — for mixing the masa
- Cast iron or a pot with a heavy bottom—to cook the red chile beef
- Blender — for the red chile sauce
- Pot with a steamer — for cooking the tamales
- Corn husks
- If you want, you can add a tray to hold the folded tamales and lots of pots for the jugo de carne and other ingredients.
- Scale to measure the ratios of ingredients
The big three ingredients are masa, lard and beef. It will be the base of the tamale dough. 5 pounds of masa and 1 pound of lard will be used. To every 5 pounds of masa, there should be 5 pounds of beef that hasn’t been cooked yet. Matilde makes 8 dozen tamales with 12 pounds of masa. This means that the base 5:1:5 ratio will make 3 dozen tamales, give or take a few.
You’ll also need:
- Olives
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Red chile pods
- Onion
- Garlic
- Flour
- If you go to a carniceria and ask for “tamale beef,” the person behind the counter will know what you mean. You can also mix pork and beef for extra flavor.
- Before the holidays, buy olives and lard because everyone will be looking for the same ingredients in smaller amounts.
Make the beef. Boil it until tender, then shred by hand. Save the broth, which you’ll use in the masa. Register for more free articles.
Make the red chile sauce. Boil the dried red chile, then blend it with the water you boiled them in. This might be thin, so make a roux out of lard and flour. Then add the blended chile and cook until it’s the right thickness. Matilde’s would be almost difficult to drink through a straw.
Set aside some of the red chile for the masa. Pour some of the stock from step 1 into the shredded beef and add the rest. Cook until the beef soaks up the flavor of the chile.
While the lard is cooking down, add some of the red chile, a couple spoonfuls of salt, and a little baking powder to the masa. (Matilde added two heaping tablespoons of salt and one heaping tablespoon of baking powder to 12 pounds of masa; roughly cut that in half for 5 pounds.) ) Better to add too little than too much.
Pour in some of the jugo de carne for flavor and consistency. Mix with your hands until the red chile has evenly distributed to make an evenly orange paste. Make sure to get the bits of masa that are sticking to the bottom of the bowl.
Make a couple sample tamales to test your masa ratios. Spread the masa into a corn husk and fold (do NOT add filling) and steam for 10 minutes. The tamale should easily come out of its wrapper. If it doesn’t, add more lard. Add salt to taste.
Assemble the tamales: first spread the masa thinly and evenly over the corn husk. Then place a shallow ladleful (about half a fist) of meat on the far left side. Place an olive of your preference in the middle. Fold in two-and-a-half finger intervals, tucking the right side over to seal the package.
If you can’t get the masa to spread on the corn husk in your hand, try spreading it on the table first.
In a large pot, steam the tamales. After 45 minutes on medium-low heat, 12 tamales should be cooked all the way through. A three-dozen size pot cooks for an hour and a half.
Eat fresh or freeze for up to a year to enjoy later.
STOP Before You Make Tamales, WATCH This Video so YOU CAN HAVE THE BEST MASA, Perfect EVERY TIME!
How much meat do you use for tamales?
In general, you can expect to use between 1/2 pound and 1 pound of meat for every dozen tamales. This may seem like a lot, but remember that tamales are traditionally served as a main course, so they should be filling. If you are unsure how much meat to use, err on the side of using too much rather than too little.
How many Tamales can I make with 4 lbs of pork?
Grab some kids, friends, family and spend a couple hours spreading masa and assembling. Then enjoy a delicious meal together. Makes a lot. A little meat goes a long way, just using 4 lbs of pork we will be able to make 60-70 tamales. This is great if you are wanting to gift some, sell some, or freeze some! Traditions, I love family traditions.
How to cook pork tamales?
Fill the pot with water just before it touches the basket and place pork tamales in layers. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot and cook the tamales for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, checking occasionally and adding more water when is needed. Wrappers: You can also use parchment paper for wrapping tamales.
How many Tamales can a pound of corn husks make?
A pound of corn husks will make approximately 30 tamales. Wraps made of corn are used to keep steam-cooked foods warm. Soak the huss in hot water for 30 minutes before wrapping them in foil. To make 100 tamales, you will need 16 1/2 cups of masa harina (or a 4.4 pound bag of maseca).