Okay, here’s my blog post about making Nicaraguan Nacatamales, written in the style you requested:
Alright, folks, so I decided to tackle nacatamales. I’d heard so much about these Nicaraguan treats, and I figured, “How hard can it be?” Turns out, it’s a bit of a project, but totally worth it. Let me tell you how it went down.
Getting Started: The Masa
First things first, you gotta deal with the masa. Now, I’m no expert, so I looked up a bunch of recipes online. They all said something different, but the basic idea is this:
- Corn flour: I used Maseca, because that’s what I could find.
- Lard: Yep, lots of it. It’s what makes the masa soft, I guess.
- Liquid: Some recipes used water, some used broth. I went with chicken broth because, why not? More flavor!
I mixed all that stuff together in a big bowl. It took a while to get it smooth. My arms were definitely getting a workout! I kept adding broth until it felt like, you know, playdough. Not too sticky, not too dry.
The Filling: A Flavor Explosion
This is where things get interesting. The filling is where you can really get creative. I wanted to keep it somewhat traditional, so I went with:
- Pork: I used a pork shoulder, because I’m lazy and it’s easy. Cut into cubes
- Rice: plain white long cooking time rice.
- Potatoes: Sliced.
- Onions, bell peppers, tomatoes: Chopped up.
- Mint: a few springs fresh mint.
- Achiote: This is important! Gives it that nice color and flavor.
- Salt, pepper, and whatever else: seasoning.
I seasoned the pork with salt, pepper, and some achiote paste I found at the store. Let it sit for a bit while I chopped up all the veggies. Then, I cooked the rice since it’s the long cooking type. Everything will mixed together while been cooked in the banana leaves, so don’t worry.
The Assembly: Banana Leaf Origami
Okay, this was the tricky part. You need banana leaves. I found some frozen ones at a Latin market. You gotta thaw them out and then, like, wipe them down.
Then, you lay out two leaves in a cross shape. I put a big scoop of masa in the middle, then I added all the other ingredients to the top. You can’t be skimpy with the filling!
Then, fold it up and warp it. Some people are super fancy with their folding. I just did my best to make sure it was all sealed up. I didn’t want any leaks!
The Cooking: Patience is Key
I put all the nacatamales in a giant pot, and filled with water, make sure the water is covering them completely. Then I let them steam for hours, I mean like 5 or 6 hours.
It’s a long time, I know. But you gotta be patient. You don’t want raw masa, trust me.
The Result: Totally Worth It!
Finally, after all that work, they were ready! And let me tell you, they were amazing. The masa was soft and flavorful, the filling was delicious, and the whole thing just came together perfectly.
It was a lot of work, yeah, but totally worth it. I’d definitely do it again. Maybe next time I’ll try a different filling, or get fancy with the folding. But for now, I’m just gonna enjoy these delicious nacatamales!
