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The masa mixture should be the density of a thick quick bread batter. If not, add the rest of the broth and mix into the masa.
Repeat until the tamale filling is gone.
Spicy Red Peppers – You can use just about any red chile pepper in these tamales, but to keep the flavor that I’ve talked about here, you’ll need to look for a chile that is somewhat sweet and spicy. The spiciness of the chile is up to you. How spicy do you want the tamales? How much spice can you handle? As I mentioned earlier, I’ve used roasted New Mexico red chile many times with fabulous results. If you just want the sweet and not the spice, use either fresh sweet bell peppers or roasted bells.
The chiles can be roasted or fresh (not roasted) – If roasted, sweat the garlic and onion first, then add the chopped roasted chile at the end with the chile flakes. If not roasted, then follow the directions in the recipe.
Chile Flakes – Adding ¼ teaspoon of one or two different types of chile flakes or powder to the mix is meant to complement the red chiles, not overpower them. Therefore, try to use chiles flakes that have a bit of a different flavor and spice level. Chipotle flakes are good because they are smoky and hot. The maras biber is a Turkish chile that works quite well with the aci dolmas. You could also use paprika, cayenne, serrano, or aleppo.
Cheese – There are several types of cheese that work in these tamales. The main thing to look for is a rather mild cheese, nothing too strong, and a semi-hard cheese. Cheddar, Leyden, Parrano, and beer cheese work nicely. For more cheese ideas, check out this Conversation with a Cheesemonger.
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen