DELTA HOT TAMALE BALLS

Lenore Anne’s Delta Hot Tamale Balls

A kicked-up spin on the classic sausage ball, courtesy of Martha Hall Foose

INGREDIENTS

• MAKES ABOUT TEN DOZEN MEATBALLS 

◦ 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

◦ 1 tsp. dried oregano

◦ 1 tsp. ground cumin

◦ 1 tsp. ground coriander

◦ 2 tsp. kosher salt

◦ 1 tbsp. chili powder

◦ 1 tbsp. olive oil

◦ 1 medium white onion, finely chopped, divided

◦ 1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced, divided

◦ 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

◦ One 6 oz. can tomato paste

◦ ½ tsp. granulated unrefined cane sugar

◦ 5¾ cups (46 oz.) tomato juice, divided

◦ One 10½ oz. can beef consommé, or 1⅓ cups beef stock

◦ 2 bay leaves

◦ 1 lb. ground sirloin

◦ 1 lb. hot pork breakfast sausage

◦ 1½ cups masa harina or cornmeal

◦ ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

PREPARATION

In a small bowl, make a spice blend with your red pepper flakes, oregano, cumin, coriander, salt, and chili powder. Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid over medium heat. Add the oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add half of your onion and half of your poblano. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and sugar. Add half of your spice blend. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Add 5 cups of your tomato juice, the consommé, and bay leaves. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and let the sauce cook as you make the tamale balls. In a big bowl, using your hands, combine the sirloin, sausage, remaining ¾ cup tomato juice, and remaining onion and poblano. Work in the masa harina, flour, and your remaining spice blend. Form heaping tablespoon-size meatballs. Drop the meat- balls into the simmering sauce and put the lid on your pot, slightly ajar. Cook over low heat for 2 hours.NOTES: You can use your favorite taco seasoning mix in place of or in addition to the spice blend in this meatball recipe.If this recipe just gives you a craving for tamales, we recommend ordering some online from the Texas Tamale Companyor Scott’s Hot Tamalesin Greenville, Mississippi. If and when you have a wild hair, take a drive through the Mississippi Delta where you will find a particular style of tamale that took root in this part of the South more than a century ago. Make sure to visit Joe’s White Front Cafe on Main Street in Rosedale. Don’t forget, it’s BYOT (Bring Your Own Tupperware).