How to Make Tamales with Wild Game: Recipe & Instructions

Growing up here in the Northwestern US, we are privileged to have a very established hunting culture. Indeed, in the US in general, we are offered choice meats sourced directly from the land.

We have some great wild game recipes up on our Pinterest board: check them out for inspiration.

As a great example of the fare we have available to us here in Montana, and added to the fact that I write about food as much as I can, I brought in some elk tamales to work on Tuesday.

When I told Jake, our photographer here at North 40 Outfitters, he would be shooting tamales in celebration of the wild game many of us here in the Northwest take for granted, I was astounded to learn he had never had a tamale.

What is a Tamale?

What is a tamale? The dictionary tells us a tamale is a Mexican dish of seasoned meat wrapped in cornmeal dough and steamed or baked in corn husks.

What does this not tell us? It's like a piece of home from the Center Street Taquería in any little border town where smoke pours from the door to the street and people are there, talking and laughing about nothing and everything sanctified by the aroma of masa.

Tamales are a seasonal dish for most people in the Southwest- a lot of work goes into tamales, so most families make them on special occasions, or simply order them already made from the tamale lady.

If you are in Great Falls anytime soon, check out our very own tamale lady HERE.

How do you Make Elk Tamales?

Tamales are made from seasoned meat wrapped in "cornmeal dough" and steamed inside corn husks. But before you go rushing off to buy "cornmeal dough", understand this: you need to have your masa prepared before you even think about getting into the meat preparation.

There is a certain type of cornmeal used in tamale masa, it's called Masa Harina.

What is Masa Harina?

Masa Harina is a corn flour technically, but it is prepared differently from the flour you are probably thinking about. Masa Harina is made from corn that has been dried, then boiled in water with slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), drained and then rinsed so all the lime is removed. After that, the corn has soft hulls removed, it's dried and then ground.

You can buy Masa Harina online if making it yourself seems like a long and arduous process. The proper preparation of Masa Harina is what gives the tamale "cornmeal dough" it's distinctive taste. It is different from "corn flour", and making masa from regular corn flour will not taste the same as using Masa Harina.

Ingredients Required to make Tamales w/ Wild Game

1 (16-ounce) bag of dried corn husks (hoja de maiz)

 Ingredients for Tamale Filling:

• 2 cups bacon (about 1⁄3 lb.), chopped
• 3 lb. elk shoulder meat (or another wild game substitute), cleaned of sinew, cubed, seasoned with salt and black pepper
• 1 cup flour
• Onion powder and paprika, to taste
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2-6 medium jalapeño peppers (less for mild, more if you like it spicier)
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1⁄2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 11⁄2 Tbsp. cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
• 1⁄2 cup tequila
• 3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1⁄3 cup cilantro, chopped
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Tapatio hot sauce

Tamale Masa, or "Dough"

• Tamale Masa, or "Dough"
• 6 cups masa harina for tamales (20 ounces)
• 10 cups very hot water
• 1/2 pound lard
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 cups chicken stock (or use the stock you get from cooking your elk meat)

Prepare the Meat, aka the Tamale "Filling" First: Here's How

1. Heat a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet on medium heat. Cook the bacon first, remove from pot, and set it aside (it will come back in later).

2. Season your already seasoned elk a second time with salt, and dust it in your "seasoned" flour ("seasoned" to your taste using salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika). Make sure the wild game is only lightly dusted, too much flour, or clumped flour may burn before the meat is browned. Over medium-low heat, brown the meat quickly. Do this in small batches using the bacon fat. Remove the browned meat and set it aside.

3. Depending on how much fat remains from the bacon you cooked, you may need to add vegetable oil to cook the onion, celery, carrots, jalapeños and garlic. Sauté until softened.

4. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and black pepper. Then return the reserved bacon and elk meat to the pot, stir in red pepper flakes, cinnamon, cocoa powder and cumin. If you are feeling bold, add tequila and lime juice (or substitute with 1/2 cup chicken broth).

5. Add chicken broth and return to a simmer. Cover Dutch oven and simmer over low heat for about 31⁄2 hours, checking periodically to make sure it doesn't dry out. Add water if needed.

6. When the elk is tender, remove from heat and allow to cool.

7. Pour off any excess liquid stock and strain the broth, discarding the solids. Let cool briefly. Skim off the excess fat and reserve the broth for making the masa.

8. Now do one of the following: Pull apart venison with two forks for a chunkier tamale filling and stir in fresh cilantro; or use a food processor and pulse all ingredients until chopped. Add reserved liquid to achieve a smoother consistency, as needed. Add cilantro after you reach the consistency of filling you prefer.

9. Season with salt, pepper and Tapatio to taste.

Want to see another cool DIY recipe for spicy pickles?

Preparing Tamale Masa (Dough)

1. In a large bowl, stir the masa harina with hot water until evenly moist. Knead until the dough is smooth.

2. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the lard together with the butter at medium speed until smooth. Add salt and baking powder and beat at medium-low speed until incorporated. With the machine running, add masa in 4 batches, beating until smooth and occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl.

3. Pour in the elk stock left from preparing the tamale filling in a steady stream into the mixer with dough.

4. Beat until the dough is fluffy and soft, around 2-3 minutes; consistency will resemble thick, corn bread batter.

5. Refrigerate tamale dough in the bowl for at least 1 hour.

6. Return the mixed and cooled dough to the mixer. Beat dough on high for 1-2 minutes before assembling the tamales in corn husks.

Assembling Tamales in Corn Husk Wrappers

You need corn husks to make tamales. Why? Because that's how it's done, but there is a good reason for that to cook the masa completely, you need to steam the assembled tamales.

Corn husks make the perfect, permeable wrapper to ensure that your masa and other ingredients are cooked to the ideal consistency, plus, when you use corn husks, the tamale dough won't get dry while they are in your refrigerator.

At least 30 minutes before assembling your tamales, soak the dried corn husks in a large pot, or your sink, with hot water. This will ensure that the corn husks don't crack when you roll them, and are moist enough to mold around your tamale filling.

Did you know we have an entire section of our website dedicated to the DIY crafters of the world?

Instructions for wrapping tamales:

1. Soak corn husks in warm water for 10 minutes.

2. Lay one corn husk flat on a cutting board. It should be about 4x7 inches. In the center of the husk, place about 31⁄2 to 4 Tbsp. of your beaten tamale dough. Press it out into a rectangle about 3⁄8 inch thick. (This should leave you about 1 inch from the edges.)

3. Spoon about 2 Tbsp. elk filling along the center of the dough. At this point you can add an olive or 1-2 frozen French fries if you'd like.

4. Grab the husk on a long side and gently roll it over the top. The dough closest to you should meet the dough on the other side, sealing in the filling.

5. Use the husk to roll the tamale gently. Twist the ends gently, wrapping like a Tootsie roll.

6. Tear a cornhusk along the grain to make "threads" to tie the twisted tamale ends.

7. Repeat steps 1-6 until all dough is used.

To Cook your Wrapped Elk Tamales

Put tamales in a steamer basket and steam for 35 minutes, covered. There will be leftover filling put it on rice or wrap in a flour tortilla and enjoy it.

If you happen to make the recipe above, send us pictures on Facebook or use the form below to reach out and let us know-- we'd love to hear reports from the field!