Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
  • Salt
  • New Mexican Spice Rub, recipe follows
  • Bourbon-Ancho Sauce, recipe follows
  • Sweet Potato Tamale with Pecan Butter, recipe follows
  • 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder
  • 2 teaspoons chile de arbol
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons allspice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 3 ancho chiles, soaked, seeded, stems removed and pureed
  • 6 cups homemade chicken stock
  • 1 cup apple juice concentrate, thawed
  • 8 whole black peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 20 dried corn husks
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, preferable fresh
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 head roasted garlic, cloves removed
  • 2 cups chicken stock or water
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable shortening
  • 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 large or 2 medium sweet potato, roasted at 375 degrees for about 1 hour or until soft, then peeled and flesh mashed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • Pecan Butter, recipe follows
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • Pinch cinnamon
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan, over high heat.
  • Season pork with salt on both sides.
  • Dredge pork in the spice rub and tap off any excess.
  • Sear the pork on both sides until golden brown.
  • Cook in the oven to medium doneness, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Let pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing into 12 slices.
  • Plate 3 slices per plate.
  • Drizzle with the Bourbon-Ancho Sauce.
  • Place a Sweet Potato Tamale, topped with Pecan Butter next to the slices of pork.
  • Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Add the onions and cook until soft.
  • Add the bourbon and cook until completely reduced.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and cook until reduced by half.
  • Strain through a fine mesh strainer, return mixture to the pan, and cook to sauce consistency, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of bourbon and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Season with salt.
  • About 2 hours before you plan to form the tamales, clean the husks under running water.
  • Soak them in warm water for 2 hours, or until softened.
  • Puree the corn, onion, roasted garlic, and stock in a food processor.
  • Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and cut in the butter and shortening.
  • Using your fingers, mix in the cornmeal, honey, and salt and pepper until there are no visible lumps of fat.
  • Fold in the sweet potato puree, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and maple syrup.
  • The mixture will be a lot looser than you think it should be, but when the tamales are steamed it will dry out.
  • Remove the cornhusks from the water and set aside the best 20 husks.
  • Drain and pat dry.
  • Tear the remaining husks into 1-inch wide strips to be used for tying.
  • Lay 2 husks flat on a work surface, with the tapered ends facing out and the broad bases overlapping by about 3 inches.
  • Place about 1/3 cup of masa mixture in the center.
  • Bring the long sides up over the masa, slightly overlapping, and pat down to close.
  • (If the masa drips out a little at the seam, that is no problem.)
  • Tie each end of the bundle with a strip of cornhusk, pushing the filling toward the middle as you tie.
  • Trim the ends to about 1/2-inch beyond the tie.
  • Arrange the tamales in a single layer on a steaming rack, cover tightly with foil, and steam over boiling water for 45 minutes.
  • To Serve: slice a slit on top of each tamale and push both ends of the tamale toward the middle to expose the masa.
  • Top each with 1 tablespoon of Pecan Butter.
  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
  • Scrape into a ramekin and refrigerate until solid, about 2 hours.