Mark Bittman's Skillet Tamales rock!

First off let me say that Dr food bought me the neatest gift for no reason. Well there was a reason but I don't feel like telling you. I told him that I saw these bowls on someone's "favorite" list (Please don't ask which one because in the last month there have been a gazillion of em). They are from Anthropologie. Next thing I know they are in my possession.



They are so cute because they are measuring bowls and have the amounts marked on them.

Ok, but let's talk about Mark Bittman. I got the "Food Matters Cookbook" from the library and started cooking from it. Now I have to own it. I already told you about the Crisp and Spicy Roasted Chickpeas with Lamb and how good it was. Now I am telling you about the "Skillet Tamales" from this cookbook. We loved it. Not only that but my coworkers kept asking who was cooking and what was it when I heated the leftovers the next day. They said this in a good way not in a "reheating broccoli" kind of way.



I started off with my favorite lamb ever .



Browned up lamb with some onions.



Soaked some cornmeal. I would have used masa but living in New England sucks. I can't just go to the grocery store and get masa like I could in California. Then again I couldn't go into a grocery store in California and just buy Farofa and here in Marlborough, MA I can.



The cornmeal gets spread on top and the whole thing is put in the oven.



Comes out of the oven and tastes great. Unfortunately once again I forgot to take a picture of my plate with the food on it. I also don't have lights for photography to get a good picture of my food. Also, I don't have a white backdrop and all the other fancy stuff you need to make the photo look good. Oh yeah, like a good camera. Last but not least if I played with the food that much I would probably lose the desire to eat it. Just sayin....



Oh and Parker called me on the down low and asked that I make this for his mom and dad next time I am there.

Skillet Tamales
adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook - Mark Bittman

Printable Version
1C cornmeal (fine or medium grind)
1 1/2 C hot water, or more as needed
salt
2 Tbl olive oil, or more if needed
8 ounces ground beef, pork, or lamb (we used lamb)
black pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbl minced garlic
1 Tbl chili powder
8 Roma tomatoes, chopped (canned are fine; drain their juice)
3 C corn (I would use only 2 next time)
1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Heat the oven to 400F. Combine the cornmeal, hot water, and a large pinch of salt; stir with a fork until smooth. Let it sit while you prepare the filing.

2. Put the oil in a deep, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, 5 to 20 minutes. Lower the heat a bit, add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes more; add more oil if the mixture starts to look too dry. Stir in the chili powder, tomatoes, and corn and turn off the heat.

3. Stir the baking powder into the cornmeal mixture until it's completely incorporated. The mxture should be the consistency of thick pancake batter; if not, add a little more water. Spoon the batter into the skillet on top of the filing and spread it around. Bake until the cornbread has cracked and turned golden and is cooked all the way through 20-25 minutes/ Garnish with cilantro and serve hot or room temperature.