Photograph of the finished Zacahuil

Mexico · Bánh ngô khổng lồ Zacahuil

Zacahuil

5 hr Hands-on time
HardDifficulty
5 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Masa harina Masa harina 600 g
  • Photograph of Pork fat Pork fat 180 g
  • Photograph of Pork Pork 520 g
  • Photograph of Mexican dried chillies Mexican dried chillies 16
  • Photograph of Banana leaves Banana leaves 12 leaves
  • Photograph of Garlic Garlic 12 cloves
  • Photograph of Cumin seeds Cumin seeds 8 g
  • Photograph of Salt Salt 20 g

Method

  1. 1 Roast dried chilies, soak them for 20 minutes, then grind them with garlic, cumin seeds, and salt to make a thick red sauce.
  2. 2 The masa flour is ground coarsely, leaving a slightly grainy texture; this is what distinguishes zacahuil from finely ground tamal.
  3. 3 Mix the coarse flour with the lard and half of the chili sauce, and beat for 8 minutes until the dough is thick and elastic.
  4. 4 Heat banana leaves until slightly browned, then spread them in several layers. Spread the dough to a thickness of 4 cm, place the pork marinated in the remaining sauce in the middle, and wrap it into a large ball.
  5. 5 Bake at 160 degrees for 4 hours; the pastry should be firm on the outside while the center remains moist with sauce – then it's done.

With an appliance

  • Air fryer 3 hr 10 min

    Replace step 5: divide the meat dough into two small leaf-wrapped packages, spray the outside of the leaves with oil, then bake in a hot air oven at 175 degrees for 2 hours and 35 minutes, flipping the packages after 75 minutes. This is faster than a conventional oven (about 85 minutes), but the smaller size results in a thicker crust compared to a giant pie.

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