"How to Make Nacatamales" by Samantha B

Most everyone has had tamales, but very few can say they have tried the Nicaraguan take on it
called nacatamales. Nacatamales may be a bit hard to find, even in Nicaraguan restaurants, but
with this recipe you will not need to search for them, you can make it yourself! Nacatamales are
something I grew up helping my grandma make in the kitchen after school; the taste and smell
remind me of family and my youth. Making nacatamales may not give you a sense of nostalgia
as it does me, but they may be something you enjoy and continue to make in the future.

To begin, you need to know what's on the inside:

6 ounces pork, cut up
2 ½ Ibs pork ribs without the bone
2 grated sliced tomatoes
1 cup of white onions, diced
1 chopped green bell pepper
5 full garlic cloves
1/2 cup of orange juice
Salt- to your heart’s content
1 teaspoon black pepper

Cook necessary items separately, then mix together.

What's on the outside:
2 lbs corn flour
2 ½ cups lukewarm water
¼ cup of orange juice
3 cups pork lard

Mix together in a pot until you reach a mushy consistency- something a bit thicker than mashed
potatoes

The most important ingredients:
9 ounces of rice
2 diced potatoes
4 sliced tomatoes
1 white onion, sliced
12 mint leaves
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup prunes
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup red and green habanero peppers

To assemble:
2-3 rolls of smoked or boiled banana leaves
Twine, to tie up the nacatamales
Next boil your nacatamales so that the ingredients mesh together.

If you have any experience making tamales, nacatamales will not be too difficult to figure out. If
you do experience difficulties while making them, there are plenty of instructional videos which
can also help guide you. Once your nacatamales are done you can freeze the extras and simply
boil them again when you are ready to eat more. Enjoy!