Have you ever eaten at Chevy’s® or Rio Bravo®? Most of their meals include a small, seemingly insignificant mound of corn pudding. Insignificant until you taste it, that is. Wildly popular, their Sweet Corn Tomalito is my favorite thing about eating there.
Sweet Corn Tomalito
yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 cup masa harina
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/3 cup pork lard
6 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 cup milk, divided
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
PREPARATION
- In a bowl add masa harina and broth. Allow to sit about 20 minutes to soften. Then, mix together until a dough forms.
- Sprinkle the salt, onion powder, cumin, and chili powder over the dough and mix again until well combined.
- In a mixing bowl whip the lard with an electric mixer about 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add the dough to the lard a little at a time, until well combined. (It should be the consistency of peanut butter. If it’s too dry add some water or broth. If it’s too wet add more masa harina.)
- Divide dough in half. Set aside one half to use in the tomalito and refrigerate the remaining dough to use another day.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Blend 3 cups of corn kernels and 3/4 cup milk in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Whip the butter, masa dough, and sugar together in the food processor until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
7. To the food processor add blended corn, whole corn kernels, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and remaining 1/4 cup milk. Mix well.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×13-inch pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Set the pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough cool water into the roasting pan to reach 3/4-inch up the outside of the 9×13 pan.
- Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the corn mixture is set and registers 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Scoop out portions of the pudding and serve hot.