Description

The filling for this savory, barely-tart tamales recipe is chicken with salsa verde, a classic tomatillo salsa with onion, garlic, epazote, serrano chile, and cilantro. It has just the right amount of mild, warming spiciness. Because the filling is made with a salsa, it does not need to be served with a salsa.

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Add the chicken, half an onion, 1 clove of garlic, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a pot. Cover with water and simmer on medium until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Place chicken on a plate or bowl and allow to cool. Strain the chicken stock into a bowl and reserve, covered in the refrigerator.
4. Cut off the stem and the calyx (the part that connects the stem to the pepper) of the serrano pepper. Remove the seeds and slice crosswise.
5. Add the tomatillos, serrano chile slices, remaining half onion, remaining clove of garlic, cilantro, and epazote to a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
6. Lower to medium heat and cover loosely; simmer until tomatillos are soft, about 20 minutes.
7. Drain cooking liquid, add ingredients to a blender, and blend to an even consistency. Set this green salsa aside.
8. Shred the cooled chicken, and toss with the green salsa you just made. Taste and add salt, as needed to taste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.