Tamal de charqui is a typical variant from northern Argentina that replaces fresh meat with charqui, dehydrated and salted meat, giving it an intense, concentrated flavor.
It’s an ancestral dish of indigenous origin, very popular in Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán, Catamarca, La Rioja, and Santiago del Estero.
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Argentine Charqui Tamale
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 pieces
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Argentine
Ingredients
- 300 g of charqui (dried meat), boiled and mashed (about 10.5 oz)
- 1 of onion, finely diced
- 1 of bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- to taste of pepper
- 500 g of corn flour (about 4 cups)
- 250 g of rendered pork fat, melted (about 8.8 oz)
- to taste of reserved charqui cooking broth
- 20 of dried corn husks, soaked
Instructions
- Boil the charqui, boil the charqui until tender, reserving the cooking broth, then mash it.
- Make the filling, sauté the finely diced onion and bell pepper, stir in the mashed charqui, and season with paprika, cumin, and pepper.
- Make the dough, in a bowl, place the corn flour, add the melted fat and the charqui broth gradually, until you get a soft dough.
- Shape the balls, take portions of dough and shape each into a small bowl in the palm of your hand.
- Fill, place the charqui filling in the center of each dough portion, close it, and shape it like a meatball.
- Wrap in husks, place each filled ball on a soaked corn husk, wrap it, and tie it with a strip of husk or string.
- Cook, boil the tamales in plenty of water for 30 minutes.
- Serve, serve hot, inside their own husk.
Tips for getting it right
- Mashing the boiled charqui well helps achieve an even texture in the filling.
- Using the charqui’s cooking broth in the dough boosts the tamale’s flavor.
- Shaping the dough balls into a bowl shape before filling makes assembly easier.
- Tying each tamale securely keeps it from opening during boiling.
Traditional variations
- The charqui can be made from beef or kid goat, depending on the region.
- Some recipes add raisins or hard-boiled egg to the filling.
How to serve
Tamal de charqui is served hot, inside its own husk, as a main dish.
It’s typical of the Argentine Northwest provinces, especially during patron saint festivals and family celebrations.
Recommended sides
- Creole sauce (salsa criolla)
- Hot chili sauce
Did you know?
Charqui is an ancestral meat-preservation technique, used since pre-Hispanic times to store meat for long periods.
Using the charqui broth in the dough is what gives this tamale its concentrated, characteristic flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Charqui is dehydrated, salted meat; it's boiled, mashed, and used as the tamale's main filling, giving it an intense flavor.
The broth adds concentrated flavor to the corn dough, boosting the tamale's overall taste.
It's especially popular in Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán, Catamarca, La Rioja, and Santiago del Estero.
They're boiled in plenty of water for about 30 minutes.
