Recipe: I guess it’s called Tamale Pie

Once upon a time, I worked for a newspaper. At said newspaper, one of my coworkers used to rave about a dish he called “Tamale Pie.”

From best I can tell, this is a pretty decent approximation. If not, hopefully Daniel will forgive me.

That said, I’m not sure that this recipe from Cooks Illustrated bears that much resemblance to an actual tamale. Really, it’s more like chili with cornbread baked on top. Whatever you call it, though, it’s really good and not too difficult (although not very photogenic, I must admit).

Plus, it’s pretty cheap. Six servings will set you back less than $10.

Ingredients

Filling

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15oz diced tomatoes, drained
• 3 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp cilantro, minced

Cornbread topping

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Instructions

Add the oil to a cast iron skillet (keep in mind that this is essentially a one-pot meal, so make sure there’s plenty of room). Once the oil is nice and hot, add the onions, chili powder and 1/2 tsp salt and cook until the onions are cooked. Stir in the garlic, maybe 30 seconds.

Stir in the ground beef, beans and tomatoes. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook for about five minutes at a simmer. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and start prepping the cornbread topping.

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and butter. Combine.

Add the cheese and cilantro to the meat mixture. Season to taste.

Add the cornbread mixture to the meat filling, trying to spread it somewhat evenly over the top. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes, or until a knife can be stuck into the cornbread without sticking.

Total cooking time: About 30 minutes.

Costs: Ground meat, $4; beans, $1; tomatoes, $1; onion, $.20; cheese, $2; miscellaneous spices and flour, $1. Total: $9.20 (about $1.50 per person).

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