Recipe: Cup Tamales (like Hot House)

HI
I used to go to the Hot House all the time from 1943 til they moved from Playland, I think in the late 1960's. I think they moved to Geary Blvd. not sure. I got to know some of the people that worked there. I asked about the cup tamales. What they told me was:

They used the dark meat from a turkey boiled it with garlic and onion then cut it into small pieces.

They made the masa with lard (it must be lard or it will not taste the same) a little salt and some of the turkey broth. Mix to the consistency of Crisco.

The sauce was made from a roux made with lard and flour cooked to a peanut butter color. Mix with the turkey broth with a little Gebhardt brand chili powder (that is the brand they said they used). salt, and cumin. The sauce was very thick and was not red but a light orange color. Very mild no heat at all.

They used real tapered coffee cups. They would rub a little lard on the sides of the cup. Line the sides only with masa, about 3/8-inch thick. Spoon sauce about 1/2 the way. Put some of the turkey in the cup with a black olive, filling the rest of the way but keeping about 1/2-inch from the top. Spread masa over the top. Put s spatula on top of cup turn upside down put on a steamer tray pull out the spatula.

The tray would be slid onto a steamer rack in a vertical steamer.

When finished cooking, remove each cup with the spatula, put onto a plate pull the spatula out and lift the cup off. The top would be open with no masa. They would then spoon a little sauce (not the tamale sauce but their enchilada sauce) over the top. Their enchilada sauce was a little different and was also a light orange color.

I do not have any portions you have to work on that.