Bring your Hispanic Heritage Celebration into the Kitchen with Real Milk and Real Traditions that Matter

USA - English

• USA - español

MIAMI, Sept. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- LECHE. Amor por lo verdadero invites you to enjoy those authentic customs passed down from generation to generation that spark joy in our lives this Hispanic Heritage Month. Real milk is nutritious and comforting. It has always been there, as the perfect pair to our favorite foods, part of a bedtime routine or as the star of our grandma's tres leches for family gatherings.

Honor your heritage and your taste buds with real milk and embrace our recipes and past times like cooking together and showing love through food and nourishment. Real dairy milk is wholesome, simple and affordable - it enhances some of life's most loved moments.

Real milk helps us give our kids nutrients they need to grow strong, and makes any dish creamier, more delicious. It's no wonder it's been such an important part of our culture for generations.

Looking for more ways to celebrate? Visit Fuertesconleche.com for recipe inspiration.

Chef Claudette's Carnitas Tamales
Yield:  1 dozen

Ingredients

Tamal Batter                                                    
2 cups Masa Harina                                                        
4 ½ cups broth (protein or vegetable)                    
¾ cup lard or shortening                                              
1 tablespoon salt        

Filling                                                                                  
3 lb. pork shoulder                                                         
2 bay leaves                                      
1 tablespoon salt                                             
1 teaspoon pepper                                                        
2 cups milk                                                                         
1 orange                                                                             
1 cup brown sugar                                          
1 lb. coconut oil                                                
3 cloves garlic                                                    
½ cup onion, small dice                                                                                            

Salsa Verde                                                       
1 lb. tomatillos, peeled and washed                       
1 bunch cilantro, clean                                  
½ onion, diced                                                  
3 cloves garlic                                    
2 serrano peppers                                                                          
Notes: You will need 12-inch squares of banana leave wraps, corn husks or frozen leaves

Preparation Method

Carnitas

1. Place meat, garlic, onion, bay leaves, milk, salt and pepper into medium pot.                     
2. Once it reaches a boil add coconut oil, orange slices and brown sugar, cook on medium low until tender.
3. Fork test before pulling for tamales.                                                                 

Tamal

1.  Mix masa and broth together until all broth is absorbed, whip in lard and salt until smooth.

Salsa Verde

1. Toast all ingredients until soft and caramelized in a dry comal.
2. Blend vegetables and season with salt as you like.                           

When making tamales:  
Place 1/4 cup of masa per leaf and spread thin. Add 2 tablespoons of carnitas and salsa. Carefully close and tie ends. Steam for 30 min approx. in steamer. Remove one and let it cool before removing all from heat. They will set at room temperature.
Enjoy with a tall glass of milk.

About Chef Claudette:
Chef Claudette Zepeda grew up between San Diego, Tijuana and Guadalajara, which gave her invaluable cultural and personal diversity. She's a young mother of two teenagers aged 15 and 13. Her inspiration comes from the richness of Mexican cuisine, the strong women she grew up with and those around her. Cooking is her passion and the place where she feels more herself. Her objective is to tell her story through food. Claudette considers milk an essential part of Hispanic culture and cuisine, it's been a part of her family and recipes since childhood.

About MilkPEP
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, DC, is funded by the nation's milk companies, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The MilkPEP Board runs the Leche. Amor por lo verdadero campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the powerful nutritional benefits of milk – with 9 essential nutrients, including high-quality protein, in each 8 ounce glass. For more information, go to fuertesconleche.com. SociedAD/Campbell Ewald is creative agency for the campaign – from America's milk companies.

SOURCE MilkPEP