Hugo Gamino's Black Bean and Cheese Tamales

Name: Black Bean Tamales
Yield: 12-14 tamales
Ingredients: 3 guajillo chiles; 3 pasilla ancho chiles; 4 cloves garlic; 2 Roma tomatoes; 1 large white onion, quartered, skin removed; ¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds; ½ cup raw sesame seeds; ¾ cup raw almonds; ½ cup raisins; 3 tbsp olive oil; Salt, to taste; 4 cups Heirloom White Corn Masa Harina; 1 ½ cups and 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth; 12-14 banana leaves, cut down to around 8”x10”; 4 ½ cups cooked black beans (or three cans); 15 oz Oaxaca Cheese

Black bean and cheese tamales topped with mole sauce and roasted pumpkin seeds

November 13, 2023

"The way I was raised and taught, the masa is the most important thing." Sounds to us like Hugo Gamino was raised right! The chef and former fashion designer is focused on reconnecting to his roots by applying classical techniques to the foods he grew up eating.

The masa in his tamales is flavored with a mole-like sauce rich with chiles, nuts, and seeds. The same sauce gets poured on top of the tamales to serve, for added moisture and flavor, pairing beautifully with a filling of black beans and queso Oaxaca.

Hugo's method of making tamales is one he learned when he was working in fine dining, from another back-of-house cook who made them for family meal. By pressing the masa with a tortilla press, filling, and rolling, he creates a tidy package that's easy to fold into a banana leaf and makes for even, perfect steaming.

Black Bean Tamales

Hugo Gamino

Servings

12-14 tamales

Ingredients

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3 guajillo chiles
3 pasilla ancho chiles
4 cloves garlic
2 Roma tomatoes
1 large white onion, quartered, skin removed
¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup raw sesame seeds
¾ cup raw almonds
½ cup raisins
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt, to taste

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4 cups Heirloom White Corn Masa Harina
1 ½ cups and 3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

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12-14 banana leaves, cut down to around 8”x10”
4 ½ cups cooked black beans (or three cans)
15 oz Oaxaca Cheese

Directions

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On a comal over medium-high heat, char chiles on both sides. Remove, and do the same for the tomatoes, onion, and garlic with the skin on. Transfer chiles to a pot and steep to soften.
Once softened, add the chiles and peeled garlic to a blender with the tomatoes and onion. Blend until smooth, then strain. Set aside about ½ cup of this base sauce to flavor the masa.
In a medium sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, and raisins. Cook until the nuts are lightly toasted and the raisins have plumped. Add toasted ingredients to a blender with remaining chile sauce and blend until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
Run sauce through a strainer to remove any remaining large pieces. Add sauce to a large saucepan and heat on low, stirring occasionally. The sauce can be cooked for 30 min to 3 hours, depending how deep you want flavors to meld.

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In a sauce pot, warm your chicken broth (be careful not to boil).
In a large bowl or mixer, add the masa harina and the reserved ½ cup chile sauce. Mix well. This is where you control the flavor and heat. If you want more heat, add more sauce. Mix well.
Gradually pour in the warm broth, mixing thoroughly each time. You’re looking for a consistency slightly more moist than tortilla masa.
If you are making it in a bowl and mixing by hand, coat the bowl with oil. If you are making it in a mixer, add oil when adding broth.

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Warm your banana leaves on a comal or skillet on each side until they are pliable.
Place an 8×10 section of leaf on a tortilla press. Add a 3–4 oz scoop of masa. Cover with plastic and press gently — you want about ½ cm thickness, not thin like a tortilla.
Spread about 2 tbsp of black beans over the masa and top with Oaxaca cheese to taste. Fold the masa over itself using the plastic (left, right, then top and bottom). Place the formed tamal in the center of the banana leaf. Fold the long sides in, then fold over each end. Place the tamal seam-side down in a steamer.
Cooking time will vary depending on how firm you like your tamales. For a softer masa, cook for 30-40 minutes. For a firmer texture, cook up to 1 hour.
Top each tamal with the blended, mole-like sauce, and top with additional toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish.

2 comments

MASIENDA | November 14, 2025

Thanks so much for calling this out, Marcia! We really appreciate it, and we’ve updated the recipe to reflect exactly what you mentioned.

MARCIA | November 14, 2025

This recipe comprises 3 components — the masa, the filling and the salsa. It would be helpful if the ingredients for the salsa were listed separately rather than combining them with the filling, which is just the beans and cheese.
For the salsa, pumpkin and sesame seeds are listed under the ingredients, but they are not mentioned in the instructions, except for the “additional toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish.” I assume the seeds are toasted along with the nuts and raisins in salsa Step 3.