Mini Tamale Pies

I had such hopes for this one.  Meh...  Even the boy couldn't really find something nice to say.  He did like the meat part, which I thought was just alright, but we all really disliked the "tamale" part.  It was so not tasty.  So another deleted recipe unless someone out there tries this and finds the magic bullet that makes this one tasty.  Oh added bonus, it was a total pain cleaning the pampered chef stoneware muffin pan. I made a quick salad dressing by seasoning some sour cream and adding some medium salsa.  And damn if I didn't just realize as I'm typing the dressing recipe, I forgot to top them with sour cream and cilantro.  While that would have helped a lot, I don't think it would erase the crust travesty.

Mini Tamale Pies

 For the crust
1/2 c  masa harina
1/2 c  low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 c  vegetable oil
For the filling
1 T  vegetable oil
1 lb ground beef
1    medium yellow onion,small dice (about 1 cup)
2    medium garlic cloves,finely chopped
2 T  cider vinegar
1 t  paprika
1 t  dried oregano leaves
1/2 t  ground cumin
1/8 t  cayenne pepper
1    (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 c  low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 t  kosher salt,plus more as needed
1/4 t  freshly ground black pepper plus more as needed
To assemble,:
1 c  shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces)
1/4 c  sour cream
1 T  coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
For the crust:
Heat the oven to 350F and arrange a rack in the middle.
Place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well with your
hands until combined (the dough should hold together when squeezed in
your hand).
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside.
For the filling:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until
shimmering. Add the beef, season with salt and pepper, and break the
meat into small pieces with a spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until
browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted
spoon to a medium bowl and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until the onion softens, about 4 minutes.
Add the vinegar and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from
the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle in the paprika, oregano, cumin, and
cayenne and stir until incorporated. Cook until the spices are fragrant,
about 1 minute.
Return the beef to the pan, add the tomatoes, broth, and measured salt
and pepper, and stir to combine. Cook until the mixture simmers, about
3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally,
until the sauce thickens slightly, about 7 minutes more. Remove the pan
from the heat, taste, and season with additional salt and pepper as
needed; set aside.
To assemble:
Remove the plastic wrap from the bowl of masa. Divide the masa evenly
among the wells of a 12-well muffin pan (about 1 rounded tablespoon per
well).  Using your fingers, press the masa evenly into a thin layer on
the bottom and up the sides of each well (the mixture may feel dry to
the touch).
Evenly divide the filling among the masa-lined wells.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and evenly sprinkle
the shredded cheese over the filling. Return the pan to the oven and
bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is bubbling, about 10
minutes more.
Remove the pan to a wire rack and let it cool for 5 minutes. Run a
small knife around the perimeter of each well to loosen and remove the
pies. Top each tamale pie with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle with
cilantro, and serve.