Making Tamales

[heidih]

I was referring to Southern Mexico. Southern US - quite a different beast. And then there are the ones in the can which I think I had as a kid at someones house - vile. Equivalent to Chef Boy R D lasagna,,,  A bit of history from the Southern Foodways Alliance  https://www.southernfoodways.org/interview/hot-tamales-the-mississippi-delta/

[blue_dolphin]

It seems best suited to a group activity.  One that I'd be happy to participate in.  But make them just for myself?  No....I'll buy from the folks at the local farmers market!

[Margaret Pilgrim]

"Home did", as my Texas friend used to say, is way, way better than all but a very few even mamacita for sale versions.   And, yes, tamale parties are legendary affairs and certainly wonderful comraderie.    But give me a couple of quiet hours and the job is simpler if not social.    Someone compared the process to a dumpling party.   Save me from that also.  .   

[FauxPas]

My group tamale effort was recounted here.

Despite telling myself that I would make them on my own the following year for Xmas, I didn't follow through with it. Not that year, not the following year! And probably not this year either, I suspect. Sigh.

[heidih]

1 hour ago, FauxPas said:

My group tamale effort was recounted here.

Despite telling myself that I would make them on my own the following year for Xmas, I didn't follow through with it. Not that year, not the following year! And probably not this year either, I suspect. Sigh.

 

Wow that was an interesting array. The lamb and blue corn masa sound great. We have some street vendors near the Pueblo that do blue corn quesadillas but I've never seen blue corn masa for tamales. I read lamb expecting chivo. Both would be great stronger meats. Thanks!

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Returning to my KISS mantra, I think that ma=y food media publications make a simple family/village dish too complicated or at least too sophisticated.   

 

You moosh some corn porridge onto a carrier, a leaf or paper, add some savory stew or just cheese and seasoning, wrap it up and steam it.   It isn't rocket science nor is it difficult nor does it require a village worth of mamas.   So many of the internet food renditions are cute, but not necessarily more delicious, and certainly not more heart warming.  

[heidih]

Can we agree to disagree. Diana Kennedy in Oaxaca al Gusto presents some interesting combinations she learned of n her extensive research using available local ingredients that can inspire playing with what is available in one's locale above and beyond slapping stewed meat or cheese into a carrier. I am done...

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Totally agree.  I don’t know Diane’s suggestions.   My point was that newbies should not be discouraged by seemingly complicated versions from experts or food media.   Again, JUST DO IT.   

[weinoo]

I don't understand - the video shows how this guy does his tamales, starting with the nixtamalization of corn he sources from Mexico. It's how his grandmother did it, so he aims to recreate the flavors he remembers.

 

Of course that's not for everyone. Some people may start with prepared fresh masa. Some with masa harina. Some (me) will buy the tamales.

 

Does that mean the video is discouraging to newbies?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I guess it would depend on the viewer.   Some would be inspired to follow along.   Others to say, "Screw it.  I'll buy mine."     In all events the video is a valuable anthropological document.

[kayb]

16 hours ago, heidih said:

I was referring to Southern Mexico. Southern US - quite a different beast. And then there are the ones in the can which I think I had as a kid at someones house - vile. Equivalent to Chef Boy R D lasagna,,,  A bit of history from the Southern Foodways Alliance  https://www.southernfoodways.org/interview/hot-tamales-the-mississippi-delta/

 

Living in the Delta (albeit the Arkansas side of it, which is every bit as Delta as is the Mississippi side, Southern Foodways Alliance notwithstanding), I'm a connoisseur of the Delta tamale. I have never seen one cooked in parchment paper; sometimes aluminum foil, but never in parchment. Usually, they're in corn husks. Some are spicy; some are less so. They don't have the variety of peppers and cumin and the general complexity of flavor that Mexican ones do. I prefer them with chili, hold the chopped onions, hold the jalapenos, add grated cheese, please, and bring me a stack of Saltines to go with it. 

 

I can get good Delta tamales at the pizza joint here (the chain, Lost Pizza, is headquartered in Greenville, MS, and their tamales are made there), or I can go two hours south and get them in Helena at the Pasquale's food truck Thursday-Saturday; or I can cross the river at Helena, go another 20 minutes south and get them at Abe's in Clarksdale, Ms., at the same corner where Robert Johnson allegedly sold his soul to the devil in the 1920s, or go on down to Greenville and get them at any number of places. But my very favorite are the ones from Rhoda's World Famous Hot Tamales just across the river from Greenville, in Lake City.

 

We have a host of tacquerias here in town, so I can get respectable Mexican tamales lots of places. And I frequently do.

 

Back when I lived in Hot Springs, there was a couple that made "gourmet" tamales. Along with the assorted preparations of chicken, pork and beef, they made a pumpkin and goat cheese one that I loved dearly.

 

Never have made my own. One day, maybe.

 

[heidih]

2 hours ago, weinoo said:

I don't understand - the video shows how this guy does his tamales, starting with the nixtamalization of corn he sources from Mexico. It's how his grandmother did it, so he aims to recreate the flavors he remembers.

 

Of course that's not for everyone. Some people may start with prepared fresh masa. Some with masa harina. Some (me) will buy the tamales.

 

Does that mean the video is discouraging to newbies?

 

No - as @Margaret Pilgrim noted -  it is interesting and gives one an appreciation for the work involved from the corn step on.  Here Mcienda is well known for their sourced corn https://masienda.com/  Thi show also is an interesting look at Taco Maria and Macienda collaboration. It looks at other  Alta California chefs so generally interesting. https://www.kcet.org/shows/the-migrant-kitchen/episodes/alta-california

[Katie Meadow]

Tamales are a huge subject  First of all, how many tamales have you eaten that were just so-so or not even good at all? Maybe I'm too picky, but my answer is lots. The filling and the sauce have to be to your taste. The corn package can vary wildly, and once again you have to decide how you like it. Access to locally prepared tamale filling is a benefit, but sometimes it's very salty, so if that's the case there's nothing you can do about it. A great many people don't have access to prepared masa, and so you have to chose whether to go the labor intensive route of prepping the corn kernels, or the Maseca route. You could luck out and find a recipe you end up liking. Or it could be a long search that takes a lot of determination and patience. 

 

If you have no one with experience to cook them with you are on your own with thousands of recipes to chose from. I guess I would start with a chef whose other recipes I really liked, knowing that tamales are very personal and very diverse. I like a little "tamale window" here in Oakland. The corn part is outstanding, the filling less so. That I can live with, but I think I could make a better filling myself. A good filling, if it's a red chile one, is a lot of work if you start from scratch with dry red chiles.  On the one hand a tamale seems pretty basic but getting all the parts working together to your own taste is a major accomplishment. If I had appreciated tamales more when I lived in New Mexico I could have found someone show me the ropes and have some fun doing it, but sadly I missed my chance.

[IowaDee]

For those of you who have access to Trader Joe's tamales, how to they stack up?  We were planning to make the 125 mile trek to the nearest

store and tamales were high on my list.  That was before all the Covid crap hit the fan.

[rotuts]

@IowaDee 

 

pleased you are willing to make The Trek.

 

re: tamales ;  they have had some Fz for quite some time.

 

not being in the TamaleBelt , they were OK  as they were

 

some time ago , they had '' fresh ' tamales '  but only for a period of time

 

before Christmas or NewYears.  they were mac better

 

now in my Local , they seem to have them all the time.

 

I have not been there for a few  weeks.

 

if you go for those tamales , the fresh ones

 

take a big big cooler and get a few

 

the Pork ones were the best , and the chicken were very good

 

but dont sell your trip short :

 

Tj's Parmesan-ish  its not labeled as such ,  BellO grosso?

 

and Tj's Cheddar   in the white wrapper 

 

and any7 other had cheese you sede . or soft  stock up

 

and check your car/trucks shocks.

 

they have very fine chocolate , in 1.5 low bars 

 

exceptional nuts and dried fruit.

 

when are you going ?

 

I might like to think about this.

 

good luck    look for the Senior Hours 

 

etc

 

Id ask for pics , but that will delay your departure,

[Tri2Cook]

I put tamales in the same category as the various types of Asian filled dumplings, perogies, egg rolls, pretty much anything that involves wrapping fillings in some form of wrapper in smaller portions... not difficult in the execution once you get the hang of it, just trying to the patience.  Buying tamales, good, bad or ugly, is not an option where I live so that goes a long way towards making me more willing to make them. Margaret Pilgrim's description of "moosh some corn porridge onto a carrier, a leaf or paper, add some savory stew or just cheese and seasoning, wrap it up and steam it" condenses it down to it's purest form and accurately describes the process... but it also makes it sound a lot easier than it actually is to get them to turn out nice until you get the feel for it. 

Edited September 2, 2020 by Tri2Cook (log)

[rotuts]

@Tri2Cook 

 

interesting take oil the problems.   

 

of the various item you mentioned 

 

that need a filling and a qrap

 

tamales are the most temperamental 

 

the Masa ' wrapper ' has to be created correctly , so it expands as it cooks

 

and does not get gummy

 

not so easy to do w little experience 

 

Ive made a few w friends a long time ago

 

many were very good , some not so good

 

and on the gummy side.

 

 

[Tri2Cook]

10 minutes ago, rotuts said:

interesting take oil the problems.   

 

of the various item you mentioned

That may not apply to anyone else... my patience (or my lack of it) is often my downfall. 

[heidih]

52 minutes ago, IowaDee said:

For those of you who have access to Trader Joe's tamales, how to they stack up?  We were planning to make the 125 mile trek to the nearest

store and tamales were high on my list.  That was before all the Covid crap hit the fan.

 

I bought them once. I think there were 2 or 3 in a pack. I found them boring and the masa did not taste of corn and was too dense. The most surprising I ever had were at a roadside stand between Ensenada and  La Bufadora.. Big steaming pots. Smaller in size than what I see as the norm here. More snack size. The filling was chicken hacked on the bone and olives. They were selling homemade olive oil and the olives were good. (with pits). We spit the bones and pits out on the dirt roadside. There was cold beer in our cooler

Edited September 2, 2020 by heidih (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

32 minutes ago, Tri2Cook said:

I put tamales in the same category as the various types of Asian filled dumplings, perogies, egg rolls, pretty much anything that involves wrapping fillings in some form of wrapper in smaller portions... not difficult in the execution once you get the hang of it, just trying to the patience.

 

Totally agree, and expand your list to include hand formed pastas, puff pastry and friends, croquembouche, ballotine of chicken, etc, etc.    These are all flights of kitchen fancy, projects one undertakes for the "fun" of it.    If they don't sound like fun, I'd steer clear.

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

The secret to good tamales is to whip the masa until it's light and fluffy to avoid gummy-ness, and to use a light touch with the baking powder if you use it. Our neighbor makes quite good tamales every Saturday, which means I'm less likely to make them myself. I imagine most Mexican housewives have access to at least hand mixers, though perhaps those who make 100s at a time use a stand mixer. But it still takes a goodly amount of time to get it right even with mechanical assistance.

 

In February, when we were in Oaxaca for a 5-day hiking trip from village to village, we visited a family who demonstrated making tamales. These were made with blue corn masa, but because the family is Seventh-Day Adventists they don't use pork products, hence no lard. These were the worst tamales I've ever eaten--the masa was not only not fluffy, it was downright slimey.

 

Lest you think we hiked with all our gear on our backs, there is an program called Mancomunados that has for over 30 years given hikers a considerable amount of support. Luggage is transported from one village to the next and all you need is a daypack with room for water and whatever clothes you need for the day. They even feed you 3 meals a day and provide comfortable cabins with fireplaces (it's at pretty high altitude and the nights are darned cold). Each day after hiking there's a demonstration of some cultural or culinary specialty of the area. Oaxaca City is worth the trip even if you don't want to hike (we came home with a lot of new rugs). The program has made life much more comfortable for the villages, allowing them to have medical clinics, paved streets, and water systems that they would not have had without the income that the program brings in. The area is mountainous and very scenic.

 

All this talk about tamales makes me want to make some. I recall reading a recipe for a mushroom filling, which sounds good right about now. But it's definitely more fun to make tamales with a group of friends, sharing the tasks and then dividing up the tamales so everyone gets some to take home.

[heidih]

@Nancy in Pátzcuaro  Yes the lard dilemma and the whipping for lightness. Not a slap dash affair. 

[Toliver]

I swear someone from CBS Sunday Morning must be reading eGullet. I found this video posted on YouTube this morning:

 

"Tamales, a Christmastime tradition"

 

 

Here is the URL for those who can't view the video:

https://youtu.be/qhgQL_RaPDI

 

[heidih]

The approach of the Christmas season and this Eater LA piece has tamales exploding in my mind https://la.eater.com/maps/best-tamales-los-angeles-mexican-guatemalan-brazilian-puerto-rican  Normally I default to the tamale cart guy ringing his bell but not residing in such a locale currently. There are a few with the cooler in back of pickup sitting on tailgate but again not in  my current scope. I've done a wonderful batch' before using fresh tamale masa from Diana's but can't get there either.  http://www.dianas.net/AboutUs.html  So I am going to see what I can cobble together with my limited product availability. May resort to Instacart and mail order. The filling to me just accents the corn goodness of the masa. May go crazy and use the duck fat Koger is suddenly stocking. Will report. Anyone else going to be in tamale mode? They freeze and re-steam well so ahead is ok. Some of the variations in the Eater article tickled my fancy and I also like the banana leaf versions. Probably a red chile pork with a fruity pepper mix and maybe out of my usual with a green chile fish. 

Edited November 30, 2021 by heidih (log)

[heidih]

Oh other link to the Cook-Off  https://forums.egullet.org/topic/92298-tamales-cook-off-25/page/2/