Tamale Pie

[Greendriver]

I had just a tad more turkey and ham leftover and dream up this tamale pie dish and cooked it without burning it. Cooked down with some bottled carribean sauce and kicked up it a bit with some hatch peppers for some heat, then of course more heat with some hot pepper sauce at the table. And then some pics of my poor wings and short ribs yesterday before they went the got they became embers. I was really just trying to do a test run to prove that the Stump's Platinum would cook just fine without using a Guru or Stoker. I guess I over did that and lesson was that I gotta remember to start cutting the bottom draft back a lot sooner than I did this time. Them poor unsuspecting wings was gonna be da bomb before I ruined them. I took that same bottled carribean sauce and mixed it 50 / 50 with buttermilk and marinated the wings for 4 hrs before breading them with Panko bread crumps that I added some crushed red pepper to they was really what I wanted to eat more than anything and of course short ribs is good even if they ain't got nothing on them, but not this time, burnt hard and black.

[Puppyboy]

That's looks pretty tasty.

[thirdeye]

Looks good. Did you use prepared masa or make some yourself?

[Greendriver]

It was the standard masa mix that walmart has. tamales is not that hard but we're just not fond enough of em or want em that often so we don't do em very often and sometime this pie deal is a good fix if you do want some.

http://www.mexgrocer.com/2445.html

[txschutte]

Nice groceries.

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by Greendriver

It was the standard masa mix that walmart has. tamales is not that hard but we're just not fond enough of em or want em that often so we don't do em very often and sometime this pie deal is a good fix if you do want some.

http://www.mexgrocer.com/2445.html

I love 'em. I make about 10 dozen just for Christmas gifts.

[Greendriver]

Originally Posted by thirdeye

I love 'em. I make about 10 dozen just for Christmas gifts.

Your a farkin factory. Cut down on your work though by making sure you are doing a cooker full of em and when you lean em up against each other they will hold together and stay together as long as the cooker is full and even if not you just have to add a ball of foil to make up the difference.

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by Greendriver

Your a farkin factory. Cut down on your work though by making sure you are doing a cooker full of em and when you lean em up against each other they will hold together and stay together as long as the cooker is full and even if not you just have to add a ball of foil to make up the difference.

I'm on it bro. In the hour or so it takes to cook a steamer full, I can have another batch ready to load. I have used the foil trick, but a mason jar partially filled with water works good too.

[vr6Cop]

OT question: Why are tamales a traditional gift for Christmas? I've had some from an immigrant family before that were a gift, and then you reminded me about it. I'm just curious as to the tradition of it.

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by vr6Cop

OT question: Why are tamales a traditional gift for Christmas? I've had some from an immigrant family before that were a gift, and then you reminded me about it. I'm just curious as to the tradition of it.

Uh....because they are already wrapped?? I don't know much about the history .... tamales are popular in not only Mexico but into central and south America. As universal as sausages in some cultures, tamales have been around for centuries.

I grew up in South Texas and they were just part of Christmas. My Granny's next door neighbor and a couple of other gals on the block would make them on Christmas eve. Something like 80 or 100 dozen. They don't have to be meat filling either. Last Christmas I swapped a couple of dozen of mine with a family that moved here from Mexico via LA. I got 12 dessert ones with sweet filling and 12 cheese and green pepper ones.

[spicewine]

Looks like it needs some Fire Good!! Hot Sauce to me!!

[Plowboy]

Originally Posted by thirdeye

Uh....because they are already wrapped?? I don't know much about the history .... tamales are popular in not only Mexico but into central and south America. As universal as sausages in some cultures, tamales have been around for centuries.

I grew up in South Texas and they were just part of Christmas. My Granny's next door neighbor and a couple of other gals on the block would make them on Christmas eve. Something like 80 or 100 dozen. They don't have to be meat filling either. Last Christmas I swapped a couple of dozen of mine with a family that moved here from Mexico via LA. I got 12 dessert ones with sweet filling and 12 cheese and green pepper ones.

They are a Christmas Eve tradition mostly. Probably part of bringing the family together an all of that. Michael's teachers are from Mexico and so a lot of tamales at Christmas.

[Greendriver]

my nephew married a gal from Mexico and when ever they are running short she will make a bunch and take to work and sell em for X amt per dozen. They even helped my Sis out when she was running short one time that way. Lot's of folks here in carpet country in the mills do that.

[River City Smokehouse]

How long and at what temp did you bake the Tamale Pie? I am going to put one together sometime soon. It sounds a lot easier than wrapping those puppies individually like last time.

[NCGrimbo]

That all looks good enough to eat. I need to take some time and learn how to make those.