Tamale Skool

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robert-r

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Feeling the need for advanced education and personal growth (my waistline), I registered for a tamale making class.
It was hosted by a Hispanic supermarket in town - Northgate Market.

People began lining up early for the event.

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The instructor along with 3 assistants greeted her students and made everyone feel very welcome.

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The level of organization and planning was amazing. Everyone's work station included an apron, hairnet, masa spreader, corn husks, 2 kinds of masa (one for meat fillings and one pineapple), 2 different fillings (beef and pork) and waxed paper.

One of several displays showing items for making tamales.

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After showing us how to pick the correct side of the corn husks and spread the masa, she demonstrated adding the fillings.

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And folding the husk around the filling.

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My first pork tamale in progress:

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The instructor explained how to steam them, the assistants served several plates of tamales (my favorite was a pineapple with vanilla ice cream topped with dulce de leche) and everyone of age a small glass of Cerveza Modello and Chelada. Class then adjourned. Everyone left the store with a goody bag with an apron, masa spreader, hairnet, the tamales we made and several coupons.

Immediately after getting home, I crossed my fingers and began steaming the tamales.

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About an hour and 20 minutes later...

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2 of 4 of my first tamales! My wife got the pineapple and the other pork one.

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The one on the left got steamed with the ends switched, so the filling ran out of it a bit. Still tasted great.

I am now a certified expert tamale maker.

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Have planned a tamale party for when family is here for the holidays. Good times!!!

I've got some seasoned shredded smoked brisket, pork and beef in the freezer I can't wait to use for fillings.
 
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Interesting. A couple of tips. get you some kitchen twine, and tie your tamales in bundles of 3, with the ends sandwiched together. Traditionally, they tear strips of corn husk to tie them off. The twine makes life a lot easier. Alton brown has a pretty good Tamale show on Good Eats.

Next the best tip. The instant pot makes excellent tamales. Cuts cook time way down. Only issue is it is only good for a few dozen, and when I make tamales, I like to make enough to freeze some.
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I need to take a tamale making class, I got the tamale eating part down. When I was a kid my mom made green corn tamales once, she sent my dad out to get five pounds of fresh ground masa, he came home with 100 pounds and all the associated husks etc. They worked through the night and made 1200 green corn tamales. Mom never made tamales again. They were the best tamales ever and our and our neighbors freezers were full.
 
SideSt3p said:
I gotta find me a class like that around here! :thumb:
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BillN said:
I need to take a tamale making class, I got the tamale eating part down. When I was a kid my mom made green corn tamales once, she sent my dad out to get five pounds of fresh ground masa, he came home with 100 pounds and all the associated husks etc. They worked through the night and made 1200 green corn tamales. Mom never made tamales again. They were the best tamales ever and our and our neighbors freezers were full.
Click to expand...

As I stated earlier, there is a really good episode of Good Eats on the subject. Rick Bayless also has an episode of Mexico on a plate, that is very good.
 
My wife's family makes tamales every year before Christmas. I had wanted to make a pulled pork/beef BBQ filling spin on a tamale this year but it just wasnt in the cards. Maybe next year. Yours look pretty legit to me. :thumb:
 
Robert,

Those are pretty good. The two you showed need a little more masa/maseca spread across the entire oja. I like them with a lot of meat, but you need more masa spread evenly to get them "pretty." I got schooled on tamale making when I entered my wife's family a decade ago. "Grandma" was so good at tamales...she basically schooled the entire town on how to make them correctly. Newspaper articles, local restaurants, friends, and family took heed and followed suit. Somehow I immediately got promoted to "filler." I have done the various jobs on the assembly line, but "spreader" is an art form.

Everyone makes them differently. My uncle (who married into my Aunt's Mexican family) makes tamales completely differently than I do. Tradition is a funny thing. Why people do what they do or use what they use.

We use the largest ojas and don't tie (just like you). One trick you may have learned is to use the medium pieces of the ojas to make a larger surface. Some people use olives...some don't. We actually flavor the masa with a little chile to give it some added flavor. One of grandma's workers taught me...it's the color when it's right. Some people even skip the ojas and make "tamale pie" in a pyrex dish. Whatever you do...have fun!


@Titch...you don't eat the husks. My wife's old roommate one time went to a restaurant and ate the whole tamale (husk and all). When she saw my wife eat tamales and commented "You don't eat the husks??" My wife quickly retorted: "Not unless you're a horse!"

That still makes me laugh.
 
Oh man! I'm from SoCal and believe me, I'm a Tamale lover for sure. Every year I steam up a pot of Tamales. No comparison to yours though. Very cool class and good eating too, I'll bet.
 
Mike in Roseville said:
Robert,

Those are pretty good. The two you showed need a little more masa/maseca spread across the entire oja. I like them with a lot of meat, but you need more masa spread evenly to get them "pretty." I got schooled on tamale making when I entered my wife's family a decade ago. "Grandma" was so good at tamales...she basically schooled the entire town on how to make them correctly. Newspaper articles, local restaurants, friends, and family took heed and followed suit. Somehow I immediately got promoted to "filler." I have done the various jobs on the assembly line, but "spreader" is an art form.

Everyone makes them differently. My uncle (who married into my Aunt's Mexican family) makes tamales completely differently than I do. Tradition is a funny thing. Why people do what they do or use what they use.

We use the largest ojas and don't tie (just like you). One trick you may have learned is to use the medium pieces of the ojas to make a larger surface. Some people use olives...some don't. We actually flavor the masa with a little chile to give it some added flavor. One of grandma's workers taught me...it's the color when it's right. Some people even skip the ojas and make "tamale pie" in a pyrex dish. Whatever you do...have fun!


@Titch...you don't eat the husks. My wife's old roommate one time went to a restaurant and ate the whole tamale (husk and all). When she saw my wife eat tamales and commented "You don't eat the husks??" My wife quickly retorted: "Not unless you're a horse!"

That still makes me laugh.
Click to expand...

Great reply, Mike.

Am curious: what is/are "ojas"? As near as I can tell, that is feminine for "eyes" in Spanish. Is that also a term for the husks?
 
Awesome! We usually make pulled pork tamales. Mix the pulled pork with a little taco seasoning and it is awesome! Way to go tamale expert!!!
 
Titch said:
So, You eat the Corn Husks?
Are they stringy?
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Joshw said:
They are just a wrapper. You peel them off, and throw them away.
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Yep, unwrap. Had a co-worker in from France a few months ago, we went to a Mexican restaurant. He had head of tamales and wanted to try them. I stopped him right before he bit into the corn husk.

If it's a really good tamale, you don't need any salsa. Most tamales I've had have needed salsa. There was one place in Indianapolis I stopped at a few years back. Just a small storefront. Awesome frickin' tamales.
 
There's a class at L.A. City College every year, and we took it a couple of years ago. If it weren't for the carb load, I'd be making them still. Unfortunately the local gentrification crowd has driven away the local folks who used to come around every weekend with several coolers full of homemade tamales. They'll never know what they're missing. But I do.
 
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Your a lucky man to be able to attend a class like that to give you a good base to work from!

My hats off to ya!!!
 
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