I need help! Tamale making kind of help
By MJ_Dakota
@MJ_Dakota (126)
United States
December 6, 2009 5:08pm CST
Ok, so this year my family has decided to shake things up a bit and go for a non-traditional Christmas meal. Non-traditional for us that is. We have decided to have a Mexican Christmas meal. I, being a mexican food lover instantly thought of tamales during the brainstroming of the meal planning on Thanksgiving. *hits forehead* "open mouth, figure out how to make". I have never made tamales before, jsut eat them. Yummy! So, how do you make tamales? I know there is some sort of secret to the tender meat and moist masa... Help!
2 responses
@sachikobrandl (151)
• United States
7 Dec 09
it is such a pain. i recomend setting 2 days aside. one to cook and pull the meat... takes sooo long. and the second day to prepare and cook them, 2 hours for each batch. i made them for my mexican and he said they tasted like his grandmas so yeah me!!! this is the recipe.. read it all though. then follow it exactly!!
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/tamales/Gather_Tamele_Ingredients.htm
there is three parts. gather the ingredients, cook the tamale meat, make tamales.
this is a great recipe and its worth inviting peole over to have a tamale makeing party, its NOT fun to do alone like i did.
enjoy!!!
@sachikobrandl (151)
• United States
7 Dec 09
yes many hands make light work! its the pulling of the meat that take so long. and other then that just the time to cook it all. but it sounds like you are going about it in a fun way :-) enjoy! send me a message when your done and let me know if they turned out well. mine were tasty tasty tasty. i would check the ingredients on your seasoning too, its wierd but alot of chili powder isnt really all chilli, its acually mostly filler. i think quality ingredients make them so much better.
@MJ_Dakota (126)
• United States
7 Dec 09
Thank you! Unfortunately the link does not work. I did get to the site home page and lots of info there! I just can't get the recipe.
I have a friend that is willing to help (she wants to learn) and I'm putting my sons at the table too! Thank you!! And I guess I have been warned. : )
@MJ_Dakota (126)
• United States
7 Dec 09
Oops, I found the link. It is tamales/tamale_recipe.htm. Thanks again... reading it now. : )
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
7 Dec 09
I have some hispanic friends and I'll ask one of them about your tamales. I do know that they wrap them in corn husk before they boil them. I think that may have something to do with the tenderness. I had a lady make me some once wrapped in a different type of leaf but I have no idea what that one was.
@MJ_Dakota (126)
• United States
7 Dec 09
Thank you, thank you! I have some hispanic friends, unfortunately, they have become California-ized and the elders have passed on along with the family cooking secrets. My friend's Nana use to make the BEST tamales, but she would not share the recipe or steps with me. Only inved me over after they were made. : ) It became a teaser meal. I think she enjoyed holding out on me!
@StarBright (2798)
• United States
8 Dec 09
Love those things. I know they are wrapped in corn husks. They also use masa which is a very fine corn meal. Good luck. Wish I could share them with you.
