It’s the holiday season. People around these parts make tamales. Today I’m doing pork and will present them to the critics at our xmas dinner.
More to follow!
Oh man, I love making tamales. I love that premade masa harina dough. We cant get that around here. I have gotten it at the HEB when I have been down there. They had a couple of different brands as I recall. One was made from mote blank. The pazole corn.
I like making naka tamal. They are Nicaraguan Tamales. I think I posted them in the ethnic cooking thread.
We make all kinds of tamales around here including sweet ones. Ever had chocolate tamales. Oh man they are good. They are great made with strawberries or bananas. Almost any fruit will work.
They are great made with sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, those I put a custard in the center.
One of my favorite tamales is lobster tamales. They work great cause you make a lobster stock to make the dough then chop a lot of meat and other stuff for the filling. Makes the lobster go a lot farther.
I have a great tamale magazine from Mexico.Tons of recipes for tamales. One of the more strange ones from the book is Tamales de betebel.
VIVA LA MEXICO!!!
+1
Great Mexican dish!
When done right of course. I worked as a line cook in a Mexican restaurant many moons ago and we made the greatest tamales on the planet. It’s been a long time since I’ve made them but I think it’s about time to give them a whirl once again. I love Mexican food with a passion.
Thanks for the post Euge. 
What a coincidence. I was hoping to do some in the next week or two. Talk about timing!
I’ve rolled them up. Got two dozen. These things are crazy easy to make. Will steam for at least an hour then check if done.
- Hmm I have a good source of Oaxacan tamales that says otherwise. ;D
- Same here; I could eat Japanese, Chinese and Mexican every day. Maybe with a little Turkish, Nepalese/Indian, French thrown in for good measure
Thanks for the post Euge.
You realize this post is worthless, without telling us how you did your pork… ;D
This recipe I got is as follows…Brown your pork on all sides…and them simmer for 6+ hours covered in water, mixed with adobo sauce, and 2 cans of chipotles. So far, that’s the best I have to go on, so I’m gonna go with it.
Aww…Thanks guys. 
I did the 8 lb pork butt for 17 hours on the BGE with a chile garlic lime injection. Came apart in strands after a rest. Once pulled I only mixed it with coarse salt, fresh cracked pepper and red pepper flakes. Then portioned it out… Sauce can be mixed in as desired
There’s no comino but plenty of heat from the fiery salsa. I want to see if leaving it out will be noticed. More pics in an hour or so with the finished tamales. Meanwhile kickin back with a Dundee and Malheur blend… 8)
I’m addicted to Texmex.
Ahh just ate four solid tamales. Steamed 2 hours and are gutbustingly delicious. Merry xmas.
I love tamales but have never made them. Are they ever made with carnitas? That’s about one of the best things to do to a pig on the planet, but I wondered if you’d be losing some of that intensity by wrapping it in masa.
I love tamales! Those look really good, Euge. I’ve done queso fresco and black bean tamales as well as pulled pork ones.
Capp, with all the exotic ingredients you seem to get your hands on, you can’t get masa harina or maseca?? There’s a phenomenal Mexican grocery really close to where I live. Next time you need some, let me know and I’ll ship some to you.
Lots of masa harina. Just not that wet fresh stuff that is in the bag. I have only seen that down near the boarder.
I make great dough with the dry flour. That is really good stuff but that wet stuff is amazing. Makes great tortillas. doesn’t stay fresh long. When I ask for it at the Mexican grocery stores around here thats why they say they dont carry it. It has a very short shelf life.
Can you get the fresh masa harina stuff around your way?
I love tamales ;D. I haven’t seen the wet stuff here either Cap, and we have quite a large Mexican population here (mushroom farms). My only problem with tamales is that they are not very healthy for me. 
My colleagues were very complementary of my tamales. Woohoo. Honorary Mexican! Went through 6 dozen plus tacos al pastor, mexican rice, beans, queso etc…
Can you use anything besides corn husks? I have masa and I can do the rest but I have no idea at all where to find corn husks (except in a corn field). Banana leaves would be even less likely. I’m thinking parchment paper etc. Something I can buy in a Canadian grocery store - tropical ingredients are pretty much non-existent. We only have masa mix because we have a lot of seasonal labour for harvest.
Parchment paper sounds interesting. I’ll it in my next batch. If anything, make sure you use plenty of fat in the masa so it won’t stick to the paper.
You can probably find the husks online. They don’t go bad.
Hey gmac, you can use just green corn husks. They dont have to be dry. In fact if you use fresh green corn husks they impart a much better flavor into the tamales. They are easier to work with too, no soaking needed. Corn on the cob might be hard to come by this time of year though.
My neighbors make these really good tamales from fresh corn. They husk the corn and use the husks. Then they make a a mash from the kernels that they removed from the cob. That is spiced a little wrapped up in the leaves and steamed. WOW, they are awesome.
And redbeerman, what is not good for you in tamales? IF you are worried about cholesterol there are plenty of tamale recipes without pork fat. Such as the one above.
I just wish I’d kept some corn husks. Next year. I actually look at corn for a living (yes, it’s as exciting as it sounds) and I should have known better and grabbed a few handfuls.
I’ll try the green husks next year. Thanks for the advice.
As my mother says Gringo’s can’t cook real Mexican food, “it comes from the soul of the cook” 
Who am I to argue with mom? LOL
I sure miss the smell of her cooking for days on end before the holidays.
Do you have any of your moms recipes that you could share?
We do a Nicaraguan feast at least once a year.that includes Nacatamal. They are wrapped in banana leaves or steamed in a clay pot.
Dulce tamales are great too. We make coconut tamales. Sweetened condensed milk tamales. Banana tamales.
Here is a chocolata tamale.
And here is a raspberry tamale.
Yep, gringos can make tamales, but only if they learned from a Mexican.