Tamales the way Nona taught me.

[forktender]

150 Tamales is a LOT of work.
Each time I make them I say that I'm never making them again. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of them coming out of the steam pot. I actually didn't forget, they weren't cool enough to handle until 2:00 AM and I was DONE and need to get some sleep.

Thanks for looking.
Dan

 

[FishAndBeer]

Looks like you did it right! I LOVE tamales I bet yours turned out phenomenal!

 

[jcam222]

Always loved tamales. A couple of families that work the farms near me make amazing ones. Yours look awesome and legit!!

 

[Sowsage]

Man thats a lot of work! Hats off to you! Wish I could chow down on a few of those! BIG LIKE!

 

[chef jimmyj]

Nice. I need to make some soon. Been awhile...JJ

 

[forktender]

I'm never doing it again....I say that every time I make them, at least this time my wife helped me wrap and tie them.

 

[jaxrmrjmr]

I have never had a good tamale and that is probably my fault. Guess I need to hit up a food truck or something. Every time I have tried them they have been a big glob of grits with a tiny bit of meat mixture in the middle. They tasted more like corn grits than anything else. I have to be missing something or not eating at the right place.

 

[forktender]

My Massa is made with homemade chicken stock and the red chili sauce, it's pretty flavorful, it for sure doesn't taste like grits.
I added 4 char'd white onions and a bulb and a half of roasted garlic to the chili sauce, forgot to take pictures of that step along with the plated dinner shots the next night......my back was completely fried, sorry.

 

[Fueling Around]

Applaud the effort.
I'm not a tamale fan. Just one of those things I guess.

 

[forktender]

I'm not sure why this was moved to the beef forum when these were pork tamales.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Looks good! I love recipes that are passed down...even if it is alot of work

Ryan

 

[tallbm]

I have never had a good tamale and that is probably my fault. Guess I need to hit up a food truck or something. Every time I have tried them they have been a big glob of grits with a tiny bit of meat mixture in the middle. They tasted more like corn grits than anything else. I have to be missing something or not eating at the right place.

Not your fault. It is hard to find good ones and a lot of people wills say "i know someone that makes god ones" and they are not that good. So when you find good ones you will know.

These look good and one of the key things is to really season up the masa. My mother seasons and boils her pork buts and uses that stock/broth with the masa which makes it extra good. She then seasons the meat some more to get the proper taste. mmmmmmm good!

 

[forktender]

Unseasoned massa taste like mush I use chicken bone broth and the pan drippings from the pork.
My twist on Nona's tamales is lightly smoking the pork with mesquite wood until it basically falls off the bone and adding a small handful of unsweetened Mexican chocolate shavings to the chili sauce. It adds a lot of depth without adding a mole flavor to the sauce.
Don't get me wrong I love a good mole just not on my tamales. I season the meat before smoking with ground up achiote, sesame, cumin, coriander seeds, pepitas, chiles, bay leaves and a few other top secret things, not really a secret I just like saying that... I also add some tequila and some ground up capers. I add all the spices into the blender or food mill then make a paste using the spices and the tequila and rub the meat with a heavy coating of the paste then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and into the refer for 2 days before smoking it, Nona used a mortero y maja/mortar and pestle but I don't have the time to grind spices with two rocks. LMAO!!!

Dan

 

[sawhorseray]

Your tamales look great, and the satisfaction gained is well worth the effort, Like! RAY

 

[chopsaw]

I bet those are fantastic . I love tamales . Nice work .

 

[Bytor]

Great looking tamales and a lot of effort, for sure.

 

[TNJAKE]

Very nice job. Love tamales. Have a guatemalan neighbor down the road that makes the best I've ever had. Brings us a big batch every Christmas. Wish some homemade sauces as well

 

[Bearcarver]

Wow!!
I'll bet those are Outstanding!!
I never made or ate anything like that, but I know I'd love them.
You just don't find anything like that in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
Nice Job!
Like.

Bear

 

[zwiller]

Those look insanely good. Never cared for tamales until we had some home made ones. Just like yours.... Friend's grandmas recipe... WOW. Spoiled ever since. I can buy some kinda close but what made hers the masa. It had a slight sweetness and stronger corn flavor than most I've had. Also, the masa did not fall apart when eating. I imagine the smoke kicks it way up. If you made them all in one day you sir are a bad a$$.

 

[forktender]

Those look insanely good. Never cared for tamales until we had some home made ones. Just like yours.... Friend's grandmas recipe... WOW. Spoiled ever since. I can buy some kinda close but what made hers the masa. It had a slight sweetness and stronger corn flavor than most I've had. Also, the masa did not fall apart when eating. I imagine the smoke kicks it way up. If you made them all in one day you sir are a bad a$$.

Day- 1 cook and shred the meat.
Day-2 clean the peppers, soak them and make the sauce.
Day- 3 make the massa and start assembling the tamales then steam them.
Day-3 is the day that tears up my back and makes me question why I'm putting myself through this again.
Day -4 sleep in, wake up and have scrambled eggs and tamales with chili sauce, take a nap, wake up have tamales for lunch, take a nap, wake up and have tamales Spanish rice and refried beans for dinner, take a nap.
Repeat day -4 all over again, bag up tamales freeze some and take most of them to family and friends.