Christmas Means Tamale.

[worth1]

Yep I ran out of tamales the other day.
Sad event indeed but it reminded me of how good a homemade tamal is.
Not a real recipe with exact ingredients but you can get the idea of it.
What I have are a hog head and a pork but cooking.
Also guajillo arbol and ancho chilies soaking in hot water.
In the molcajete is fresh garlic clove cumin and kosher salt with a pinch of water.
The flavor is astounding.
The lard is from down the street from where they make carnitas.
Processed lard ain't gonna happen.
These are all steps for the flavors that will go into the making of the tamales.

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[worth1]

I ended up making enough salsa to feed an army.
But oh my it is good.
Just the right amount of heat.
Added 1/2 of a strong yellow onion too.
No fancy ingredients just salt chilies cumin garlic and onion.
It could use more salt but I'll adjust that when I make the meat filling.
This salsa will get mixed with the meat, just not all of it.
Now I'll just dump the rest of the chilie water into the water I'm cooking the pork in.

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[worth1]

Y'all think I was pulling your leg about the hog head?
Not hardly.
Honestly, I grew up with home grown hog heads simmering on the stove to make head cheese.

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[Spike]

Yummy! Have you ever made the tamales with ground fresh corn instead of masa? SO good.

[Seven Bends]

It's your fault that I bought canned tamales at the grocery store today. I know that's TexMex sacrilege and they won't be any good but I couldn't stop myself.

Chili today, hot tamale, says the forecast. (That gets stuck in my head any time tamales come up in conversation.)

[worth1]

It's your fault that I bought canned tamales at the grocery store today. I know that's TexMex sacrilege and they won't be any good but I couldn't stop myself.

Chili today, hot tamale, says the forecast. (That gets stuck in my head any time tamales come up in conversation.)

I have ate a ton of canned tamales.
Nothing wrong with it.

Yummy! Have you ever made the tamales with ground fresh corn instead of masa? SO good.

Yes they sell the fresh ground masa at the store.

[bower]

I don't know if I have ever eaten a properly made tamale. We don't see them in cans here either.

My Christmas thoughts are turning to chapatiis I first tasted as a very wee child in the north of England. We shared a flat with a family from India, and one of my first memories is of that kind woman giving me pieces of chapati she had puffed on the coal fire that heated the place.
And then there is the tuck shop curry from high school in Suva Fiji. Curry and roti. It was just potatoes in the wrap as far as I could tell, but so delicious and satisfying, even to a hungry teen. So I'm turning that over in my mind, as something I want to try and produce some version of that might be close. I might try yellow split peas and potatoes, just to make sure there's some protein.

Not quite tamales but aren't they all wraps?
My christmas thought, have something you can eat hand held, just in case celebrations with visitors end up outdoors in the snow.
Either way it is great to have something handy to eat.

[worth1]

Well I got the pork butt roast out of the kettle.
It literally fell apart and had to fish it out in chunks.
It's 50 degrees in the garage so that's where the broth kettle is headed.
Still waiting for the 22 quart kettle to cool off so I can fish the hog head out.
It's falling apart too.
The pork butt was 10 pounds.
The head weighed 10 pounds too.
Testing both meats and they have the perfect amount of salt because I cooked them in salted water.
Once I use all the broth I need I'll reduce it down.

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[worth1]

Tongue snout lips and all.
That's the tongue on top.
Not gonna leave anything to the imagination.

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[worth1]

That's about half of it.
Needed more cumin and salt.
Also added some garlic and chipotle powder.
Used all the sauce.
Tomorrow I'll build and steam.

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[Spike]

Yummy! Have you ever made the tamales with ground fresh corn instead of masa? SO good.

Yes they sell the fresh ground masa at the store.

No not ground masa but fresh corn, cut off the cob, ground and used as the masa. An elderly Mexican lady taught me that.

[worth1]

Best masa ever.
You could eat it like it is.
Notice you're ready when the masa floats.
Ingredients are...
Masa harina for tamales.
The pork lard from carnitas.
The pork butt broth with chilie juice.
Salt.
Baking powder.
A pinch of Fiesta brand chilie powder.

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[worth1]

Next there are about as many opinions on how to construct the tamale as there are people making them.
Even the ones from Mexico differ on it.
In my opinion if the masa has great taste use more masa.
After all the masa is 1/2 the flavor profile of the tamale.
The so called chef made gourmet made snob made tamales in the store suck when it comes to great masa flavor.
They are basically tastless blobs of cooked masa that cost 9 dollars for maybe 5 or 6 tamales.
Made with highly processed lard, Crisco or whatever they use.

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[worth1]

Can't delete.

[worth1]

By hand method.

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[worth1]

Not for sure how many but there's a giant one on top.
I think 22.

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[worth1]

Yummy! Have you ever made the tamales with ground fresh corn instead of masa? SO good.

Yes they sell the fresh ground masa at the store.

No not ground masa but fresh corn, cut off the cob, ground and used as the masa. An elderly Mexican lady taught me that.

You're talking about Tamales De Elote AKA Uchepos.

[Spike]

Yummy! Have you ever made the tamales with ground fresh corn instead of masa? SO good.

Yes they sell the fresh ground masa at the store.

No not ground masa but fresh corn, cut off the cob, ground and used as the masa. An elderly Mexican lady taught me that.

You're talking about Tamales De Elote AKA Uchepos.

Silly man! I have no idea what I am talking about! I just do what my friend told me do. Also what do you mean the masa is done when it floats?

[Spike]

@worth1 Your tamales look delicious!! May I have your masa recipe? I see what ingredients you used but is there a trick to getting the masa to the point it floats. I would love to try your masa. Looks quite tasty!

[Julianna]

Your first hog head boiling picture gave me big flashbacks to working in the forensics lab. That looks exactly like our human stuff.

More pleasantly, tour tamales look great! I always make giant ones and have given up on myself for doing it right. I also bundle both ends and tie.

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