Yesterday I went over to my Mother-in-law's house and was introduced to their tradition of Christmas Tamales. Me, being raised mostly on foods that come out of a can or can be ordered at a drive through window, thought this was going to be a welcome change to try something new. 

Tamales are not the most visually attractive sort of foods, but trust me, they taste better than they look!

What are Tamales?

Tamales are a Mesoamerican dish made with dough or masa, filled with meats or many other kinds of foods, and wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks. The leaves are steamed and removed before eating. 

Tamales originated in Central America. Some scholars date them back to 8000-5000 BC. The Aztek and Maya civilizations used them as a portable food to feed their hunters and travelers, but even more so to support their armies on long trips. The banana leaf packaging helps preserve the tamales and helps insulate them from the outside environment. 

How do I make them?

Tamales are not difficult to make but are very time consuming. It took the family just about all day yesterday to prepare them in order for us to eat them at dinner. Some people even spend on day preparing the tamale and then steam them the following day. 

Ingredients:

To make the dough you will need:

• 2 cups of masa (dough)
• 1 can of beef broth
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of lard
• 1 package of dried corn husks or banana leaves
• 1 cup of sour cream

For the filling you will need:

• 1 pound of pork loin
• 1 large onion cut in half
• 1 clove of garlic
• 4 dried chili pods
• 2 of cups water
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

1. Place meat in a pot with water covering it and bring the water to boil. Add garlic and onions for flavor. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to simmer and let the pot sit for roughly 2 hours as the meat cooks. 

2. While the meat is cooking, place the chilies in a cooking pan with 2 cups of water. Let the chili pods simmer for roughly 20 minutes in the hot water. Remove the pods and place in a blender with salt and water, blend till they force a sauce mixture. Once the meat is done cooking, add the chili sauce to the meat, shredding it so it mixes. 

3. Soak the banana leaves or corn husks in a large bowel of hot water. Let them sit until they soften. 

4. Combine the lard, beef broth, salt, baking powder, and masa in a large bowel. Mix it thoroughly. Continue adding broth until a doughy texture is created with everything blended. 

5. Spread the dough out like a pizza pie and add the beef mixture to the center of it. Roll up the sides to enclose the meat and fillings. Cover with the banana leaves or corn husks.  

6. Steam the leaves with the meat filling for 1 hour in a large steam pot or tray. 

7. Unwrap the leaves to reveal the cooked tamale. Top with sour cream, or hot sauce. More chili sauce can be added for increased spice. 

8. Enjoy!

This was the exact recipe my family and I enjoyed yesterday. You don't have to use pork. You can use all kinds of different meats, vegetables, and even fruits. The spices can even be altered. I think that is why it is such a time-tested dish, everyone can add their own signature to it, much in the same way that we do with omelettes. 

Try it out and have some fun with it. Try a couple different variations and see which one tastes the best to you. Since the prep and cooking times are rather long, the holiday break is the perfect time to do some experimenting!

And remember... it tastes better than it looks! :)

Live well my friends!

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamale

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/34512/real-homemade-tamales/

Image Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamale

Follow: @jrcornel