Mexican Food Month: Tamales

Mmm, tamales.  I don't think I ever ate tamales growing up. When I first discovered the wonder that is Trader Joe's, I fell in love their frozen green chile cheese tamales. They were extremely filling, portable for lunch, and at a bargain price.  I have since had other tamales with a variety of fillings. 

When I decided have a Mexican food month, tamales were on the top of my list.  Wrapped in their corn husks, they seemed so mysterious. How did the filling and dough get in there? Well, now I know!

Tamales take a long time to make.

First, you make the filling.

Then (or at the same time), you have to soak the corn husks in water.  You can buy a package of the corn husks at the grocery store -- I think the ones I got were from Goya. 

Next, you make the dough.  I found this part tricky. The cookbook I was using, Rick Bayless' Authentic Mexican, has about four different tamale dough recipes, all slightly different depending on what type of masa you have. 

Once the husks are soaked and the filling and dough are made, you have to put them together.  Laying the corn husks out flat, you smear some dough on, trying to get it just the right thickness and width. I honestly wasn't sure what those golden dimensions were, but I winged it.  Then, you spoon in some filling, but not too much! Then the husk gets rolled together and tied closed with strips of husk.

Whoo! That was some work. But wait--- you're not done. Now, you get to steam them in a big pot for several hours.  This is how they turned out!

They were really tasty! So tasty, in fact, that they didn't last very long.  Well, that's my adventure for today, catch ya tamale!