Hormel tamales in a can

[nightshadea]

canned tamales while ok by themselves used to be a good way for one of the housewives in my neighborhood to show off her skills …

how it worked is you stand outside and eat a few with a fork and one of the Latinas in my neighborhood would see you eating them and get insulted and after a lecture on eating canned dog food would drag you to the Mercado and buy the ingredients and make real tamales… (rip grandma eva…)

Taco bell had the same effect but wow some of the older ones would throw you out of the house if they seen you bringing it in …

[nightshadea]

Originally Posted by ThelmaLou
And maybe dump a can of chili over them? And some crushed Fritos? And some grated cheese and chopped onions? That sounds pretty good.

actually put some rice with the fritos cheese and chili and you have pepper bellies …

[syncrolecyne]

I thought the canned tamales were based more on the sort that are sold in the deep South than the ones from Mexico - in areas like Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi there are tamales that date from the 1920s and 1930s, when local black and white farmers adapted the food of Mexican migrant workers to their tastes.

[actualliberalnotoneofthose]

Are they sold in the Hispanic foods section or canned pasta/meats section of a grocery store? How cheap are we talking?

[Johnny_L.A]

@nightshadea

Originally Posted by ThelmaLou
And maybe dump a can of chili over them? And some crushed Fritos? And some grated cheese and chopped onions? That sounds pretty good.

actually put some rice with the fritos cheese and chili and you have pepper bellies …

I was going to say leave out the tamales, and you’d have pepper bellies. Cut open an individual bag of Fritos, put in a ladle of chili, add shredded cheese and chopped onions, and that’s a pepper belly. No rice in them at QHHS!

[Scumpup]

@actualliberalnotoneofthose

Are they sold in the Hispanic foods section or canned pasta/meats section of a grocery store? How cheap are we talking?

The canned meat section. They usually run around $2 a can in these parts.

I can be a real hoopie when I want to…I like them in a hotdog bun with chopped onion and pickled jalapeno slices. Ideally, this is washed down with a Yuengling lager drunk straight from the can.

[Grrr]

I’m afraid of those tamales in a can.

I’m not afraid they’ll taste bad, but I do fear what they’ll do to my digestive system.

I’d probably have to eat a whole bottle of Tums just to quash the heartburn.

[Enter_the_Flagon]

They’re one of my guilty pleasures, but they’re hard to find around here. I know of at least one neighborhood grocer that carries them, so I pick up a few cans when I’m able.

One of Hormel’s competitors (Old El Paso, maybe?) used to sell a product that was nearly identical, except in a glass jar, but I haven’t seen those on any shelves in many years.

[silenus]

Stay away from the ones Nalley’s makes. Those things are foul.

[salinqmind]

If you can find them, the canned CHEESE raviolis aren’t too terrible. They are cooked to death, of course, but they’re edible.

I’m always looking for odd things in the dollar store. I saw canned bologna last winter and bought a can for everyone. Added a box of no-name crackers, cookies, a bottle of indescribable red soda, a packet of batteries and flashlight, a roll of t.p., a word search book and a pen. Put it all in a bag, and there was A Winter Emergency Kit for when you were snowed in, LOL. (this could be expanded to include a little can of tomato juice and an airline bottle of vodka, which is An Emergency Bloody Mary.)

[kaylasdad99]

@Grrr

I’m afraid of those tamales in a can.

I’m not afraid they’ll taste bad, but I do fear what they’ll do to my digestive system.

I’d probably have to eat a whole bottle of Tums just to quash the heartburn.

This. I don’t normally have a difficult time digesting whatever I swallow, but the Hormel tamales have got what it takes to ruin my day.

[BigT]

Have a few hidden away for a rainy day. Mom’s parents would use them in meals. They’re good chopped up with meat or with chips. And, yes, they taste nothing like the real thing. Love the sauce, though.

[nightshadea]

@Johnny_L.A

I was going to say leave out the tamales, and you’d have pepper bellies. Cut open an individual bag of Fritos, put in a ladle of chili, add shredded cheese and chopped onions, and that’s a pepper belly. No rice in them at QHHS!

ahh AV high always put rice in the bottom … also if you were lucky theyed use the bbq corn chips …

[somepumpkin]

I’ve not had them in a while but they’re always nostalgic to me. Not Hormel, specifically, but canned tamales. I remember grandpa bringing big cans of tamales home from his business trips to Greenville, MS in the 1970s. I thought it was so cool that they were wrapped in real corn husks and I loved spooning the sauce over the little corn meal delicacies.

@syncrolecyne

I thought the canned tamales were based more on the sort that are sold in the deep South than the ones from Mexico - in areas like Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi there are tamales that date from the 1920s and 1930s, when local black and white farmers adapted the food of Mexican migrant workers to their tastes.

So I googled tamales in Greenville, MS and boy howdy… I had no idea they were such a thing. Greenville seems to be the tamale center of The Delta. There’s even a Tamale Trail tourist destination. I’m going to try and mail-order some of these. Thanks for opening the door, syncrolecyne and Lucas Jackson.

[ThelmaLou]

@somepumpkin

…

So I googled tamales in Greenville, MS and boy howdy… I had no idea they were such a thing. Greenville seems to be the tamale center of The Delta. There’s even a Tamale Trail tourist destination. I’m going to try and mail-order some of these. Thanks for opening the door, syncrolecyne and Lucas Jackson.

Cook’s Country did a show about Delta Hot Tamales. You won’t be able to read the recipe unless you pay, but here’s the introductory blurbette:

Unlike Mexican tamales, these Mississippi morsels are heavily spiced and stewed rather than steamed. Our winning spice mixture—a combination of chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, sugar, salt, and pepper—goes into the cornmeal and butter dough (lightened with baking powder), as well as the ground beef filling. To keep the meat moist and tender when cooked, we add baking soda, as well as a portion of the cornmeal dough, which acts as a panade. After assembling the tamales with traditional corn husks, we stew them in water, seasoned with more of the spice rub. Finally, we thicken a portion of the flavorful stewing liquid to create a potent sauce for the finished tamales.

[Johnny_L.A]

This thread inspired me to look up a tamale recipe. Which reminded me that it’s been a while since I’ve made chili. So I went to the store to get chili makings…

… and bought a can of Hormel tamales.

[betonbill]

A lot of the dollar stores seem to carry them, and the price is quite a bit cheaper than in the supermarkets. They were an occasional treat during childhood when we were far, far away from any Mexican food. I just found a can of chicken tamales for $1 at an actual dollar store, but haven’t tried it yet. And yes, mini ravioli is also some comfort food.

[nightshadea]

My aunt was a member of the cooking club of America and they used to send out packets of ads every month or so and one about this guy calling himself the tamale king and how you could make them in 10 seconds or less … from the brochure it looked like this guy ripped off the design of a roll your own cigarette maker …but they looked like really tiny taquitos …

[Stringbean]

I would give them a shot but aren’t tamales typically made of pork?

[Stringbean]

I don’t know why I phrased that as a question…I’ve had lots of Mexican food and I know they are almost always made with pork. If Hormel made pork tamales in a can I’d be all over it.