For those lucky enough to live near Trader Joe’s.
With canned corned beef hash or roast beef hash, I fry in cast iron pan until there’s a really good crust on the bottom, then make a well or two and break eggs into the depressions. Cover the pan until the whites are set and the yolks still runny. Yum.
Well, yes. I’d rather dress up pretty ok tamales than almost edible tamales, too. There’s nothing to argue with here. Good tamales won’t need any dress up.
Indeed. People sometimes try to tell me that somehow this isn’t “really” a taco, and unheard of in Mexico. But Texas used to be part of Mexico, and I doubt it was an invention created by some recent immigrants to the area. There’s even a Spanish name for it. Lots of folks don’t listen. My belly is still full and satisfied.
Exactly. No one is claiming that Hormel Tamales in a Can even remotely resemble real tamales.
In this part of the world there is an endless debate about what constitutes “real,” “authentic” Mexican food. :rolleyes: So tiresome. Who cares?
Thank you. From my OP:
“Don’t really taste like tamales …”
They are good in a casual way, as long as you don’t compare them to authentic tamales… or TJs tamales for that matter.
Cool, not that it matters to them, but they lost about $200/week in recurring grocery spending to Meijer.
I’ve never seen a Trader Joe’s but I’ve bought decent frozen tamales from Target and seen them at several other grocery stores.
I used to eat those all the time until my friend told me to look at the sodium content which I did and I will never eat them again.
Like others, I bought a can in response to this thread.
And like some, it sits unopened on my kitchen counter.
I can’t emphasize enough how much I agree with this sentiment. Who cares?
Dang, here comes this thread again, reminding me that that can of Hormel tamales is still sitting in my pantry. The day is coming… I know it is.
Sure, but those are a different kind of tamale. Hormel tamales are kind of a riff on corn roll tamales. I guess I’m kind of used to this style, as Chicago has three major brands of these types of tamales: Tom-Tom, Supreme, and Veteran’s. (OK, had three major brands. Veteran’s closed their doors earlier this year.) It’s just a tamale made with cornmeal (non-nixtamalized) instead of masa, usually wrapped in wax paper instead of a corn husk, and filled with a spiced ground meat product. You can read about them here. I love the damn things, but they are quite different than Mexican style tamales. Their greatest use, in my opinion, is dunked in a bowl of chili and eaten together in a dish we call a “tamale boat” here. Or a “chili tamale.” Or some places call it a “mother-in-law,” but typically a mother-in-law is a corn roll tamale on a bun with chili and condiments.
Perhaps they should seek a media tie-in with Rick & Morty.
“Morty! Morty, go out and get me some Hormel tamales. The ones in the can. (burp) I gotta have some before our next adventure!”
Today in Longueuil, 66km north of the U.S border, one (1) frozen microwave burrito was selling for $3.99CAD.
We have Hormel products here IIRC, I’ll be looking for these particular canned tamales.
It’s true that the stuff we call Mexican or Italian or Chinese food doesn’t exist back in Mexico, Italy, or China. So what? It was invented by Mexican, Italian, and Chinese immigrants living in America. Call it Mexican-American, Italian-American, and Chinese-American food. It’s as authentic a cuisine as any other.
And then the regret, the horrible regret. Don’t think about it all day, just do it. Then, buy frozen tamales next time. You owe it to yourself – if you don’t get good, fresh ones that are right over there. No, I don’t live in Houston, but I know they’re there. They’re all over the place here. Gas stations have them. Eat those canned tubes of almost shameful meat product, get over it, and don’t look back unless you’ve really got to.
Yeah, only in this case the border moved more than the people did, in comparison to the non Mexican-American cultural mixing. A series of wars happened, and what was considered Mexican or American was decided by politics, not what fed who when. So, people get worked up about who/what/when was really which culture. I’m not even sure the argument on the other side of this divide is even coherent as to who’s culture they want to freeze and contrast with. Angel Martinez’s mom might have been born in Texas, or been born in Mexico city – my four year old brain didn’t care when I was served the first breakfast taco I ever had. It was magic in a flour tortilla.
WAIT! pulykamell these things aren’t using nixtamalized corn meal? Your cite doesn’t seem to back that claim up, but I’d be both personally offended by the manufacturer (c’mon how else is it a tamale) and firm in my belief in the southern tamale’s superiority if it were to be proven true. Do you have more info?
I’m back three months later with my report <salutes and clicks heels together>. I live in the heart of excellent tamale country, so I feel I’m qualified to critique.
I pronounce them not only not awful but somewhat palatable. The mushy texture of the masa closer to that of canned pasta (think: canned ravioli) than to the firm masa of a real tamale, but it’s not disgusting or anything. The filling resembles the filling in a real beef tamale. Sort of. Tastes okay. The “gravy” is unremarkable with little flavor.
These tamales are no substitute for good homemade, restaurant, or even supermarket tamales, but if you’re desperate… I managed to eat three of them. Threw the other three away, as I suspect they would not make good leftovers. Unless you rinsed them off, rolled them in panko and grated cheese and deep-fried them.
I probably will not buy them again, because I have some really good local tamales in the freezer and ready access to lots more.
That is all.
Thanks for this. The old school scientific rigor is sorely missed on these boards.
For my part, no luck so far in finding these mythical treats.
<TL curtsies. >
You can get them from amazon, but they only have a 12-pack (from $19.44 to $54.99) and an 8-pack (for $36.99).
This reader review is not encouraging:
Amazingly, there are 140 5-star reviews. Those are probably from people in prison.
I see them in my store, in the aisle next to the canned chili. I think next time I go shopping, I’ll pick up a can. They have an extra spicy style.