To me a tamale is supposed to be a thin layer of masa filled with porky goodness.
Here’s the thing though, if I go to a restaurant and order a tamale plate; I get these giant globs of masa with a little pork on the inside. They usually try to hide this by covering it in chili sauce.
I hate this! Way too much masa. And while I don’t hate chili sauce, I don’t want it on my tamales!! A little verde or red salsa will do just fine.
I have since learned that if I want a good tamale, I have to either buy it from a street vendor or from a taqueria.
And what’s really sad about all this is there is a significant amount of people out there who who are turned off by tamales because they think the standard definition of a tamale is a big giant glob of masa.*
Mainly because a lot of people don’t feel safe buying food from a street vendor or they’re are not going to walk into a taqueria where nobody speaks English. Or it could be that they live in an area that doesn’t have these sorts of things.
So, I’ll lay this out to the masses:
What’s your idea of the perfect tamale? What do you like with them? Chili? Salsa?
*Out of curiosity: Are there any Dopers out there who aren’t familiar with the tamale I described that has the thin layer of masa with more pork on the inside?
I’d say the really thin layer of masa is a sign of an expert tamale maker. I haven’t made them in years, and the construction really showed it.
The temperature of the masa during construction makes a difference. Warm masa (a bit warmer than room temperature) spreads thinner than cold masa (refrigerator temperature). The preferred method of spreading the masa varies from person to person. I’ve used spatulas, rubber scrapers, serving spoons, “spoonulas,” and finally, in this last effort, I got down and dirty and used my fingers! I felt just like a little old abuela pat-pat-patting the masa down on the husks!
My pork contained my very own chile colorado I made with dried chiles. I also used some of the sauce in my black bean and corn mixture for the veggie filling.
We get ours from a variety of different folks in the office. It’s always interesting to see the differences. I’ve developed an opinion of quality based on size - I find smaller tend to be better quality of construction and proportion of ingredients. Larger are usually grand lumps of masa hiding something.
Mmm, tamales. Haven’t had any good ones since those from a long time babysitter, a long time ago. We got her her Xmas tamale waiting list every year at Halloween.
As for thin, maybe you’re thinking of those canned ones that look like a red hot dog surrounded by rubbery filo. Man, I used to think those were food of the gods when I was a kid. Tried a can in my 30s and was sick for two days.
For me, the perfect tamale must (1) as you stated, have the correct ratio of masa to meat and (2) be cooked in a corn husk. Beyond that, I’m flexible regarding whether they’re plain or topped with chili or salsa. Even the type of meat isn’t a dealbreaker. I prefer pork but beef or even chicken tamales are okay with me.
Incidentally, there was a restaurant where I live (i.e., the Spokane area) that used to make the perfect tamale. It was cooked in a corn husk and had the right proportion of masa to meat. Unfortunately, the owner retired and didn’t pass his tamale recipe to the new owners. I have yet to come across a Mexican restaurant that’s come close to matching them.
Heh. I’ve never eaten a United States Tamal, so I don’t really know what you’re talking about.
Nevertheless, I looked tamale up in Wikipedia and the picture (and description) agrees with my definition of “tamal”.
I’ve never eaten a Mexican Tamal in any kind of sauce (salsa). It seems strange to me. Usually the salsa is inside of the tamal. For instance, a “green sauce” tamal would usually have, as the “inner component” chicken in green sauce, surrounded by “masa”.
There are two variants I’ve eaten: one of them is usually sold in corn leaves, the other type will be put inside banana tree leaves. Their consistency is completely different: the former will be drier.
I’m curious, how would you cook a tamale other than in a corn husk (or banana leaf)?
I agree that the thin masa tamale is far superior to the thick masa tamale. I find machine-made tamales usually are made with way too much masa, and hand-made are thinner. As for my favorite kind, I like the hand-made ones that have chicken, vegetables, and a long strip of green chile down the middle.
Hey, that reminds me, I have a single tamale left from the Mexican market! Dinner nom!
Like most ethnic foods, the tamale is designed as a way to make a very small amount of meat stretch into a whole meal, and so the authentic tamale will be mostly corn. Now, we live in a first-world country, so we have the luxury to make and eat silly things like mostly-meat tamales. But it’s hardly necessary.
This. Tamales aren’t traditionally mostly meat. But don’t forget the green olive in the middle, complete with pit. If you don’t break a tooth, it’s not authentic.
I agree some places go overboard on the masa and skimp on the pork. But I also think it’s possible to go too far in the other direction. Masa is more than just a casing to hold the filling. It’s supposed to be part of the tamale and I want enough to know it’s there - and I want the masa to be good enough that I want it to be there.
Here’s my take on this:
–There is no such thing as a great restaurant tamale, no matter how authentic the place. They must be made the traditional, slow way to work.
–I actually like masa heavy tamales. Masa doesn’t need to be a tasteless dough; season it correctly and it tastes great.
–Tamales are best eaten by themselves. What you drink with them is optional, though this is best for the full experience.
Well, I had some nice meaty vaporcitos (Yucatecan banana-leaf wrapped tamales) today for dinner.
As for what’s the right ratio. I honestly don’t know. I actually do like the more masa-heavy tamales, as long as it’s made with some good masa. I personally like tamales to be a showcase for masa, with a light accent of flavorful filling, rather than the other way around. I’ve had some wonderful tamales that were little more than masa.
Traditionally, the masa is made with the broth from cooking the meat. Many old-fashioned tamale makers buy a whole cow’s head to boil. The meat (and whatever) falls off the bones and this is seasoned for the filling. The broth is then used to mix the masa.
Sweet tamales can have the masa flavored with cinnamon and raisins.
~VOW
I suspect the reason some folks don’t like the thicker-masa tamales is that there needs to be enough sauce with the meat inside to go along with it, else it can be dry. I helped my mother-in-law make them last week, my first time, and yeah, spreading that masa is interesting, mostly because no matter what size corn husk you pick up to use, it’s much bigger than my hand, so I’m trying to spread it all around while keeping it from falling on the floor.
A neighbor used to make them for me when she had the stuff. A Perfect balance of flavors. Never had a decent one since.
I like equal parts meat and masa, but the masa needs chunks or corn in it, like corn bread or muffins should. Maybe mixed in with creamed corn? I don’t know I haven’t made them yet.
I want flavor and some heat in the meat dammit. So i’m gonna cook the meat with jalapenos or something and get that tasting right first of all. Don’t know if I want the green or red type sauce yet. Defiantly gonna have limes and cilantro handy.
I have been making chicken taco’s/burritos/fajitas on corn/flour tortilla’s for months since I developed a process to make them as good as the Mexican restaurant.
Need to spread out a little bit towards other tex/mex foods.
I remember reacting to finally trying the legendary pastelles with…hey thats just like a bland tamale, except made in a banana leaf instead of corn husk.
