We made tamales tonight too, inspired by this thread!
My Canadian husband thought it was a hella weird thing to eat at Christmas, but tasty nonetheless.
Tamales are a fast food staple in Chicago, but they’re a different beast from “real” tamales. Taste vaguely like tubes of grits, with a subtle meat flavor.
A couple years ago, my wife made a huge batch of pork tamales. They froze fantastically, and we had tamales as a side dish a couple times a month for about six months.
I remember the Tamale Man and I think his stand was called Jack’s Tamales. My Dad is named Jack and he loves Tamales. I didn’t whn I was a kid but I love them now. I ate a 6 pack of chicken and green chile tamales. They were yummy! I wish tamales were more available in Memphis.
Ah, yes, you’re speaking of the typical hot dog stand tamales. Those are “corn roll” tamales whose provenance seems to come from the Mississippi delta style hot tamales. They’re made with corn meal, wrapped in parchment/wax paper, stuffed with some unidentifiable ground protein mixture, and look like this. I enjoy them best in a cup of soupy hot dog stand chili (a conction known either as a “chili tamale” or sometimes “mother-in-law.” The latter name more usually applies to a Chicago-style tamale smothered in chili served in a hot dog bun.)
That said, lest there be any confusion, masa-based, corn husk or banana-leaf-wrapped Mexican tamales are easily found in Chicago, too, but if you pop into a fast-food stand and see “tamales” on the menu, expect Tom Tom tamales.
To partially answer my own question from up thread:
Microwave steamer! Forgot I had one. I heated water to boiling then put the tamales in the basket section and put them in for 2 minutes, turned them over and did another 2 minutes. Heated fine with the steam keeping them moist.
I grew up in the Pennsylvania boonies, but as soon as I reached California in the early 70’s, I learned that “Tuesday is RED’s Tamale Day”.
Now I insist that they come wrapped in corn husks.
This is really the first year I heard about them being a Christmas staple, and oddly enough it’s also the first year I had them on Christmas.
Never been a fan, though. I like corn, and I like cornbread, but I don’t like corn tortillas and I don’t like the masa that makes up much of the tomale. I’ll eat them, and I did since the hostess at my dinner was serving them, but I wouldn’t order them on purpose.
Give me a burrito or an enchilada any day. In fact, I had a chicken burrito for lunch today!
Because of this thread, I went to Mi Pueblo (a local Hispanic supermarket chain) on Christmas day and ordered tamales for breakfast. Had two shredded pork ones with a chipotle salsa and a big glass of iced canteloupe jugo.
That place makes the best tamales I ever had.
I eat tamales year-round, not just during the holidays. I’m lucky enough to have a neighbor who makes them so good they melt in your mouth. But she doesn’t know jack about computers so my payment for the occasional virus removal or defrag job is a dozen of those wonderful tamales.