My wife, Raymi, is half Mexican and the tradition in her family as long as anyone can remember has been to make tamales for the Holidays.
For those of you unfamiliar with the dish, tamales are an ancient Mesoamerican creation of ground corn (masa) spread on a dried corn husk or banana leaf and then filled with a meat and spice mixture. The tamale is then steamed so they solidify and the flavors meld together in a symphony of deliciousness.
This is a very labor intensive process so tamales were typically only eaten during holidays or times of celebration. Their tamales are made entirely by hand and it is usually and multi-day process. We even grind the corn for the masa and the ancho chilies that are used to season the pork filling.
The night before we make the tamales, the dried ancho chilies are seeded, the corn is cleaned, and garlic is peeled.
The corn is then boiled and mixed with lard (yes, lard) before it’s ground into masa.
The rehydrated ancho chilies are mixed with a secret blend of spices and ground into a fine paste to be combined with the ground pork.
This meat, chili, and spice mixture is cooked slow and low until the flavors are combined perfectly.
This next step caused me the most anxiety when I first was introduced to the family over ten years ago. The masa must be spread on the corn husk just right...not too thin, not too thick. This is serious business. My late Mother-in-Law, Shirley, taught me right and it took me two years to come close to perfecting.
The tamales are then filled, rolled, and steamed. I can tell you, the smell of these cooking is indescribable.
Next, an incredible garlic sauce is made from oil, lemon juice, and a bazillion cloves of garlic. This is whipped into the consistency of meringue and spread on the tamales. This sauce is, seriously, one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten in my life.
Last, but not least, the feast is put onto the table and each household has several dozen to take home and eat later.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into our holiday tradition!
Yours in the Chain,
Eric
(All photos are original.)
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