Hot tamales!

Quoted message said:

Couple questions for the panel: What kind of pork roast is used
effectively for the filling? What else goes on the plate when tamales
are on the menu? What I picture is a combination plate from El Loro
Restaurante -- frijoles, arroz, an enchilada or something. Is is a
*bad* thing to eat them unaccompanied? I don't know these things and am
curious.
--

I make a mole' to go with mine. I like to serve them with refrieds and
spanish rice and a nice green salad. Personally, I'd like to eat just about
3 or 4 heck 5 tamales all by themselves, but they are so freaking time
consuming to make that I'll serve them with rice and beans to cut down the
number of tamales needed in one sitting.

Lynne

Barb asked:

Quoted message said:

What else goes on the plate when tamales are on the menu? What I picture
is a combination plate from El Loro Restaurante -- frijoles, arroz, an
enchilada or something. Is is a *bad* thing to eat them unaccompanied?

It's not a *bad* thing, but there are some things which I think accompany
tamales well. I like to have them with pickled vegetables and a couple
different dipping sauces or salsas on the side. Or I'll have them with
steamed or roasted vegetables (especially squash: winter squash, summer
squash, spaghetti squash -- it's all good) on the side. Sometimes I make a
kind of Tex-Mex coleslaw to go along with tamales (or with Texas-style
barbecue). Oh, and beer or margaritas, of course. If you want something
more elaborate, flautas are fun to have with tamales, but you're getting
into heart-attack-on-a-plate territory.

Bob

Melba's Jammin said:

I toted them around with me for a few hours as I met a friend for lunch
and improved the local economy somewhat at the Lands' End Inlet store.
We had them for supper. With nothing but a green tossed salad and some
of that salsa verde. They were so freakin' good! Then I saw a recipe
on, I think, sonofsouth.com (I'd done a search for tamale recipes and
this site has nice pictures.) that looks wicked. Something about adding
two CUPS of oil to the masa! Eeeek!!!

Lard, woman. You put lard in the masa for tamales. It makes them
light and fluffy. I don't know why, but it is so.

Quoted message said:

Couple questions for the panel: What kind of pork roast is used
effectively for the filling? What else goes on the plate when tamales
are on the menu? What I picture is a combination plate from El Loro
Restaurante -- frijoles, arroz, an enchilada or something. Is is a
*bad* thing to eat them unaccompanied? I don't know these things and am
curious.

I usually use the leftover smoked tukey from Thanksgiving and/or
Christmas when I make tamales. I add a slice of pickled jalapeno to
each one and roll it up. Other than that, I don't know. You want it
very tender and well spiced, I'm sure, whatever meat cut you use.

My holiday tamales are usually served with a salsa made from leftover
cranberry/orange relish and cilantro and jalapenos. And maybe a
dollop of sour cream. But non-holiday tamales are served with chili
hereabouts. Rice also sounds nice. And a green salad.

Eating them is a pleasure and accompanied or not that's never a bad
thing.

modom

In article <[email hidden]>,

Bob Terwilliger' virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz said:

Barb asked:

Quoted message said:

What else goes on the plate when tamales are on the menu? What I picture
is a combination plate from El Loro Restaurante -- frijoles, arroz, an
enchilada or something. Is is a *bad* thing to eat them unaccompanied?

It's not a *bad* thing, but there are some things which I think accompany
tamales well. I like to have them with pickled vegetables and a couple
different dipping sauces or salsas on the side. Or I'll have them with
steamed or roasted vegetables (especially squash: winter squash, summer
squash, spaghetti squash -- it's all good) on the side.

Es un gran lástima que no hay chansa (we made that up in Spanish class)
por (¿para?) los en mi casa.

Quoted message said:

Sometimes I make a
kind of Tex-Mex coleslaw to go along with tamales (or with Texas-style
barbecue). Oh, and beer or margaritas, of course. If you want something
more elaborate, flautas are fun to have with tamales, but you're getting
into heart-attack-on-a-plate territory.

Not to mention that I'd have to make 'em myself. :-) I hate cooking.

Quoted message said:

Bob

--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 2-4-2006, Masa

In article <[email hidden]>,

King's Crown said:

Quoted message said:

Couple questions for the panel: What kind of pork roast is used
effectively for the filling? What else goes on the plate when tamales
are on the menu? What I picture is a combination plate from El Loro
Restaurante -- frijoles, arroz, an enchilada or something. Is is a
*bad* thing to eat them unaccompanied? I don't know these things and am
curious.
--

I make a mole' to go with mine. I like to serve them with refrieds and
spanish rice and a nice green salad. Personally, I'd like to eat just about
3 or 4 heck 5 tamales all by themselves, but they are so freaking time
consuming to make that I'll serve them with rice and beans to cut down the
number of tamales needed in one sitting.

Lynne

Kind of what I was thinking. These were already cooked from frozen so I
figured it was going to be one (might could've been two) meal. Oinked
out.. (And I learned on Friday evening that it's mole, not molé.)
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 2-4-2006, Masa

In article <[email hidden]>,

Melba's Jammin said:

Woo-hoo! My new best friend Soccorro The Tamale Empress said she'd
bring my tamales to the Y this morning -- something about 8:00 to sign
up for a yoga class. Ugh. I don't usually go until a bit later in the
morning but this morning went to be there at 8:00. She wasn't there.

Came home and found a voice message indicating that she would be there
around 10:00, which is when I usually see her anyway. So I went back, a
couple jars in a bag for her, at 10:00. She gave me a half dozen cooked
tamales! She also brought a little container of salsa verde to
accompany them. Hoo-yah!

I toted them around with me for a few hours as I met a friend for lunch
and improved the local economy somewhat at the Lands' End Inlet store.
We had them for supper. With nothing but a green tossed salad and some
of that salsa verde. They were so freakin' good! Then I saw a recipe
on, I think, sonofsouth.com (I'd done a search for tamale recipes and
this site has nice pictures.) that looks wicked. Something about adding
two CUPS of oil to the masa! Eeeek!!!

Couple questions for the panel: What kind of pork roast is used
effectively for the filling? What else goes on the plate when tamales
are on the menu? What I picture is a combination plate from El Loro
Restaurante -- frijoles, arroz, an enchilada or something. Is is a
*bad* thing to eat them unaccompanied? I don't know these things and am
curious.

Real tamales are made using whole cooked pig head meat.
They sell frozen pig heads in our markets here around the holidays and
put the packages of masa right next to them. ;-)

I like them straight sometimes, or other times I'll peel several, lay
them on a plate and pour pace picante sauce over them, layer some
shredded jack cheese over that, then nuke it.

Both ways are good, just depends on the mood I'm in.

Enjoy!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
snipped*

Quoted message said:

Couple questions for the panel: What kind of pork roast is used
effectively for the filling? What else goes on the plate when tamales
are on the menu? What I picture is a combination plate from El Loro
Restaurante -- frijoles, arroz, an enchilada or something. Is is a
*bad* thing to eat them unaccompanied? I don't know these things and am
curious.

*
I usually make carne al pastor with whatever kind of pork roast is on
sale -- I think it was a blade roast the last time. Braising is probably
your best bet. Don't be afraid to throw lots of spices into the beer, uh,
....er braising liquid, I mean.

In sunny Tucson, we usually eat tamales with pinto beans -- either refritos
or de olla. (I like them from the pot.) I use a very mild hot sauce on the
tamales. My favorite is "Tamazula," which I think is almost like ketchup.
(I avoid the salsas made chiefly from vinegar.)

You're right about the fat content --it's high. I think a few avocado
slices and a fruit salad would balance the meal out nicely. And you can't
go wrong with a nice tossed salad.

Buen provecho,
Pablo

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
"King's Crown" <[email hidden]> wrote:

(And I learned on Friday evening that it's mole, not molé.)
*
Molé is what the matadors eat, me thinks.

Pablo

Melba's Jammin said:

Couple questions for the panel: What kind of pork roast is used
effectively for the filling?

A boiled hog's head. Seriously. (you asked) You should be able to use
any pork roast that you can cook to pieces with slow moist heat.

Quoted message said:

What else goes on the plate when tamales are on the menu? What I
picture is a combination plate from El Loro Restaurante -- frijoles,
arroz, an enchilada or something.

A little enchilada sauce poured over, and rice and frijoles on the side.

Quoted message said:

Is is a *bad* thing to eat them unaccompanied?

How could it be bad? But you'll probably at least want a bottle of beer
or a can of TaB to wash them down.

Best regards,
Bob

pablo said:

(And I learned on Friday evening that it's mole, not molé.)
*
Molé is what the matadors eat, me thinks.

What if the bull wins ? :-)

"Dave Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

pablo said:

(And I learned on Friday evening that it's mole, not molé.)
*
Molé is what the matadors eat, me thinks.

What if the bull wins ? :-)
*
Shishkabobs!

Lard, lard, lard in the masa. Hey if you're going to do it you might as
well go all the way. Actually, we usually buy the masa all made up at
the market.

Pork shoulder or other pork roast that will cook and fall apart and get
nice an tender (as in lean loin is bad). We skip the heads ;-)

Mom is in charge of tamales at our house and it's usually half with
green chile and pork and half with red chile and pork. Then more chile
to pour over the top. Mom did do chicken ones once as we had a non-pork
eating guest; said she was a vegetarian who ate fish and poultry, go
figure. And as I type this just now I think, [censored] there was lard in the
masa. Oh well, about 12 years too late to do anything about it. She
did eat pork in chinese restaurants because she said you couldn't avoid
it so at least we weren't the first to contaminate her, but I digress.

Back in the day mom also made sweet tamales with pineapple and raisins
inside for dessert.

It used to just be tamales but now that we kids are old enough to
participate we make sure there is some kind of green salad, avocado,
sour cream and occasionally rice or fruit on the side.

It is not a bad thing at all to just eat tamales. They are the best
part after all.

marcella

In article <[email hidden]>,

Melba's Jammin said:

Woo-hoo! My new best friend Soccorro The Tamale Empress said she'd
bring my tamales to the Y this morning -- something about 8:00 to sign
up for a yoga class. Ugh. I don't usually go until a bit later in the
morning but this morning went to be there at 8:00. She wasn't there.

Came home and found a voice message indicating that she would be there
around 10:00, which is when I usually see her anyway. So I went back, a
couple jars in a bag for her, at 10:00. She gave me a half dozen cooked
tamales! She also brought a little container of salsa verde to
accompany them. Hoo-yah!

I toted them around with me for a few hours as I met a friend for lunch
and improved the local economy somewhat at the Lands' End Inlet store.
We had them for supper. With nothing but a green tossed salad and some
of that salsa verde. They were so freakin' good! Then I saw a recipe
on, I think, sonofsouth.com (I'd done a search for tamale recipes and
this site has nice pictures.) that looks wicked. Something about adding
two CUPS of oil to the masa! Eeeek!!!

Couple questions for the panel: What kind of pork roast is used
effectively for the filling? What else goes on the plate when tamales
are on the menu? What I picture is a combination plate from El Loro
Restaurante -- frijoles, arroz, an enchilada or something. Is is a
*bad* thing to eat them unaccompanied? I don't know these things and am
curious.

In article <[email hidden]>,

zxcvbob said:

Melba's Jammin said:

Couple questions for the panel: What kind of pork roast is used
effectively for the filling?

A boiled hog's head. Seriously. (you asked)

Dude! I grew up on a farm and one of my earliest memories is of those
squealing piggies when they got knifed. "Thank you for your goodness
for our table, piggy."

Quoted message said:

You should be able to use
any pork roast that you can cook to pieces with slow moist heat.

Butt roast? Like for my tourtieres but not ground?

Quoted message said:

A little enchilada sauce poured over, and rice and frijoles on the side.

Yeah, and I didn't feel like cooking (I had lunch out with a friend and
when I do, Rob's supper suffers).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Is is a *bad* thing to eat them unaccompanied?

How could it be bad? But you'll probably at least want a bottle of beer
or a can of TaB to wash them down.

I had TaB. Rob had milk.

Quoted message said:

Best regards,
Bob

Thanks, :-)
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 2-4-2006, Masa

In article <[email hidden]>,

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

I like them straight sometimes, or other times I'll peel several, lay
them on a plate and pour pace picante sauce over them, layer some
shredded jack cheese over that, then nuke it.

That sounds good. Thanks,

Quoted message said:

Enjoy!

ayup. We did.
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 2-4-2006, Masa

In article <[email hidden]>,

modom said:

On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 20:59:25 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
<[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

this site has nice pictures.) that looks wicked. Something about adding
two CUPS of oil to the masa! Eeeek!!!

Lard, woman.

Kinda what I thought. Ack!

Quoted message said:

You put lard in the masa for tamales. It makes them
light and fluffy. I don't know why, but it is so.

Quoted message said:

My holiday tamales are usually served with a salsa made from leftover
cranberry/orange relish

Yeah, but you have a very*special* way with food, Dude!
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 2-4-2006, Masa

Melba's Jammin said:

Couple questions for the panel: What kind of pork roast is used
effectively for the filling? What else goes on the plate when tamales
are on the menu? What I picture is a combination plate from El Loro
Restaurante -- frijoles, arroz, an enchilada or something. Is is a
*bad* thing to eat them unaccompanied? I don't know these things and am
curious.

Sounds like a good set of questions for that best friend.

jim

Melba's Jammin said:

Couple questions for the panel: What kind of pork roast is used
effectively for the filling?

Pork Butt or Shoulder. If you want to get really authentic, get a
whole pigs head and simmer for 5-7 hours.

Brush it's teeth first.

-sw

Marcella Peek said:

Lard, lard, lard in the masa. Hey if you're going to do it you might as
well go all the way. Actually, we usually buy the masa all made up at
the market.

Many mexican markets (carnicieras) sell unadulterated lard - No
hydrogenization, just rendered fat. They make it themselves.

-sw

Melba's Jammin said:

Couple questions for the panel: What kind of pork roast is used
effectively for the filling?

The (TEX-MEX) natives here use hogs head not pork roast. It used to be
really inexpensive. We have made them with pork butt.

Quoted message said:

What else goes on the plate when tamales are on the menu?
Restaurante -- frijoles, arroz, an enchilada

Exactly.

Is is a *bad* thing to eat them unaccompanied?
Great unaccompanied! I love them sitting smack in the middle of a good
bowl of chili!