Tamales for the Holidays

Published on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, by CHOW Food Team / Edit Post

Tamales can be stuffed with savory or sweet fillings (or no filling at all); wrapped in plantain leaves or corn husks; eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The variations multiply exponentially.

What ties them all together is the masa, and a family or community custom. And when you’re making tamales, community is important: Having a lot of hands working together helps. That’s why tamales are a holiday tradition in many Latin American communities. Experiment with these varieties, which only scratch the surface of tamale culture, and start your own tradition. Pair them with our Smooth Salsa Verde and a simple Romaine and Watercress Salad.

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POST A COMMENT |4 Comments

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  • I learned an interesting trick when making masa. The basic recipe and procedure is the same. The tip is when mixing the masa there is a simple test to ensure the masa is properly mixed and airerated. Keep a tall glass of cool water on hand. After several minutes of mixng in stand mixer, drop a small sample of masa inthe water. When the masa floats its ready to use.

  • My family is mexican so we make this every christmas, its an entire day-long ordeal. Keep in mind making tamales is laborious as well as not the entirely healthiest thing in the world to eat.

    Additional fillings you might want to consider:

    -Shredded beef + Salsa verde
    -Black beans mixed into masa
    - Chile Verde (serrano) + cheese
    - Food coloring red + condensed milk + rum raisins mixed into...+READ

    My family is mexican so we make this every christmas, its an entire day-long ordeal. Keep in mind making tamales is laborious as well as not the entirely healthiest thing in the world to eat.

    Additional fillings you might want to consider:

    -Shredded beef + Salsa verde
    -Black beans mixed into masa
    - Chile Verde (serrano) + cheese
    - Food coloring red + condensed milk + rum raisins mixed into masa filled with cheese-COLLAPSE

  • If you look in the yellow pages for Molinos in the Dallas area that would be your best bet. Tortillerias make tortillas and sometimes sell masa. Molinas have other food stuffs...carnitas, barbacoa, ect

    There was a latin market on Denison just south of Love field, they had everything for making Tamales.

    There is a Molino across the tracks on Denison, I never shop there, so I dont know what...+READ

    If you look in the yellow pages for Molinos in the Dallas area that would be your best bet. Tortillerias make tortillas and sometimes sell masa. Molinas have other food stuffs...carnitas, barbacoa, ect

    There was a latin market on Denison just south of Love field, they had everything for making Tamales.

    There is a Molino across the tracks on Denison, I never shop there, so I dont know what have there. I think it was called El Molino.-COLLAPSE

  • I would love to make traditional tamales this Christmas with my family visiting but know that a bad or fair masa can result in disappointing tamales. Where can I get good already prepared masa in the Dallas and Collin county areas?