Red Chili Pork Tamales (courtesy of Food Network)

 

It may not seem like it, but cooking from my Grandmas' & Aunt's Recipe Box(es) isn't as easy for me as it might be for some.  For one thing, the majority of the recipes are for desserts.  If I make all those, Bubba and I will weigh a ton by the end of 2022.  Don't get me wrong, we like our sweets, but in moderation.  Another thing, some of them are hard to read, lack directions and the brain power it can take to decipher the recipe can be exhausting.  Specially when you are just an average (or worse) cook to begin with.  I don't have aspirations of becoming a Julia Child, Martha Stewart, Ree Drummond or even one of the less famous, yet totally awesome cooks/bloggers that roam the earth and load the internet with recipes, pictures, stories and step by step instructions. I just like to cook, try new things, take horrible pictures, taste the food I make and then write about it.  It's the writing that can be fun.  Trying to describe what it is I have done, good or bad, to prepare something we can have for dinner, dessert or JFTHOI (Just for the heck of it).

Hense - tamales!  I saw the Food Network post of their 100+ Best Christmas  Recipes and decided I wanted to try their tamale recipe.  I made these exactly per the directions, didn't add anything beyond what was called for - just like it was listed.  I went to a market that would have things I honestly don't stock in my kitchen and since making tamales is a holiday tradition for many, most of these things had a prominent front end spot in the store.  When I got into the masa making, I was really wishing I could have called up one of the grandma's (or their daughters or granddaughters) who I saw in the store and ask them a bunch of questions.  In fact, I would love the opportunity to make tamales with them. 

I made the pork the day before.  I read that this was a way to break up the length of making tamales and it makes the meat easier to handle when assembling the tamales.  In my opinion, this was an EXCELLENT piece of advise.  When I make these again, and I definitely will, I will cut my pieces of pork bigger than what I did.  I also removed some of the sauce that the pork cooked in before shredding it.  Also another excellent piece of advice from someone who had made this recipe before.

When it came to making the masa, I struggled a bit at first.  I couldn't get my little 1/2 tsp. of masa to float in the water.  I kept adding broth, which I had read elsewhere was how you addressed "sinking masa".  This just wasn't working for me, so I turned to my Grandma substitute (the internet) and found that what I should do is add more lard.  So lard it was, and sure enough - floating masa.  Joy!!!  Everything says, if the masa doesn't float, the tamales will be awful. I know now that my masa dough was too wet - another lesson for the next time.

Next, I began the process of filling the corn husks.  Honestly, this is where the art form of tamales comes in to play.  It's not easy.  Things like how much masa do I put down, how much filling, how do I roll them up?  Oh yes, the recipe includes directions on quantity of masa and filling,  but knowing how to spread it and roll them up, that's the tricky part.  I will admit - I produced some of the ugliest tamales I have ever seen.  After a few, things started looking better, but I know there is a great "hint" or "family secret" that I may never know about this part of making tamales.

Next, to steam these bad boys.  I have one of those big steamers and it came in handy today.  Clearly, knowing how long to steam the tamales comes with experience.  These were not ready per the timing referenced in the recipe.  I think it has everything to do with how many tamales, how thick and/or wet the masa is and how hot the steam is.

Bubba's thoughts on the tamales go something like this..."I would order these in a restaurant."  I'll take it.  By the way, some times I think he thinks my kitchen is a restaurant.  Mostly when it comes to the dishes part - he thinks someone will pick up his plate, take it to that magic place where the dishes get cleaned and put away.  He covered his tamales with some of the red sauce and sour cream. He's already planning how he'll consume his next tamale meal.  

Here's a picture of the final product.  Not necessarily the best you have seen, after all - I am not a pro (cook, photographer or blogger), I am just a granddaughter having some fun in the kitchen. Wish I could experience making tons of tamales with my Mom, my Grandmas and my aunties for the holidays.  What a great tradition!