Thanks Harvey

[Bird]

That tamale assembly line sounds like a good Texas TBNers project party.

Could be, Jim; I'll have to think about that for awhile.

1) I think I lost my recipe while we were full time RVers, but I might be able to find it.
2) Each of the people who are going to be spreading the masa on the corn shucks needs a good metal spatula, although when we did it with our neighbors everyone just washed their hands an applied the masa by hand.
3) Someone has to cook the meat the day before; either beef (we used chuck roasts) or pork roasts. (The traditional Mexican Christmas tamales used hog's head.)
4) The meat needs to be shredded or ground up and I no longer have a meat grinder.
5) Each person for whom tamales are made needs a BIG pot with a rack in the bottom to steam their tamales. When we made them, we filled all the pots, then each person took his home and steamed them for the final cooking.

We cooked the roasts the day before in big pots with salt, pepper, and chunks of onion. After grinding it up, we mixed in melted lard, salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder in big stainless steel bowls.

Then we mixed melted lard with the masa in some other big stainless steel bowls.

You need to soak/wash corn shucks, spread masa on the shucks, spread meat down the middle, fold, and place into the pots in a circle with the open end of the shuck to the center.

Of course you have to kind of determine to start with whether folks want hot, medium, or mild tamales.

 

[Bird]

After I typed all that, I found this recipe on the Internet. It sounds like a very good one to me. In years past, the differences between this and what we used to do are:
1) we used melted lard instead of corn oil, so I suspect this recipe is actually better for you
2) we ground up the meat through a meat grinder instead of just shredding it
3) we used cayenne instead of black pepper
4) we stacked our tamales in a slightly different manner for steaming
5) we used beef instead of pork and chicken.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Bird this sounds like one of those holy roller church services, you said it, Jim seconded it, and now Miss Glenda says it darn well better happen, with or without me.

I guess it will have to happen on your side of the world and that's okay. Let's do it, I'll dice the jalopenas, garlic, and onions because I'm real good at that.

 

[jinman]

Bird this sounds like one of those holy roller church services, you said it, Jim seconded it, and now Miss Glenda says it darn well better happen, with or without me.

I guess it will have to happen on your side of the world and that's okay. Let's do it, I'll dice the jalopenas, garlic, and onions because I'm real good at that.

Hmm...Bird. It sounds to me like you walked into a cage of hungry lions draggin' a steak.

 

[Bird]

Harvey, I think if we wait until it's a little cooler weather, after the Tyler get together, and we can discuss it there maybe. As you can see in that recipe, each person who wants a pot of tamales needs to bring a steamer pot, and we'll need a lot of the ingredients. Like that recipe says, that's for one pot. Maybe when we're in Tyler, we can figure out about how many people want to participate. Our place here isn't very big, but I'll bet we can accomodate a pretty good crowd.

 

[Bird]

Hmm...Bird. It sounds to me like you walked into a cage of hungry lions draggin' a steak.

Wouldn't be the first time, Jim.

 

[rox]

Red, you're more than welcome, they are special, at least some of us think so.

And, what an opener for a question that has been rolling around in my head like a BB in a boxcar.

IS THERE ANYONE THAT'S COMING TO THE GET TOGETHER AT EDDIES THAT WANTS A MEMORY STONE?

If there is we need a count because I still have the template but I've loaned my sand blasting equipment to Pearson Stone, the supplier of the rocks we used. If there is a cost I'm sure it will be nominal but we do need to know if there are anyone attending that would like a stone kind of memory.

Harv,
I would love a memory stone as i will be there in spirit. If you make any please make one and hold it for me. The next time I'm in the states I can let you know and give you an address on where to mail it. But don't go to any trouble to make one for me if nobosy else wants one. in other words if you are making some up I would be thrilled to have one, but don't go to the effort jsut to make one sole one for me.

Also read in your post below that you are enjoying the olive oil, hey that is great!
~rox

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Harv,
I would love a memory stone as i will be there in spirit. If you make any please make one and hold it for me. The next time I'm in the states I can let you know and give you an address on where to mail it. But don't go to any trouble to make one for me if nobosy else wants one. in other words if you are making some up I would be thrilled to have one, but don't go to the effort jsut to make one sole one for me.

Also read in your post below that you are enjoying the olive oil, hey that is great!
~rox

Consider it done.