Easy Recipe for Tamale Pie (2024)

FAQs

What is tamale dough made of? ›

Cornmeal is coarsely ground hominy often used as a breading, in cornbread, and more. Masa harina is made from hominy that is treated with a lye solution and ground very fine, more like flour. It is used to make tortillas, tamale dough, and the soup dumplings chochoyotes.

Tamale pie is thought to have originated in Texas sometime in the 1900s and became popular in high school cafeterias to feed students. Variations may include beef, pork, chicken, chorizo, beans, and cheese with vegetables, cornbread, and/or creamed corn.

In most versions, tamales are made from a mixture of corn dough (masa) and filling, wrapped in a banana leaf or corn husk, and then steamed. The corn masa becomes firmer when steamed, and the tamale can be unwrapped and eaten on the go.

Corn flour provides the base for the dough, adding water, salt and shortening or lard to achieve a dough-like consistency. Pressing the dough thin and flat and then cooking it on a griddle makes corn tortillas, while a looser dough spread out, filled and rolled forms tamales.

water. If it floats, the masa is ready. If it sinks, add. more lard!

It's a Time-honored Tradition

Their origins can be traced back to Mesoamerica and they were eaten during the times of the Aztecs, Mayans and Olmecs. Since tamales were portable food, they were often used to feed men when they were away for battle or on hunting trips.

Tamales are full of nutrition thanks to their high fiber content, well-rounded macronutrient composition, and micronutrients. Filled varieties in particular make great meals since they're higher in protein. Therefore, they're wonderful foods to incorporate to promote your health.

Origin. Tamales originated in Mesoamerica as early as 8000 to 5000 BC. The preparation of tamales is likely to have spread from the indigenous cultures in Guatemala and Mexico to the rest of Latin America. According to archaeologists Karl Taube, William Saturno, and David Stuart, tamales may date from around 100 AD.

Sweet tamales were a little different: before adding the masa, a thin layer of red food coloring is painted on the husk. As the tamales sit and later cook, this coloring soaks through the dough and imbues it with a bright pink hue. In addition to coloring the masa, the food coloring dyed my hands a bright-red.

Absolutely! While steaming is the traditional method for cooking tamales, baking them can be a viable alternative. To bake tamales, simply arrange them on a greased baking dish, cover them with foil, and bake at a moderate temperature until they are heated through and the masa dough is cooked.

What is a common mistake when making tamales? ›

One of the biggest mistakes is not mixing the masa dough long enough; this causes the tamales to fall apart. Mix the masa dough, with an ELECTRIC MIXER, until a small amount (1 tsp) floats in a cup of water.

The prices for the most popular protein fillings of chicken and pork and even spices for tamale-making are up. “The majority of the spices we use to give the flavor to [tamales] come from Mexico,” said Cruz. “Exporting them here has a higher price. I think the spices went up 40% from previous years.”

It is a very popular dish and the traditional recipe of tamales can be different depending on each region. There are three main types of tamales in Mexico that have become one of the most popular breakfasts for the locals, especially in Mexico City: green, red, and sweet.

Masa and masa harina are foundational components of traditional Mexican and Latin American food. Masa refers to the prepared dough made from masa harina, a flour made from nixtamalized corn. The word “masa” translates to “dough” in Spanish and “harina” means “flour”.

Masa is a fresh dough made from ground field corn, or maize. To make masa harina flour, you first start with masa dough. The freshly made dough is dried and ground into instant flour, which can be reconstituted back into dough by adding water.

Tamales are a popular Mexican dish made by filling a special corn flour dough with shredded and seasoned beef, pork, chicken, seafood or beans/veggies.

Using fresh, nixtamalized corn flour makes a difference.

Not only is the masa more flavorful — it tastes like corn! — it's also moist, and you don't have to drown your flour in chicken stock or more lard to make up for the difference.