Tamale Technique

The tamale — masa (nixtamalised corn dough) spread on a corn husk or banana leaf, filled with meat, chile, cheese, or sweet fillings, wrapped, and steamed — is one of the oldest prepared foods in the Americas, documented in Mesoamerican archaeological sites dating back 8,000 years. In New Mexico, tamales are Christmas food: dozens (or hundreds) are made in a single session by extended families working together, the assembly-line process serving the same communal function as the Appalachian stack cake (AM2-08) or the Cajun boucherie (LA1-10). The tamale is the original portable food, the original wrapped food, and the original steamed food of the Western Hemisphere.

A tamale is three components: the masa (corn dough enriched with lard and broth, beaten until light), the filling (red chile pork, green chile chicken, cheese with green chile, or sweet fillings like cinnamon and raisin), and the wrapper (dried corn husks, soaked until pliable). The masa is spread in a thin, even layer on the husk, a spoonful of filling is placed in the centre, the husk is folded to enclose the filling in masa, and the packet is steamed upright in a large pot for 45-60 minutes until the masa is firm, pulls away from the husk cleanly, and has a light, slightly spongy texture.

Red chile sauce (AM3-10) poured over the unwrapped tamales. Green chile sauce alongside. The tamale is a self-contained unit — masa, filling, sauce — that is a complete meal in itself.