We can all agree that there is nothing better, when it comes to food, than a home-made traditional recipe. I recently had the pleasure of joining my good friends in a wonderful Mexican tradition of making tamales. It is definitely not for the faint of heart as it is an all day endeavor, but the bonding that comes with it is worth every second. Not to mention the tamales are pure perfection!
When I arrived at my friend’s house, I was instantly hit with the amazing aromas of shredded beef and chicken simmering in the crock pots. The meat was prepared the night before to save time which was a huge benefit as the tamale process takes several hours.
Thankfully, there were many hands on deck at the party, nearly ten ladies in total (and a couple of wonderful husbands to assist). While one table prepped the corn husks with masa, the other table of ladies stuffed the corn husks with shredded pork, shredded chicken, cheese, jalapeños, roasted poblanos, and a veggie salsa.
With my mojito in hand, I instantly jumped into all of the action. Once the corn husks and masa were ready, we spread the masa onto the bottom portion of the corn husk. The masa has to be the right consistency in order to spread evenly. It is a tedious process, but once you get the hang of it you are golden. Mojitos really do help during this process!
Once the tamales are filled, it is time to steam them. This is such a fun experience to witness! There were several children at the tamale party, but they were off playing while the adults worked in the kitchen. As soon as the heavenly aromas of steamed tamales began to fill the house, everyone raced into the kitchen to line up for their share.
Our friends had quite the spread! We could choose from all sorts of toppings – guacamole, salsas, pico de gallo… We were also served a super delicious mango and jicama gazpacho that was utterly delicious!
Making tamales is an experience you will never forget! I have only done it a couple of times in my life, however it is a tradition that I hold dear to my heart. I’m so thankful to my friends who included my family in this amazing experience! We definitely look forward to next year’s Tamale Party! Hasta la proxima vez!
Food Lover USA 