Fresh corn husks, waiting to be filled with masa
I’m going to be honest with you: the idea of making tamales from scratch used to scare the heck out of me.
Even after I hosted my first tamalada in December 2009, I still felt like I had no idea what I was doing. What if I added too much masa? Too little? What if my tamales broke open and fell apart in the steamer? What if my masa turned out too dry? God forbid, what if I spent an entire afternoon making them and they weren’t any good?
A few weeks ago, I had a tamale breakthrough. It was during the Día de la Candelaria cooking course. Everyone was working quietly, divided into teams of two and three. I was scooping corn into probably my 20th tamal de elote when I realized… it didn’t really matter how much masa goes into the husk. Well, okay, it did — I couldn’t put so much that the masa oozed out. Outside of that, though, the tamal was going to steam no matter what. It would turn out fine.
This was a true epiphany for me: The tamal would behave responsibly. I just had to release control, and let it.
In that vein, here are a few tips on making homemade tamales, in case you’re still battling with the tamal like I was.
1. Make your own masa. I know this sounds daunting if you haven’t done it before. (This girl is crazy. She wants me to make tamales *and* my own masa?) But I promise you it’s worth it. When you mix your own corn flour and lard, or you buy tamale masa from a tortillería — the kind that doesn’t yet have lard added to it — you have much more control over the moistness of the dough. You can make it as creamy as you want. I personally like my masa to look like cookie dough, kind of dense and sticky.
If you want a smoother, moister dough, such as for making tamales oaxaqueños, try corn tortilla masa combined with lard. That’s what we used in my cooking course and they turned out súper suave. Tortilla masa is ground finer than tamale masa.
2. Don’t worry about folding the tamales the “right” way. There’s no one way to fold a tamal. Some people tie the ends with strips of corn husk. If that works for you, go for it, although I think it’s extra work. If you wrap the tamal tightly enough, you should just be able to just fold the bottom end, and that’s it. The tamal won’t break open as it steams.
3. Don’t spread your masa all the way to the edges. Other than that, it can be in whatever shape you want. Think about hitting the upper-center. You want to leave enough room at the bottom to fold the tamal — I go for about three to four inches, if possible — and leave about 1 to 2 inches at the top, because the tamales will swell as they steam.
If you’re using banana leaves, here’s a good visual cue. (This is Yuri fold a tamal de cazón during our Día de la Candelaria course.)
4. Keep your husks well-hydrated. I’ve seen a few recipes that call for soaking the husks for 10 minutes. I’d recommend about an hour in very hot water. The longer they soak, the easier they’ll be to fold. Also, buy more husks than you think you’ll need. Some people like to line their steamer with husks. I don’t, but I do place extra husks on top of the tamales, to keep the steam in. I also cover the top of the steamer with a layer of plastic wrap, before I put the lid on.
5. Pay your respects to the steamer pot. Occasionally, and no one knows why, tamales will turn out “pintados.” This means they’re half-cooked. But not half-cooked in a normal way, half-cooked in a weird way, like one inch on the bottom is cooked, but the portion above that isn’t. To prevent this from happening, in Mexican culture it’s common to tie two strips of corn husk on the handles, as to ward off any “mala onda” that wants to seep into your tamales. You can also sing to the pot, or even gossip to the pot.
I mentioned that there isn’t a proper way to fold the tamales, but here’s a quick video of how me folding them, just so you’ll know what I’m talking about.
If you have any tamale-making tips you’d like to share, please do!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fObQQ9Bv0xc&w=480&h=390]
Between you and Ben of What’s Cooking – I am geeting the tamale itch. I have never tried the Mexican version and I have eaten quite a lot of them through the years. Your tutorial was fantastic. Mija…Thank you. Also the combinaton of the pumpkin and chorizo sounds really tasty.
Glad you liked it, Norma! I’ll be posting the recipe for the chorizo and pumpkin tamales on Friday.
Oh, thank you for this! I recently tried making my own, but bought the masa from Fiesta. How do you feel about MaSeCa?
The one time I used Maseca for tamales to feed some locals, my friend in the nearby village made sure to “gift” me some real tamales – the following day. And the homeground, real tamales were, indeed, significantly better.
Great entry!
Oops, and I should add, if Maseca is what you’ve got, you can still make very tasty, respectable tamales. 🙂
Thanks for your comment, Marie. Maseca does work if that’s all you can find, but yes, real corn is definitely better, and it’s better for you too. Saludos!
Hi Lesley. I love making tamales and make all different types too. One thing I found that makes it easier for me regarding the leaves is that I toss all the leaves in a pot, fill with hot water and set it to simmer on the stove. It cuts down on the time that they have to sit in the pot getting the leaves soft. The simmering makes it quicker and then I just toss the leaves (once they are soft) into a colander, open the leaves under running water and remove the hair, pat dry the leaves and they are ready for the masa. Now I want to make tamales, but we have leftover spaghetti. Tee hee. Have a great week and thank you.
Thanks for the tips on the tamales, Lesley!
Fantastic starter guide, Lesley. I really appreciate the effort to differentiate the tamales oaxaquenos, too – can’t wait to put that advice into action!
Glad you liked it, James. If you make the tamales oaxaqueños, please do let me know how they turn out.
okay, you may have un-scared me! I’ve only ever helped make tamales in someone else’s kitchen under someone else’s supervision, but have always wanted to try my own. I’m thinking it may need to be a project for the spring…
Yes, you definitely should! I promise you that they don’t need to be as perfect as you think they do. 🙂 I know you can make some awesome ones — you’re a great cook as it is.
I have purchased tamales from various Mexican ethnic women such as parents of my students and neighbors but I must say the Woman from Chili made the best I have eaten. She has a green sauce that is to die for. I bought these at a farmers market on the big island of Hawaii and the market is south of Hilo close to Pahoa. I understand she has a small resturant in Hilo. As for making my own I may give it a try.
Iv’e enjoyed reading all the tips. My wife and I made tamales by ourselves for the first time and they were pretty good. I just put the brakes on too soon when it came to the salt. What I am wondering is if regular corn flour works the same as maseca? Do you just add water and lard as with maseca or are there other ingredients that need to go into it?
Hi Everyone, I was wondering for how long do I need to mix tamale dough? I’ve made tamales before but they taste like sand, why is this happening and do you have any tips. Pleaseee Helppp
Hi Olga: Can you walk me through your process? Are you using nixtamalized tamale flour, or already made masa? If you’re using flour, you’ll want to first whip the lard for about three minutes in your mixer until fluffy. From there, add in your flour a little at a time, mixing the whole way. Are you using an electric mixer, or are you doing this by hand?
Hi, so I use the masa for the tamale, I add the 2c. masa, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp.salt and I add 2 cups broth. Then I whip the 2/3 to 1 cup lard for about 3 to 4 minutes and add the masa little at a time and I mix for about 10 to 15 minutes and I use the mixer. I steem them for about 30 to 40 minutes. And they always come out tasting like sand. I’ve made about 6 diffrent times the tamales and they come out dry, and sandy. I ussually dont give up on things, but
I’d also make sure you have enough of a fat-to-flour ratio. I always use just slightly over 2-to-1 — 2 1/2 parts flour to 1 part fat. (Check out my pumpkin-and-chorizo tamales recipe for the exact quantities.) I also add baking powder to mine, and they always come out light and fluffy.
I recently made tamales and was anxious like most newbies that in some way I would mess them up or they would have some nuclear explosion while steaming and be a big pot of tamale mess. Well one tip I do have is after the tamale is rolled up wrap I had my boyfriend wrap them individually in plast wrap. This to me helps keep the steam in—my masa from going everywhere—and the masa moist. I had made tamales years ago twice and so this was like starting new again, but I made them twice this weekend, one batch with chicken in a red chile sauce and the others with jalepeno and queso. Both turned out equally good, kept their shape, and really no mishap. Might seem like an extra step but was worth it.
Hi Athena: Thanks. I always worry about cooking with plastic wrap, although apparently there’s scant evidence that it’s harmful. Glad this worked out for you. Appreciate you sharing your tip!
Hello,
I saw the comment someone made about “real” tamales made with corn. And tamales made with maseca. Now ive only ever know tamales made with maseca. Does anyone know a “real” tamale recipe?? i am interested.
Hi Lily: Tamales in Mexico can be made with freshly ground flour, known in DF as “harina fresca” or “harina fresca de tamal.” This flour is made from corn that’s been nixtamalized, or treated with calcium hydroxide then soaked, rinsed, strained and ground. This is the same process that’s used to make tortilla dough. It’s my understanding that you need special grinding plates to make the harina fresca, which produces a coarse, crumbly, lightly damp flour that’s not as fine, and much looser, what’s used for tortillas. Does that make sense? A dried nixtamalized flour like Maseca is made from corn that’s been nixtamalized and then dried, and then ground. Tamales made from freshly ground flour will be much more moist, in theory.
I’ve made three batches this year and none of them are cooking. They are falling apart and the husks and masa are wet. Can you help? I made my own masa, I’ve tried different cooking temps. I feel like there is too much steam and they are getting too wet in the pot. Last year I made 22 dozen with no problem. This year? None have cooked! Help please!!
Hi there! Sorry for the slightly delayed reply. Is there any element that’s changed between this year and last? Different pot? Different stove? Different altitude? Or even different variety of masa (a different fat, say) or husks? If every element is exactly the same, perhaps you could make sure your pot is well sealed? When I make my tamales, I add a layer of cornhusks on top, and then a layer of plastic wrap stretched over the rim of the pot, and then the pot lid. The steam really stays trapped in there, and I’ve never had a problem with anything being wet. I would also make sure you’re not adding too much water to the steamer pot — the water should NOT touch the tamales in any way — and that the heat stays very high, high enough to rattle a coin that’s placed in the bottom of the pot.
Mine generally cook for about 50 minutes to an hour, and they are always softest at the moment I remove them from they pot. Once they cool a little, they stiffen up. This does not mean they’re undercooked. I was always taught that tamales are done when the husk or leaf peels back cleanly from the masa.
You’re also welcome to email me your recipe at lesley [at] themijachronicles.com and I’ll take a look. I made about 12 dozen tamales a few weeks ago, so it’s all fresh in my mind. 🙂 Good luck!
Just made my 1st unassisted batch of tamales and used the ready made masa from Fiesta that 3 ladies in the dry masa aisle recommended. They came out ok, but I wish I had made my own masa as to get the texture and flavor the way I like. Here are a few tips for beginners using the ready made masa from Fiesta:
1) The fiesta brand that is for tortillas or tamales comes out lighter and fluffier. The other brand that is for tamales only comes out thicker and harder like a clay. The Fiesta brand also seemed to separate from the husk easier.
2) The masa comes out a little bland. Add more salt and cumin/comino. It wasn’t bad, just a tad bland.
3) Cut with some broth as to make the masa easier to spread; it’s a thick paste that has to be spread by hand like playdo if not. I used with some of the broth I’d reserved from cooking the meat.
hey guys,
Can i get this masa in india ?
please let me know what we will call ?
Hi Venkat: I tried to make masa in India, but I couldn’t find the proper dried corn or calcium oxide. (Then again, I was in the countryside, so maybe that was the issue.) I’m sorry I don’t have more information for you!
Why are my tamales still gooey after hours of steaming them with the corn husks and a towel over them. Is it my dough that’s too moist.?
Hi Theresa: What heat were you steaming them on? The heat should be high. I steam mine (usually around two dozen) on high heat for an hour, but at high altitudes it may take 90 minutes or even slightly longer. What was your dough recipe that you used? It could have been too much liquid perhaps, or maybe to high of a ratio of liquid to fat. Did you try zapping one in the microwave to see if it ever firmed up? If so, that means they needed to cook at a higher temp.
I’m having the same problem. My husband was in charge of making the Masa. We used shortening, instead of lard. Could this be why? Also, he didn’t know there was a difference between baking soda and baking powder. He used soda. Could this be why? We steamed for over an hour. Then baked them for 30 minutes at 350°F. STILL mushy.
If I’m using the the allready made masa mix for my tamales but…should I add a little extra lard to the mix to make them more lighter and fluffy or will this just damage the mix by making it dense?? I usually I make tamales every Christmas by my self but this year my niece is here and she wants me to teach her so I feel very honered and want them to come out awesome!! So please help!!
It really depends on the texture and weight of the ready-made masa. Adding more lard won’t make them dense; it will make them oily and soft and not spongy. What makes them dense is not adding enough fat and not whipping it as much as you should, or not adding enough liquid. If your ready-made masa is very heavy and dry, then yes, add liquid and add some more fat. Make sure it’s as evenly mixed as possible. A stand mixer would be ideal to use, because using your hands, the lard melts and the whole mixture gets kind of soupy. I hope this helps you!
I bought premade masa with Lard. What do you recommend I add to it? All it has in it is lard, salt, flour and corn masa. How can I improve this? The masa came in bags of 5 lbs. each. Please HELP!
Also the mixture it a bit thick.
Please help! I made tamales for the first time. I even steamed them. Looked great, but this morning when I tried one, the mass wasn’t cooked, it was gooey in some places! HELP…HOW CAN I FIX IT! At least the meat mixture taste great!
Whenever I make chili and cheese tamales my cheese comes out rubbery not melts. Help!! I’m making some tomorrow!!thanks for any advice you can give
OMG, this hit home. I’ve made countless fabulous tamales. They are so easy.
Today, they turned out “tamales pintados.” I have no idea what I did wrong. I think my husband put a curse on me, when he asked how many I would sell. I don’t sell food, so my answer was “none.” I make them in groups of thirty for the family.
I’m trying the microwave. It’s got to fix them. I can’t accept failure. If that doesn’t work, an air fryer? This is a joke. I just felt slightly better reading your article though.
I am having trouble with the steaming. I cook them for two hours and they still are soggy. Any suggestions?
To steam mine, i use a cake pan filled 1/3 with water, i put a cookie cooling rack on top of that and load my tamales on the cookie rack. I then cover in tin foil to keep the steam in and bake in the oven at 350 for about an hour. I have also used a broiler pan with water in the bottom and covered with tin foil. I’ve never had them come out mushy when doing them this way, probably becauae i am baking and steaming them at the same time.