Ok im making tamales for the first time ever..Yes im mexican and my
family are the ones that always did the cooking and today i want to make
them or at least try. Well my question is ?
What can i use to steam the tamales in to cook them..I dont havve
a double broiler so i wanted to see if anyone knows of a easy way to
steam these tamales to cook them?
I hope many of you will share with me how to steam them so i can
enjoy eating them..LOL
All help is appreciated.. I am using the ready made Masa and i
already cooked my meat and seasoning in the crock pot.
Hey thats an idea can i steam them in the crock Pot???
Please help me if you can...thank you!

"Just Me" > wrote in message
...
> Ok im making tamales for the first time ever..Yes im mexican and my
> family are the ones that always did the cooking and today i want to make
> them or at least try. Well my question is ?
> What can i use to steam the tamales in to cook them..I dont havve
> a double broiler so i wanted to see if anyone knows of a easy way to
> steam these tamales to cook them?
> I hope many of you will share with me how to steam them so i can
> enjoy eating them..LOL
> All help is appreciated.. I am using the ready made Masa and i
> already cooked my meat and seasoning in the crock pot.
> Hey thats an idea can i steam them in the crock Pot???
> Please help me if you can...thank you!

Go to this great site. They have steaming buckets, recipes and ingredients.
http://www.mexgrocer.com/mexican-recipes.html
I am going to send you an e-mail of some of the information I got from the
internet.

Ernie

"Just Me" > wrote in message
...
> Ok im making tamales for the first time ever..Yes im mexican and my
> family are the ones that always did the cooking and today i want to make
> them or at least try. Well my question is ?
> What can i use to steam the tamales in to cook them..I dont havve
> a double broiler so i wanted to see if anyone knows of a easy way to
> steam these tamales to cook them?
> I hope many of you will share with me how to steam them so i can
> enjoy eating them..LOL
> All help is appreciated.. I am using the ready made Masa and i
> already cooked my meat and seasoning in the crock pot.
> Hey thats an idea can i steam them in the crock Pot???
> Please help me if you can...thank you!

There are several options;

Use a Spaghetti strainer propped up on a small bowl.
Use a colander sitting inside a pot with the lid on the top or foil on top.

Put a few small coins in the pot (dimes) if they are clinking there is water
in the pot.


Dimitri

In article >,
(Just Me) wrote:

> Ok im making tamales for the first time ever..Yes im mexican and my
> family are the ones that always did the cooking and today i want to make
> them or at least try. Well my question is ?
> What can i use to steam the tamales in to cook them..I dont havve


You want to buy a steamer. They are just a few bucks where you buy
kitchen stuff. The one I have at home has four legs to hold the food
above the boiling water. It has a central solid metal part with holes
that the legs are attached to, with a central metal rod that can be used
to lower the steamer into your pot. Around the edge of the solid metal
part are metal "leaves". These are interconnected so that when you move
one, they all move. You can fold them into the center for compact
storage, and then unfold them for use. When you lower the steamer into a
pot that is smaller than the steamer with the leaves extended fully, then
they partially fold to fit the pot exactly so food can't fall down into
the boiling water.

There are other designs for steamers that you can put into your existing
pans, and they come in different sizes. Any grocery or hardware store
should have these.

There are also dedicated steamers that use electricity. These have
various features and can be used for various things including rice. They
also take up space in your kitchen and cost more money. Here is an
example of one:


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...97755?v=glance

--
Dan Abel
Sonoma State University
AIS

Dimitri wrote:
> "Just Me" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Ok im making tamales for the first time ever..Yes im mexican and my
>>family are the ones that always did the cooking and today i want to make
>>them or at least try. Well my question is ?
>> What can i use to steam the tamales in to cook them..I dont havve
>>a double broiler so i wanted to see if anyone knows of a easy way to
>>steam these tamales to cook them?
>> I hope many of you will share with me how to steam them so i can
>>enjoy eating them..LOL
>> All help is appreciated.. I am using the ready made Masa and i
>>already cooked my meat and seasoning in the crock pot.
>> Hey thats an idea can i steam them in the crock Pot???
>> Please help me if you can...thank you!
>
>
> There are several options;
>
> Use a Spaghetti strainer propped up on a small bowl.
> Use a colander sitting inside a pot with the lid on the top or foil on top.
>
> Put a few small coins in the pot (dimes) if they are clinking there is water
> in the pot.
>
>
> Dimitri
>
>

Or a strainer as with the colandar.


jim

On Tue, 7 Dec 2004 10:52:07 -0700, (Just Me)
wrote:

>I am using the ready made Masa and i
>already cooked my meat and seasoning in the crock pot.
> Hey thats an idea can i steam them in the crock Pot???

I don't think that's a good idea. In fact, I'm sure it isn't.

For one thing, the heat won't be high enough to steam tamales. For
another, you wouldn't be able to fit very many tamales into a crock
pot.

My advice is to use that crock pot to make some turkey picadillo to
feed the friends who are with you for your tamalada.

Then, eat, drink, and enjoy each others' company on this special
evening!

BTW, there is a play called LAS NUEVAS TAMALERAS being produced in San
Antonio again this Christmas season, I think for at least the third or
fourth time.

As the title suggests, some young women get together to make holiday
tamales for the first time, but then the spirits of older women stand
over them to make sure they do it just the right way.

The play is in both English and Spanish, and I wish I knew more local
Spanish.

David

On Tue, 07 Dec 2004 22:46:05 GMT, David Wright
> wrote:


>BTW, there is a play called LAS NUEVAS TAMALERAS being produced in San
>Antonio again this Christmas season, I think for at least the third or
>fourth time.
>
It's older than I thought ...

http://www.tamaleras-sa.com/about.asp

David

"David Wright" > wrote > >BTW, there is
a play called LAS NUEVAS TAMALERAS being produced in San
> >Antonio again this Christmas season, I think for at least the third or
> >fourth time.
> >
> It's older than I thought ...
>
> http://www.tamaleras-sa.com/about.asp
>
> David

Well it seems popular but I don't think I will go to San Antonio to see it.
Ernie

I do it in an oster steamer that I bought , it works great , and a very good
investment to have in the kitchen , and also are relitivly inexpensive as
well ...
Good luck !
Todd
"Just Me" > wrote in message
...
> Ok im making tamales for the first time ever..Yes im mexican and my
> family are the ones that always did the cooking and today i want to make
> them or at least try. Well my question is ?
> What can i use to steam the tamales in to cook them..I dont havve
> a double broiler so i wanted to see if anyone knows of a easy way to
> steam these tamales to cook them?
> I hope many of you will share with me how to steam them so i can
> enjoy eating them..LOL
> All help is appreciated.. I am using the ready made Masa and i
> already cooked my meat and seasoning in the crock pot.
> Hey thats an idea can i steam them in the crock Pot???
> Please help me if you can...thank you!
>

>From: (Just Me)

>What can i use to steam the tamales in to cook them..I dont havve a double
broiler so i wanted to see if anyone knows of a easy way tosteam these tamales
to cook them?

You probably didn't run across my message about how tamales were steamed in an
earth oven long ago, before colanders were invented...

Tamales were originally wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves for two reasons.
The first, and most important reason was that the tamales were steamed in the
corn husks and the cooled tamales could be carried in the corn husks...

But, when you go to a Mexican restaurant and order tamales, you don't usually
get corn husks served to you on your plate, they'd be messy and what would you
do with the greasy, chile sauce-covered corn husk at the table anyway?

I contend that corn husks are obsolete, and superfluous,
that they are mainly used so the tamales can be steamed in the traditional
manner, and wrapping tamale ingredients in corn husks is what makes home made
tamales a labor-intensive proposition...

So, I say, eliminate the corn husk!

Many years ago, my Mom (who was German/Danish) loved Mexican food and couldn't
find any tamales where we lived used to make what was called a "tamale pie"...

Authentic Mexican ingredients like masa weren't available from supermarkets
like today, Mom used what she could find...

Moist cooked corn meal mush was poured into an oven proof glass casserole dish,
the chile sauce and whatever pre-cooked meat was to be used was poured in
there, some hominy or cooked corn was added, and a top layer of moist corn meal
mush was poured on top...

The dish was *baked* in the oven for about an hour, the tamale pie was cut and
served like---pie...

I think I might make a quick tamale pie using instant masa, red chile sauce and
pork around Christmas time, but I won't need any corn husks at all, they are
superfluous...






# * 0 * #
^

Well, with Karaoke machines so freely available, we might as well do away
with live bands too - obselete!
And you know, they can make diamonds real cheap in a laborotory now, so I
guess all those dug up rocks should be scrapped as well!

Seriously though, whatever the original reason for the husk, it is an
intrinsic part of the dish, and adds quite a flavor. I have tried making
tamales wrapped in grease proof paper when I couln't get hold of any hojas,
but the masa lacked a whole layer of corn flavor imparted by the husk.

Yes tamales are labor intensive, but they are so much worth the effort,
especially if you can make them together with friends and family...a true
feast from assembly to consumption!!!

Tamale Pie is in itself a fabulous dish, and makes tasty supper without too
much fuss and bother, but Tamales it sure ain't!

Vivan las Hojas!!!!!!!

Gareth Rowan
www.toocountry.co.uk
{ o}===:::/TOO COUNTRY\:::==={o }




> I contend that corn husks are obsolete, and superfluous,
> that they are mainly used so the tamales can be steamed in the traditional
> manner, and wrapping tamale ingredients in corn husks is what makes home
made
> tamales a labor-intensive proposition...
>
> So, I say, eliminate the corn husk!
>
> Many years ago, my Mom (who was German/Danish) loved Mexican food and
couldn't
> find any tamales where we lived used to make what was called a "tamale
pie"...
>
> Authentic Mexican ingredients like masa weren't available from
supermarkets
> like today, Mom used what she could find...
>
> Moist cooked corn meal mush was poured into an oven proof glass casserole
dish,
> the chile sauce and whatever pre-cooked meat was to be used was poured in
> there, some hominy or cooked corn was added, and a top layer of moist corn
meal
> mush was poured on top...
>
> The dish was *baked* in the oven for about an hour, the tamale pie was cut
and
> served like---pie...
>
> I think I might make a quick tamale pie using instant masa, red chile
sauce and
> pork around Christmas time, but I won't need any corn husks at all, they
are
> superfluous...
>
>
>
>
>
>
> # * 0 * #
> ^
>
>
>

"krusty kritter"
<snip>
> So, I say, eliminate the corn husk!
<snip>
> I think I might make a quick tamale pie using instant masa, red chile
sauce and
> pork around Christmas time, but I won't need any corn husks at all, they
are
> superfluous...
> # * 0 * #
> ^

My cousin used to make tomale pie and it was quite good, but the corn husk
adds
flavor during steaming. I have eaten tamales made in paper wrasppers and
they
don't taste near as good.
Ernie

"krusty kritter"
<snip>
> So, I say, eliminate the corn husk!
<snip>
> I think I might make a quick tamale pie using instant masa, red chile
sauce and
> pork around Christmas time, but I won't need any corn husks at all, they
are
> superfluous...
> # * 0 * #
> ^

My cousin used to make tomale pie and it was quite good, but the corn husk
adds
flavor during steaming. I have eaten tamales made in paper wrasppers and
they
don't taste near as good.
Ernie

My favorite tamale wrappings are fresh banana leaves. It imparts a unique
flavor. I was the only one, for quite a while, in our neighborhood with banana
trees and my friends from Hondorus had permission to raid them at will. Of
course, I love fresh banana blossoms, too.

Henrietta

>From: "Gareth Evans"

>Seriously though, whatever the original reason for the husk, it is an
intrinsic part of the dish, and adds quite a flavor. I have tried making
tamales wrapped in grease proof paper when I couln't get hold of any hojas,
but the masa lacked a whole layer of corn flavor imparted by the husk.

I will have to take your word for that, Gareth, I don't plan on chewing any
dried hojas to find out what they taste like...

Back in the late 1940's or early 1950's when Mom was making tamale pie without
corn husks, we grew our own corn and I suppose that maybe Mom and Dad might
have occasionally used the dried corn husks for something else when they were
kids in the Midwest---when they ran out of pages in the Sears catalog...

My Dad told me that he used to smoke the corn silks, out behind the barn, so I
tried that and couldn't light them. He told me that they had to be *dry*. Oh,
well...

For the longest time, the only tamales I ever ate came in a can, they were
commercially produced and individually wrapped in paper...

Then I started getting bigger tamales that were also produced commercially in
the big city. They were wrapped in plastic, inside an outer plastic wrapper...

And I remember the first time I ever saw tamales that weren't wrapped in paper
or plastic. Our Mexican neighbors made them and shared them with us at
Christmastime. I wondered what was up with that inedible vegetable material
that I couldn't cut with the side of a fork...

And, there's other parts of the corn plant that *could be used* to make
tamales...

The Navajos and the Pueblo tribes of Arizona and New Mexico have a thing about
corn *pollen* in their spiritual beliefs (they deny that it's a religion), and
they throw corn pollen around under some circumstances, like at sunrise, they
throw it in all four cardinal directions...

I wonder if anybody has ever used corn pollen or corn tassels in their tamale
recipes?

The corn tassel might be like the parsley that the fry cook puts on my plate at
Denny's restaurants when I order the $2.99 bacon and eggs and pancake special
for breakfast...

I once asked the waitress what the parsley was for, and she said that some
people would get angry if the parsley was left off their plate...

Same thing with tamales. If I should ever find a piece of corn tassel in one of
my tamales, I'll know it's there for "spiritual reasons"....

But I won't eat it...




# * 0 * #
^

snip

>
>Back in the late 1940's or early 1950's when Mom was making tamale pie without
>corn husks, we grew our own corn and I suppose that maybe Mom and Dad might
>have occasionally used the dried corn husks for something else when they were
>kids in the Midwest---when they ran out of pages in the Sears catalog...
>
>My Dad told me that he used to smoke the corn silks, out behind the barn, so I
>tried that and couldn't light them. He told me that they had to be *dry*. Oh,
>well...
>
>
Oh! All of that brought back a lot of memories! Still remember those
women's underwear sections of Sears as well as trying to smoke
grapevine. :-) What do kids since have for memories? Think it would
be hard to beat those of our generation.

>snip
>I wonder if anybody has ever used corn pollen or corn tassels in their tamale
>recipes?
>
>The corn tassel might be like the parsley that the fry cook puts on my plate at
>Denny's restaurants when I order the $2.99 bacon and eggs and pancake special
>for breakfast...
>
>I once asked the waitress what the parsley was for, and she said that some
>people would get angry if the parsley was left off their plate...
>
>Same thing with tamales. If I should ever find a piece of corn tassel in one of
>my tamales, I'll know it's there for "spiritual reasons"....
>
>But I won't eat it...
>
>
>
My big brother had the nickname "Johnny Corn-tassle" because he used to
ride his horse through the cornfields and all you could see in the
distance was his hair flying among the corntassels. Gotta stop.
Getting misty-eyed. :-)

"Jim Davis" > wrote in message
> >Back in the late 1940's or early 1950's when Mom was making tamale pie
without
> >corn husks, we grew our own corn and I suppose that maybe Mom and Dad
might
> >have occasionally used the dried corn husks for something else when they
were
> >kids in the Midwest---when they ran out of pages in the Sears catalog...

I have tried corn cobs, they may be a grade better than the slick pages of
the Sears
catalogue. You should soften them up by rubbing them before you use them.

Ernie

On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 02:25:54 GMT, "Ernie"
> wrote:

>
>"David Wright" > wrote > >BTW, there is
>a play called LAS NUEVAS TAMALERAS being produced in San
>> >Antonio again this Christmas season, I think for at least the third or
>> >fourth time.
>> >
>> It's older than I thought ...
>>
>> http://www.tamaleras-sa.com/about.asp
>>
>> David
>
>Well it seems popular but I don't think I will go to San Antonio to see it.
>Ernie
>
I have nothing to do with the play, so I wasn't trying to promote it.
But, if you had happened to have planned a trip here during that time,
I would have been happy to have met you for a tamale dinner, anywhere
in town. ;-)

David, who loves making a few dozen tamales about now

On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 02:25:54 GMT, "Ernie"
> wrote:

>
>"David Wright" > wrote > >BTW, there is
>a play called LAS NUEVAS TAMALERAS being produced in San
>> >Antonio again this Christmas season, I think for at least the third or
>> >fourth time.
>> >
>> It's older than I thought ...
>>
>> http://www.tamaleras-sa.com/about.asp
>>
>> David
>
>Well it seems popular but I don't think I will go to San Antonio to see it.
>Ernie
>
I have nothing to do with the play, so I wasn't trying to promote it.
But, if you had happened to have planned a trip here during that time,
I would have been happy to have met you for a tamale dinner, anywhere
in town. ;-)

David, who loves making a few dozen tamales about now