Handmade with love: Three generations of women with one more generation on the way (congrats to Emily, due in April) worked from 7 PM to 1 AM last week making 100 tamales in the style of their Central American roots. And I was one of the lucky recipients of that labor of love. Thank you, ladies!
A banana leaf is laid flat then topped with masa prepared with lard and seasonings. Pork ribs were sliced into bite-sized pieces by their butcher, then cooked with onions and spices. The masa is topped with the cooked pork, peas, garbanzo beans, unpitted little green olives, capers, and some had achiote paste.
Wrapped up in a neat little bundle with aluminum foil to hold it all together and steamed for an hour. (To reheat, simply remove the foil and warm up in the microwave). The filling was a surprise in that there were bones and pits to watch out for. Marlene tells me this is the way they have always made it, I suspect the bones enhanced the already delicious depth of flavor and I love the authenticity.
Served with a salad of sliced tomato, white onion, avocado, a drizzle of oil and squeeze of lime. The tamale was dressed with Crema Salvadoreña (Salvadorean style sour cream) and salsa roja. Muy sabroso. And the beauty of giving tamales as a gift, they are already wrapped! Muchas gracias a la familia del Figueroa.
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The ingredients of these tamales are very similar to the Venezuelan hallaquitas. I’d like to try this version, looks delicious!
Those are the best tamales I’ve ever seen. So moist. You’re so lucky to be invited to such a great meal and to share in that tradition.
I love your blog, my mouth hasn’t stopped watering yet.
We Bengalis, from West Bengal, India call this dish “paaturi” and make it out of fish marinated well with lemon and covered with mustard and poppy paste and liberal amounts of mustard oil, chiily paste, and salt to taste!!
omg, this looks so amazing. I might “attempt” to make one sometime! :)thanks for sharing.