Uploaded December 2020 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
Many Latin cultures make tamales; the ones I grew up with in Houston were definitely of the Tex-Mex variety, and like Mexican tamales, were wrapped in dried corn husks. In other countries, they might also be wrapped in banana leaves, or possibly other things. As ours are made in corn husks, they are long and skinny, about the size and shape of a candy bar. The flour used is masa harina. Avoid the masa harina for tamales, just get regular masa harina. The difference between masa harina and normal corn flour is that masa harina has been nixtamalized, and may also be stone-ground. It has a different flavor and chemistry.
To make tamales, one must first have some filling, and some masa, which is the name for the batter-like dough used to wrap up the filling inside the husk. For the filling, many traditional recipes call for braising pork, beef or chicken with chilis and other aromatics. In this recipe, we simply use leftover Texas chili, made from a recipe we’ve already shared. When making chili for this purpose, try to make it a little wetter, and don’t thicken it with flour. Instead, separate the meat from the gravy and vegetable chunks as best you can. Save both, as they get used separately.
Once formed, the tamales are steamed for about an hour. Once they’ve been cooled after steaming, they can be frozen and stored up to 6 months, or refrigerated for a week or two, before eating.
Makes roughly two dozen tamales, about enough for twelve people.
Our Texan chili recipe: youtu.be/JB04Y7gFRFs
Equipment:
• large pot with steamer insert 2-4” off the bottom, and lid
• 40-50 dried corn husks (some will not be usable, or need to be combined with a second)
• four mixing bowls, mostly large
• a sieve or strainer may come in handy
Ingredients:
4 1/8 cup masa harina 1/8 cup = 2 Tbsp
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup bacon grease or lard
3 cup chicken stock or water, or other stock
Procedure:
1. Prepare the steaming pot with water, steamer insert, lid on, over moderate heat to warm up and be ready. If you have an electric kettle, keep some hot water on standby to top up the steamer if need be.
2. In a large mixing bowl or casserole dish, soak the corn husks in clean warm water.
3. Prepare the filling by separating meat from gravy, and reserve both.
4. Using a fork, potato masher, or mixer, shred the meat up into a paste, like rillettes.
5. In another bowl, combine the masa harina, salt and baking powder and mix well.
6. Using your hands, work in the fat, until it is completely mixed with the flour, which will start to clump when squeezed, and have a texture which looks a bit like cornmeal.
7. Add the liquid, perhaps just 2/3 to start with, and mix the masa together with your hands until it is completely mixed and has a good texture. Add more liquid as needed, but don’t allow the masa to become runny.
8. Take corn husk and shake it mostly dry, and hold it with the wide end away from you.
9. Using a tablespoon or soup spoon, apply 2-3 Tbsp of masa to the inside of a corn husk, in the top right hand corner, off center and away from the skinny end of the husk.
10. Apply a stripe of filling down the middle of the masa.
11. Wrap the tamale up, starting from the right, enclosing the filling in the masa as the husk goes around everything, and then fold up the narrow tail to keep everything inside.
12. Set finished tamales in a measuring cup to keep them from leaking out while you’re working on them.
13. Once the tamales are ready, place all of them into the steamer. It may be necessary to put something like a measuring cup into the steamer (possibly temporarily) to hold the tamales up while getting them in.
14. If desired, put a towel over the pot, then press the lid down onto the pot, and place something heavy atop the lid to keep the steam in.
15. Allow the tamales to steam for about an hour, maybe 80 minutes. They are done when a tamale falls freely out of its husk, leaving the husk clean.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
Many Latin cultures make tamales; the ones I grew up with in Houston were definitely of the Tex-Mex variety, and like Mexican tamales, were wrapped in dried corn husks. In other countries, they might also be wrapped in banana leaves, or possibly other things. As ours are made in corn husks, they are long and skinny, about the size and shape of a candy bar. The flour used is masa harina. Avoid the masa harina for tamales, just get regular masa harina. The difference between masa harina and normal corn flour is that masa harina has been nixtamalized, and may also be stone-ground. It has a different flavor and chemistry.
To make tamales, one must first have some filling, and some masa, which is the name for the batter-like dough used to wrap up the filling inside the husk. For the filling, many traditional recipes call for braising pork, beef or chicken with chilis and other aromatics. In this recipe, we simply use leftover Texas chili, made from a recipe we’ve already shared. When making chili for this purpose, try to make it a little wetter, and don’t thicken it with flour. Instead, separate the meat from the gravy and vegetable chunks as best you can. Save both, as they get used separately.
Once formed, the tamales are steamed for about an hour. Once they’ve been cooled after steaming, they can be frozen and stored up to 6 months, or refrigerated for a week or two, before eating.
Makes roughly two dozen tamales, about enough for twelve people.
Our Texan chili recipe: youtu.be/JB04Y7gFRFs
Equipment:
• large pot with steamer insert 2-4” off the bottom, and lid
• 40-50 dried corn husks (some will not be usable, or need to be combined with a second)
• four mixing bowls, mostly large
• a sieve or strainer may come in handy
Ingredients:
4 1/8 cup masa harina 1/8 cup = 2 Tbsp
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup bacon grease or lard
3 cup chicken stock or water, or other stock
Procedure:
1. Prepare the steaming pot with water, steamer insert, lid on, over moderate heat to warm up and be ready. If you have an electric kettle, keep some hot water on standby to top up the steamer if need be.
2. In a large mixing bowl or casserole dish, soak the corn husks in clean warm water.
3. Prepare the filling by separating meat from gravy, and reserve both.
4. Using a fork, potato masher, or mixer, shred the meat up into a paste, like rillettes.
5. In another bowl, combine the masa harina, salt and baking powder and mix well.
6. Using your hands, work in the fat, until it is completely mixed with the flour, which will start to clump when squeezed, and have a texture which looks a bit like cornmeal.
7. Add the liquid, perhaps just 2/3 to start with, and mix the masa together with your hands until it is completely mixed and has a good texture. Add more liquid as needed, but don’t allow the masa to become runny.
8. Take corn husk and shake it mostly dry, and hold it with the wide end away from you.
9. Using a tablespoon or soup spoon, apply 2-3 Tbsp of masa to the inside of a corn husk, in the top right hand corner, off center and away from the skinny end of the husk.
10. Apply a stripe of filling down the middle of the masa.
11. Wrap the tamale up, starting from the right, enclosing the filling in the masa as the husk goes around everything, and then fold up the narrow tail to keep everything inside.
12. Set finished tamales in a measuring cup to keep them from leaking out while you’re working on them.
13. Once the tamales are ready, place all of them into the steamer. It may be necessary to put something like a measuring cup into the steamer (possibly temporarily) to hold the tamales up while getting them in.
14. If desired, put a towel over the pot, then press the lid down onto the pot, and place something heavy atop the lid to keep the steam in.
15. Allow the tamales to steam for about an hour, maybe 80 minutes. They are done when a tamale falls freely out of its husk, leaving the husk clean.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
