Tamales were sold on Friday afternoon at a bilingual school where I taught in Fort Worth. The school didn’t prepare the tamales...mothers of children who were students made them. Orders would be quietly taken earlier in the week.
Que tipo de tamale quieres? Cerdo? Pollo? Queso? Cuantos? Dos Docenas? Muchas Gracias!
We could hardly wait until Friday afternoon to get our tamales. One teacher (and surprisingly it was not me!) admitted that she had four tamales while driving home… just a little snack, you know! The principal of my school at that time didn’t approve AT ALL of the mothers selling tamales in the school. So…the tamales would be delivered right after the last bell rang and brought to the teachers by the children. There was usually so much chaotic talking and running after school on Friday that the principal never seemed to notice the sales transactions. Or maybe she was in her office waiting for her own tamales! Who knows?!
The tamales would be warm and wrapped in foil. The sheer anticipation of those tamales helped us to get through many a Friday! I still crave tamales on Friday afternoons!
I have never learned how to make my own tamales. One of the parents said that her church made tamales to sell at Christmas. She invited me to help out and in the long process…I could learn all the tricks of making tamales. Alas…we were going to be out of town that weekend. I really need to call the parent and invite myself to help next Christmas! Tamales take a long time to make and the following slow cooker recipe tastes close to the real thing! I found the recipe several years ago in an East Texas regional magazine!
Tamale Pie & Green Chile Cornbread
***Ingredients:
8 oz dried pinto beans
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 14.5 can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 recipe of Green Chile Cornbread batter (see recipe below)
***Directions:
Soak bean in 3 cups of water in a saucepan overnight. Add baking soda to pan and bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Skim and discard any foam from top. Drain beans; reserving 1 1/4 cups liquid and place into a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
Saute ground beef, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, oregano and cayenne in oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until beef is cooked through. Drain drippings and transfer mixture to slow cooker, do not stir. Cover slow cooker and cook until beans are creamy and tender on high setting, for about 3 hours.
Add tomatoes and corn to slow cooker, stir in tomato paste to combine. Top filling with cornbread batter (see recipe below). Cover slow cooker and cook until a toothpick inserted in center of cornbread comes out clean, about 1 hour on low setting. Top with cheese and chives, cover until cheese melts for (about 5 minutes).
Green Chile Cornbread
***Ingredients:
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 shredded pepper jack cheese
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 4.5 oz. can green chilies
2 teaspoons fresh chives
***Directions:
Combine cheddar and pepper jack cheese in a small bowl. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of cheese mixture, buttermilk, egg, and chilies. Stir dry and wet ingredients until combined. Pour into slow cooker.
***Follow Tamale Pie directions above Cornbread recipe for adding the cornbread batter to the slow cooker. Remember to top with remaining cheese and chives after the cornbread cooks with the Tamale Pie ingredients for one hour. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes.
MUY DELICIOSA!!!!
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kindergartenknowledge.com 
You are successful with your own tamales! It look good :>
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Nope….TEXAS has the BEST BBQ! I nominate myself as the tie-breaker! 🙂
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You are right. Of course, Texas is the best bbq. Those NYC people just don’t understand! I really have not had Kansas City bbq, but I hear that it is good…so dangerspouse MAY be sort of right about it. But, still…there is no comparison! You tell him that you are the designated tie-breaker!
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Oh we don’t even need to try it! Helllooo – everything is bigger and better in Texas!! Duh!😊
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I love tamales-it is a long process though!
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My god I love tamales. NewWifey(tm) does, too. So we’re very luck to have a large Hispanic population in some of the surrounding towns and we can go glom on to as many as we want, fresh made, when the urge hits. Thanks for posting the recipe!
So not to start a war or anything, but…chili: con frijoes, o sin?
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Chili con frijoles se permiten! Fritos tambien! Queso tambien! In other words, I like Frito Pie! Or do you say Chili Pie? I will argue about BBQ because we all know that Texas has the best. Oh I forgot…Kansas?…or is it…Memphis? I won’t argue about chile y frijoles. Well…maybe.
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Lol! As long as you’re passionate about it, it doesn’t matter which food you prefer. You’re alright with me. (But for the record: Kansas CITY makes the best ‘que. Sorry.)
😉
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Oh sure. No way. Some people are so confused.
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Lol. Yes. Yes you are.
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Beg your pardon When did you try Texas bbq anyway? When, where, why, why not?
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Awww. Y’all down there are so cute when you feign indignation!
Lol. This Yankee has been very fortunate to be able to try real BBQ from around the country since marrying my little KC, MO bumpkin. Her brother lives just outside of Houston (or did – last month he moved to Arkansas for work), and her sister lives in one of the two Carolinas (really, is they’re indistinguishable). So I’ve had plenty of opportunities to compare styles.
They’re all wonderful in their own way.
But if I don’t opine that “KC is best” when asked, I don’t get laid. I don’t want to take that chance even if she’s not within earshot.
So….KC is best. Yep.
(But I gotta say, Texas beef ribs and brisket ROCKS.)
🙂
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I suppose that you have redeemed yourself. Just keep up the “KC is best” talk…no need for such distress….yeh sure. We go to Missouri a lot…to Table Rock Lake…Big Cedar Lodge is super and the lake is better. But…I have never had bbq there. Why should I?
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Why should you???
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thud
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There are NO BBQ places THERE.
Of course, we have not looked for any.
NO NEED.
NO TIME.
NO REASON.
NO SWEET POTATO FRIES.
NONE THAT I KNOW OF.
NO NOTHING.
I will check the menu of our favorite restaurant. Perhaps the important letters…”BBQ”…were so inconsequential that they were in a very, very tiny font.
DUH.
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Lol. There are none so blind as they who WILL not eat….
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Too bad. I checked the menu at the Osage Restaurant , Top of the Rock at Big Cedar Lodge, Mo. NO BBQ! However…you two should go there when you visit KC. Worth the drive. Seriously, I like spaghetti better than bbq. Anything Italian without seafood, of course.
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I have jotted down your recommendation and will search the place out should we ever find ourselves in that area. Thanks very much!
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My mouth is watering!
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I guess you have some cooking to do!
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