Dish · mexican
Tamale
Masa mixed with lard is spread on a banana leaf or corn husk, filled with chicken and guajillo sauce, folded shut, and steamed until firm.
Where it comes from
Tamales predate the Spanish conquest of Mexico, made as portable, wrapped food that could travel with workers and soldiers and be reheated by steaming without unwrapping.
What cooks argue about
Cooks argue over the masa: beaten with enough lard and stock to turn light and fluffy when steamed, or left denser, which some prefer for a firmer bite.
Versions
Nobody has published a tamale here yet. When somebody cooks one from a video and publishes it, their version appears in this list, with a link back to the original.
What goes in it
Each one opens everything else made with it.
lard
chicken thigh bone in