As tamales spread across Texas and the rest of the South, they underwent some changes. Easy-to-find cornmeal replaced the Mexican lime-slaked masa and paper squares were often used to roll up the tamales instead of the traditional corn shucks. Anglo tamale-eaters preferred beef to the traditional pork, so beef tamales became common.
Ingredients
For dredging:
Step 1
Combine the ground beef, seasonings, yellow cornmeal, and tomato sauce in a large bowl and mix well. Make 36 balls of approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture, or 1 1/2 ounces per ball. Roll each ball into a cigar shape about 5 inches long. Fill a 9 by 12-inch casserole or cake pan with the dredging mixture. Dredge the individual meat "cigars" in the cornmeal until well coated. Place each cornmeal-coated "cigar" in a piece of paper and roll up the paper around the filling. In a large steamer pot, lay two layers of tamales and steam for 1 hour, covered. Serve hot.
Variation - Mississippi Corn Bread Tamales:
Step 2
Add 1/2 cup water and a teaspoon of salt to 10 cups corn bread crumbs and work into a paste. Cover the meat "cigars" with the paste individually instead of dredging. Proceed as directed
Leave a Review
Reviews (3)
Back to TopWell, of course this isn't like an "authentic" Mexican tamale. It's a cornmeal tamale and, as such, is very good. You can find cornmeal tamales all over the place: Mississippi, Texas, Chicago, etc. They're a different take on tamales and good in their own right. Don't make this recipe expecting Mexican-style tamales. They're not.
pulykamell
12/3/2012
Tamales are the best to make and there are so many different items you could put in them. The masa is the key to great mexican tamales.....
CANBBQ
Texas
2/9/2011
I don't know, but this recipe is to Tex-Mex as canned chop suey is to Chinese. Of course I am a native of San Antonio and around here corn shucks are abundant, provide a better taste and are so much easier to use rather than cutting parchment paper into strips. Also would suggest looking for Quaker Masa Harina in the store. This recipe is more like taco meat in a corn bread shell rather than a true tamale.
JackWagon
San Antonio
12/1/2010
