The Proper Way To Chow Down On Tamales
Most popular Mexican cuisine in the U.S. is defined by everyone's favorite edible wrap: the tortilla. This might be the root of some confusion for those who order tamales without knowing what to expect. Unlike burritos and enchiladas, you'll be exclusively eating the filling of the tamale. This is because the exterior is actually a prepared corn husk. Even if you managed to cut through the fibrous wrapper, you'd be greeted with an unpleasantly chewy experience that can cause stomach aches if you somehow get it down.
Instead, when eating a tamale, you should first unwrap it before adding any sauces, herbs, or sour cream. That doesn't mean that tamales can't also be eaten on the go. Tamales are well known as a portable street food in Mexico. The trick is to unwrap them as you eat through the delicious masa harina filling.
There is a virtually endless number of ways to fill a tamale. While they're most often encountered with savory fillings of meat, cheese, and chilis, they can be served up with sweeter fillings as well. No matter what the filling is, though, don't waste your time trying to eat the corn husk wrapper.
Why are tamales prepared in corn husks?
While a tamale's inedible wrapper might seem like an inconvenience, it's a huge part of what makes the dish unique. The filling of tamales is made with masa harina flour, which is a specially processed corn flour. Tamales are steamed to make sure the dough made from this flour doesn't come out dry. Corn husks are used to wrap them because they are slightly porous.
This means that the steam is able to penetrate the corn husk and cook the filling with a moist heat. The corn husks are able to allow the steam inside without losing their shape or letting the filling fall out as well. Once the tamales are finished cooking, they can then easily travel. Tamales were originally used as a portable food for Aztec warriors – once the tamales were steamed in their husks, it was easy to keep them wrapped up inside as the warriors traveled. Tamales made in Southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula are often wrapped in plantain leaves instead of corn husks.
How to prepare corn husks to make tamales
If you're hoping to make tamales at home, you'll need to make sure you have your corn husks prepared. Since there's soaking involved, you'll want to start getting your husks ready the night before you plan to make tamales.
Start by looking them over for any tears or debris that you'll want to wipe away. Afterward, rinse them in cold water to clean them off, and then place them in a container that can hold them all and handle warm temperatures. Then, add hot water to the husks inside the container. Weight the husks down with a pot or some other heavy object, and let them sit in the water overnight. If you're only using a small number of husks, they will only need to soak for a few hours.
It should be noted that if you're using fresh corn husks or banana leaves you won't need to soak them. If you can't get your hands on any corn husks, then you can wrap your tamales with aluminum foil or parchment paper.