I cannot believe that this is the first time I've made tamales, and they're the BEST I've ever had in my entire life! And that's saying a lot, since I grew up in the Southwest with a Hispanic father, and always had the opportunity to buy authentic tamales from the ladies that go door-to-door. I've always been yearning for that perfect tamale, though--most times, I had ones that were too bland, too dry, too salty, too spicy, etc. But the masa dough in this recipe is the secret to a tasty tamale. I did take a major shortcut with the meat--I used a 5-lb roast, sprinkled it with salt, chile powder, cayenne, garlic powder, cumin seeds, and crushed red pepper, put it in the slow cooker with chicken broth and crushed garlic cloves, and cooked it on low, overnight til the meat shredded easily. I then adjusted the spicyness. I also added the broth from the meat to the masa dough, and added some of the aforementioned spices for more flavor and color. I had to double the recipe for dough since I cooked extra meat, and I still have meat left over to make tacos or burritos later. I am so glad I can make tamales that really hit the spot!
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