Reviewed: May 4, 2011

I haven't made this recipe, but I know how to make Mexican tamales. So here are two things I want to share. A lot of people will reserve some of the stock inwhich the meat was cooked in, and use it as the liquid for forming the dough, because it adds a great flavor. However, you might want to spice up the broth a little bit more than with just onion and garlic. The other tip, is that longer you knead the tamale dough, the better it will be when it's fully cooked.

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25 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Catracho88

Reviewed: Apr. 17, 2011

This was a great starter recipe, but I also needed some guidance from another website that had step by step instructions with pictures. One thing I'm learning: you almost have to "overseason" the meat and cooking liquid, because masa has absolutely no flavor.

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5 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

RICECHICKIE

Reviewed: Feb. 2, 2011

Made for crowd of 90 and were a bit dry, had to add salsa on top.

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15 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Desiree

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Palo Alto, California, USA

Living In: Wilton, Maine, USA

Reviewed: Jan. 25, 2011

I made these with beef instead of pork. They are GREAT!!! The leftovers freeze well and they reheat easily in the microwave. I always keep some in the freezer now for a quick, delicious dinner.

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6 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

87ethan

Reviewed: Jan. 22, 2011

Made these today. Loved the filling. I had only dried chipotle peppers and they added a nice spice. I must have made the masa too thick on the jusk becaue I had to make another batch. I used chicken broth in that batch and preferred it to the beef. I think you could probably use the cooking broth from the pork and it would be good, too.

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3 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Grandma Deb

Reviewed: Jan. 9, 2011

Turned out great but a lot of work. Also the spice is really mellowed so don't be to worried. Used medium salsa and it was like it wasn't even mild. MArie did not buy the stuff for the spice but bought salsa instead. Get help to make and something to tie the tamales before steaming or they will open up.

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7 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Smarchi

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Winchester, California, USA

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2011

I'm a gringo...I made these and they were great. I bought ready made maza instead though.

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7 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

abbyto12

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Jan. 1, 2011

We got a spackle spreader from the hardware store, a nice metal one and use that for spreading the mesa. We double the chili pods and water, to the final sauce we add a teaspoon or more of high quality chocolate to deepen the flavors and mellow out the hotness if needed. I made several hundred for a benefit. I buy a big pork shoulder, boil it up, shred it and mix it with some sauce and toss extra into the freezer so I can make the mesa, defrost the extras and have tamales in no time at all. This IS the recipe to beat, we love it.

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11 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Woollysheep

Reviewed: Dec. 31, 2010

I have never made tamales before but was interested in trying. This is a time-consuming process for sure! The best way to do this is make the meat a day in advance. Work to perfect the masa by watching YouTube and reading other recipes. This recipe's masa was way too dry and I had a hard time figuring out how to get a little pinch of it to float in water--as some YouTube pros suggested--to test for the right consistency. The videos about masa show it being about the consistency of Cream of Wheat. With some insistence from my husband that we keep trying, we worked at it and finally came up with some masa that didn't sink as heavily as the first batch. We cooked the tamales in our pressure cooker for about 45 minutes. Then let them sit in the closed pressure cooker while we went for a walk. They really need some time to cook, apparently. This combination of cooking and letting them sit ended up being perfect. These tamales were really divine. Just as good as the ones a Mexican family used to sell door to door when I lived in Utah. Try it. But definitely be prepared for a lengthy process. Invite friends over. Play some mariachi music. Drink some Mexican beer. Worth it. But definitely an experience you want to share with others willing to get their hands dirty. The community aspect of the recipe is part of the magic of tamales. Try it--but know what you're in for. I do think it's worth it.

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14 users found this review helpful