Canned Tamales.NOT making that mistake again!!!!!

[Bert Man]

When I was a kid there was an old guy who walked around downtown selling his homemade tamales from a push cart but my dad would never buy any for me. When I asked why he said he had heard they were pretty good if you could get past the fact that when you bit into one they went meeeooow!

 

[BE Mike]

When I was a young boy in Indiana...yeah, that was a long time ago, my dad would buy the tamales in a can or jar. I believe that they were wrapped in some kind of heavy paper. It's all I knew until I was introduced to the real thing on the Mexican border. IMHO, it's about the same difference as eating a Mickey D burger and one cooked on your own grill with fresh fixins.

 

[cmort666]

When I was a young boy in Indiana...yeah, that was a long time ago, my dad would buy the tamales in a can or jar. I believe that they were wrapped in some kind of heavy paper. It's all I knew until I was introduced to the real thing on the Mexican border. IMHO, it's about the same difference as eating a Mickey D burger and one cooked on your own grill with fresh fixins.

I had the same ones.

Fortunately, I lived in what amounts to the northernmost state of Mexico (Chicago) and had tamales from a little stand on the far south side that my father and I used pass on the way to go fishing. I don't know how "authentic" they were, but at least (unlike the ones in the can or jar) they were edible.

 

[the ringo kid]

I had canned tamales 3-4 years ago. Yeah, thy were pretty bad, albeit not as bad as Hormel chili.

Somewhere (Kentucky?) I used to be able to get cornmeal tamales shrink wrapped on foam, like hamburger. They were a lot like the ones I used to get from a little stand on the far south side of Chicago. They tasted entirely different from the nasty canned ones. Haven't seen them in years...

Austex ""chili"" was the most absolute worst I ever tried--one.Not to sound too bad but-it looked like leftovers in a changed diaper. Oh and, anyone liking Salsa Verde--DO NOT--try Herdez--its the most absolute worst ever made, tasteslike vinegar with no kic. Its made in Buda, Texas.

 

[the ringo kid]

I have had a cheesesteak with cheese wizz in philly, I think I prefer canned tamales.

THATS SACRILIGIOUS! Its like having a ""Philly Cheesesteak"" fromthe frozen section in WM deli--and ive had those and they are pretty bad.

 

[the ringo kid]

I am blessed for many reasons to live in Arizona. One of these is really good Mexican food is available virtually everywhere night and day. In fact IMO it would be hard to get bad Mexican food here.
Jim

Just go to New Mexico--ive tried Mex there many times and not one of the eateries seved anything that would taste better than rotten dog food.

 

[the ringo kid]

There is ONE good thing about those canned tamales that's being over looked. If eaten out in the woods, if you hang onto the wrappers they are rolled in... you'll have some toilet paper squares for the morning after.

Trouble in using those wrappers as TP--is you cant hold onto them becaus of all the oil draining off. The can I opened had more oil in it than tamale substance. The other can I had==along with spare can of Gebhard ""refried beans"" ended up as a donation to a neighbor who will never know where the ""gift"" came from.

 

[the ringo kid]

Speaking of awful canned food, has anyone else tried canned asparagus? ~shutter - shake~ BAD!

Seen and always skip by them.I cant stand them fresh either thanks to being forced to try them with mayo--when I was a yonker.

 

[the ringo kid]

I've been tempted to buy the canned tamales but never have. After reading this I won't make that mistake!

While I love Mexican food, the only tamales I've ever had were mixed together with a bunch of other Mexican specialties on a combination plate.

Why don't one of you tamale gourmets post your recipe so those of us without access to fresh tamales can try them?

Glad this info saved you some money--------and pain.

 

[cmort666]

Austex ""chili"" was the most absolute worst I ever tried--one.

Probably not available here. In fact, there's almost NO selection of canned chili here.

Giant Eagle used to have several varieties of Wolf Chili, but are now down to Wolf w/o beans, which I won't eat. The rest is the nauseating Hormel and Hungry Man(?), which is, while not vomit inducing like the Hormel, so bland you'd think it was an English "chef's" interpretation of chili.

I've got to go out here later. I may stop at Heinen's (the upscale grocery store here) and pick up some Wolf w/beans (the only place that has it now, that I know of)... at a premium price of course.

Its made in Buda, Texas.

Lot of paprika?

 

[the ringo kid]

Frozen- just buy a real SW made tamal. Some of them are pretty good.
I already recommended a local Albuquerque brand, Bueno.
There are a number of other good ones.

Sadly,they dont sell that brand here at WM.I checked before I left on Tuesdy.

 

[the ringo kid]

Making tamales the correct way can't be explained by a recipe. You kinda have to do it or watch it done. There are lots of demos online. This one is very close to the way the women in my family makes them and gives a real sense of the time and prep involved. She includes prepping the cornhusks and making the masa and sauce from scratch, which to me is essential. It's possible to buy prepared masa, but it's always too dry, not enough lard. This one is for pork in chile colorado, the traditional Christmas tamal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSyW6JwwDYw

Too much work, HEBs for for me.

 

[the ringo kid]

When I was a kid there was an old guy who walked around downtown selling his homemade tamales from a push cart but my dad would never buy any for me. When I asked why he said he had heard they were pretty good if you could get past the fact that when you bit into one they went meeeooow!

We had a guy who made them that lived near us. When we were kids--YES--we did take stock--on all our Cats. He lived a block away and you could smell the aromas. I watched him make the once. Anyway,his beef tamales were the best.

 

[the ringo kid]

Probably not available here. In fact, there's almost NO selection of canned chili here.

Giant Eagle used to have several varieties of Wolf Chili, but are now down to Wolf w/o beans, which I won't eat. The rest is the nauseating Hormel and Hungry Man(?), which is, while not vomit inducing like the Hormel, so bland you'd think it was an English "chef's" interpretation of chili.

I've got to go out here later. I may stop at Heinen's (the upscale grocery store here) and pick up some Wolf w/beans (the only place that has it now, that I know of)... at a premium price of course.


Lot of paprika?

Heh heh,most likely--cheap Cilantro. Oh and,we have probably 10 or more brands of Chili. Wolf is the best of the lot. I DO--miss my dads Homemade chili.

 

[CH4]

Note to self: Don't buy canned tamales, especially those costing $.89

Thanks for the warning....

 

[RudyN]

$.99 tamales are great. ;-) Actually the ones from Costco aren't to bad for store bought. Not as good as my grandmother's home made though.

 

[cmort666]

Heh heh,most likely--cheap Cilantro. Oh and,we have probably 10 or more brands of Chili. Wolf is the best of the lot. I DO--miss my dads Homemade chili.

My father made damned good chili.

The two things I didn't inherit from my father were his height and his cooking ability.

 

[cmort666]

$.99 tamales are great. ;-) Actually the ones from Costco aren't to bad for store bought. Not as good as my grandmother's home made though.

What are the Costco ones like? How do they come packaged?

 

[timn8er]

Trouble in using those wrappers as TP--is you cant hold onto them becaus of all the oil draining off. The can I opened had more oil in it than tamale substance. The other can I had==along with spare can of Gebhard ""refried beans"" ended up as a donation to a neighbor who will never know where the ""gift"" came from.

The other thing about using them wrappers as TP is if you buy the spicy tamales...methinks you wouldn't want to wipe with that!

 

[RudyN]

The Costco come in plastic bags, but each is wrapped in a corn husk leaf.