I'm not sure tamales can be "made" by one (1) person. Four seems about the minimum number for the traditional "production line", allowing the substantial social interaction and disparaging commentary on the decline in social values, criticism of acquaintances and relatives, and event planning. In most tamale-oriented households and commercial operations, men are unlikely to be included in the crews. Only when qualified personnel (of a certain age) are unavailable are younger women allowed to perform essential tasks "on the line". These factors are especially true when it comes to the preparation of the legendary sweet "Christmas" tamales, a task calling for extensive prior training, long apprenticeship, and widow status or the possession of great-grandchildren (or age equivalency for the occasional spinster).

Indeed. If he did undertake this feat alone, he may be done by Christmas.

On a serious note, hope they turn out well and that you can find all the requisite ingredients on the East Coast.

Oh ye of little faith! I DID make tamales and did it flying solo! The requisite ingredients are readily available in the DC-Metro area. I already had the corn husks, and I picked up a bag of Maseca for Tamales. They turned out OK, but I'm not thrilled with the way they taste. The meat is great--I used pork and prepared it the same way I prepare beef machaca. The masa part could taste better. I'm waiting a few days and then am going to steam a few for a retaste just in case I was burned out on them when I first made them. Also, while there was plenty of meat in each tamale (I hate it when there are just a few threads of meat in a tamale and then a giant mass-o-masa) but I need to work on making the masa layer thinner all around, and I need to work on making them a uniform size, which will come with practice. The masa was fairly easy to work with, and I found that a silicone spatula was better at spreading the masa onto the husk instead of the often-referred-to-n-recipes wooden spoon. The masa stuck to the wooden spoon, but slid nicely into place and was easy to achieve uniform thickness with the silicone spatula (my mom would have called it a "Scotch spoon" if that describes it better for anyone.)

I'm thinking of making tortillas this week.

BTW, for those of you keeping track at home . . . I'm a she not a he.

edit: st2, I just noticed that one of your home airports is DCA . . . I live about 15 minutes from IAD . . . there are a few bodegas around if I need to get stuff there, but I'm able to get the necessary supplies at Giant, Safeway, and/or Food Lion.

Not sure about everybody else, but I gathered that

Being from SAN, youreadyfreddy was raised up with an emotional and cultural tie to tamales, making her "prep" easier. I agree with the silicon spatula for proper "shuck stick" and the thinner masa "dough"/paste/whatever. We like "gorditas", essentially a thick corn tortilla, split and filled, and achieving the right thickness when blending isa key. In my experience, the masa used for tamales is thinner and "wetter" than that used for tortillas.

I'm not surprised that the bodegas of DC's outskirts could provide ingredients. Over years and multiple visits on business, the Hispanic population, especially those of Central American and Mexican origin, mushroomed, and the housekeeping staff in several of the larger hotels were as overwhelmingly Hispanic as one might encounter in SAN. I'm always amazed in DC. The locals who might be concerned seemed totally unconcerned when it came to "La Migra", most noticeable for its being unnoticed/simply absent.

Ok, I almost hate to divulge this tamale secret, but I will. When you make your masa dough, use this if you can, or the closest thing possible, then...

For each batch (~50 tamales) add one can of hominy, drained and pureed in the food processor to the masa. It makes all the difference in the world. Seriously.

La Cochinita makes her enchiladas Chilanga-style (Mexico City stacked tortilla style) and in fact we had some last night.

We prefer a green tomatillo based sauce. She'll boil in water some husked tomatillos and roast some jalape�os on a comal while the boneless chicken breasts are poaching in a broth. I dice an onion, shred some lettuce and cut up some tomatoes and avocados. I also grate queso cotija (Cotija cheese - a dry, crumbly Mexican cheese...sort of a Mexican parmasan but with a different flavor) and some Mozzerella.

To make the sauce she dumps the tomatillos and chiles in a blender, whizzes it then adds broth from the pot of cooked chicken to make the sauce consistency to her liking. Salt to taste.

She builds the enchiladas by layering slightly fried corn tortillas, shredded chicken, cheeses, diced onion, and green sauce. Top with lettuce, tomato, avocado and sour cream. Lots of calories but oh so good.

HINT FOR SHREDDING COOKED BONELESS CHICKEN
Cut the cooked chicken breasts in half. Put them in your Kitchen-Aid stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat the chicken breasts in your mixer until you get the level of shredding you want. It really works!

Sounds like a good suggestion. I've always thought the real difference may involve the use of Manteca/Lard, instead of shortening, etc. These days, I've seen the ladies who make handmade tamales, now forced to wear gloves, "lubricate" their mixing/patting shaping hands with Lard, the new meets the old.

Si," Maseca Para Tamales". That's what I used. Thanks for the tip about the hominy. I'll keep that in mind. Does the hominy enhance the flavor? The texture? Both? Would you recommend the hominy trick when making fresh tortillas?

And thank you to El Cochinito, TM Oliver, and the others who have posted about the "stacked enchiladas". Over the years I had seen recipes for them, but have never had them in Mexico nor heard of them from Mexican friends. Until I did some Google searching after you folks posted about them here, I had thought they were an "Americanized" version of Mexican food gone horribly wrong, much as I assume "tamale pie" is. Now before someone smacks me down, telling me that tamale pie is indeed a classic Mexican dish, I'm talking about the abomination that a friend made where she poured a CAN of Hormel chili into a Pyrex pie plate lined and then topped with cornmeal. It was more than ten years ago, and I think I'm still choking on bits of the cornmeal. I'll give the enchiladas montadas a try soon.

I love the term "shuck stick" and will try to use that term in the future.

This is a terrific thread!

Yes, the hominy improves both the texture and taste, and works well for tortillas too.

No greater justification exists for "reading" FT, even its less well traveled roads, than the contents of this thread, informative with most posters anxious to share experience and knowledge, and entertaining (along with providing all with several new words for their Spanish vocabularies).

I learn something new every day - who knew it took a minimum of four people to make tamales?

I picked up a bag of Maseca during my last trip back to the U.S. Sometime in January I plan on making a few dozen tamales and have a tamale party.

Glad to hear your adventure was (mostly) a success. I can get most of the basics at Safeway, but there is also a bodega in Shaw that carries spices and some other ingredients similar to what I grew up with in New Mexico, which differ in some slight ways from original Mexico. Anyhow, when I go home for Xmas in 3 weeks, I'll be asking about family tamale techniques.

Thanks, st. I steamed a couple of the tamales yesterday and they tasted pretty good--better than when I first made them. The rest are in the freezer. For now.

I popped into the local Harris-Teeter grocery store yesterday and they also have Maseca para Tamales, so that makes a clean sweep for all of the grocery stores within a mile or two of my humble abode.

I might do the tortilla experience tomorrow. I'd like to replicate the fine tortilla-chip stylings of chips from La Fortaleza (a family owned tortilla factory) located at 525 North Ford Boulevard in LA. I get their chips at Costco when I'm in San Diego, but that's about as far as they ship them.

I look forward to any family tamale techniques you may bring back with you. Have a great trip home!