Authentic Style Tamales!
When we mention tamales, there are few that haven’t at least heard of this traditional Mexican food, if not savored it in all its glory. Tamales can trace their origins back to about 8000 B.C. and still remain a staple of any Mexican household.
The matriarch of our family was born in Durango, Mexico. At a young age, she migrated to the United States and married. Her husband, being Italian, had a love for cooking that he shared with her throughout their marriage. If he brought his Lasagna to West Best Foods, she is the one that insisted on recreating the authentic dishes she had grown up with. To this day she is still in the kitchen insisting on quality and authenticity. She makes sure that everything we make meets her high standards. Our most popular item that she brought from her home is our authentic Tamales.
All tamales begin with a corn dough, commonly known as ‘masa’. This masa is flattened unto corn husks and can be filled with a variety of meats or cheese. Each corn husk is then rolled to create the traditional oblong shape of the tamale, with one end folded to seal in the ingredients. This means that every single tamale we sell is created from start to finish by hand. This adds to the authenticity and consistency of every single one we sell. Too many times we have seen others take shortcuts with filler machines or paper coverings which we feel take away from what the tamale is meant to be.
It is common to see the tamale gain popularity around Christmas time. Many families will do communal tamale-making sessions that turn into heartwarming family memories. More and more, friends are being brought into the mix and introduced to these long-standing traditions and learning that making a tamale is more than just preparing food. It embodies family, sharing, and bonding. That is what we hope is shared every time you try one of our tamales.
The filling itself can be extremely varied. We currently have four of the most popular flavors. We have our Shredded Beef Tamales which consist of our seasoned shredded beef marinated and cooked in our factory. Our Shredded Chicken Tamale has a green sauce added to the seasoned chicken during cooking. Our Red Pork Tamale gains its name from the red sauce added to the pork that gives it a robust flavor. Our most popular tamale is our Cheese and Jalapeno Tamale. This one is filled with Jalapeno Jack cheese that melts to perfection when you steam it.
Some places precook tamales before selling it. We feel that this causes the masa to dry up and lose its flavor. Cooked than refrozen tamales are just not as appetizing. All of our tamales come with uncooked, or raw masa. Each one just needs to be steamed until fully cooked before serving. One secret to know when the masa of a tamale is fully cooked is when it separates easily from the corn husk.
Tamales can be eaten anytime, anywhere. Just remember to remove the corn husk covering as that is NOT edible. They can be part of a complete dinner meal with a side of Mexican rice and beans. For larger gatherings, they keep beautifully in steam tray tables for on-demand enjoyment for your guests. Our tamales are sold by the dozen. You get 12/3.5 oz tamales for $12. For bulk ordering, we do have cases of 60, great for holiday time!
The primary manner to cook a tamale is in a steam pot. Usually, these are large pots with an insert on the bottom. The bottom is filled with water that you bring to a boil and the tamales are placed upright on the insert and the lid is placed on the pot. Then you allow the steam from the water to thoroughly cook the masa and heat the filling, usually between 60 to 90 minutes depending on how densely packed the pot is. For some upgraded cooking methods, pressure cookers and Instapots can also be used with inserts setting them to cook for about 20-30 minutes. For in-depth cooking instructions that include a variety of methods visit our cooking instructions page for a downloadable instruction sheet. Click here to view: Tamale Cooking Instructions
To purchase click here: TAMALES
