What to do with a Tamale?

Ok, my co-worker is known to make the best tamales ever!! She sells them at a charity auction every year and brings in nearly $1,000 for 12 dozen. One dozen a month for a year.
Anyway...
She gave me a bag with cooking instructions. I hate to admit that I have never eaten a Tamale. They just never sounded very exciting. Of course I will be giving these ones a try.
The question is after they are cooked, what do I do with them? Do I serve them with something? Are they an appetizer? It just doesn't seem like much for dinner. Is there some sauce that goes with them? Do you put salsa, sour cream, guacamole on them? What do I do with a Tamale?
Please help a tamale virgin!!

Tamales are awesome and your friend is awesome. I like mine with salsa but add whatever you think goes with a taco: salsa, guacamole, sour cream, mmm. I eat 3-4 and I am full. Please give them the benefit of the doubt, or give them to me! ( hey could you post the recipe?)

The best way to heat up a tamale is to steam them. Did she give you directions?
Also, are you on a diet? Because they can be VERY fattening! It is the lard that they use in the masa that is a killer. Yeah- lard. Unless you have some made by someone that is of a healthy mindset and has substituted it.
Don't get me wrong, I love tamales, but I don't eat them very often because of the calorie punch. Around these parts they are a tradition at christmas.
I usually serve them with black beans and some homemade mexican rice.
Depending on the tamale I will also put red or green sauce on them.

Oh man, you're sooo making me miss the tamales I used to get from an ex's grandmother.

They were so tasty, I'd always eat them all by themselves!

Are they mexican style or salvadoran? I have a friend that makes salvadoran ones... they are sooooo good.

Anyway I like mine with a bit of sour cream (you can decrease the sweetness of store-bought sour cream by adding a little milk and some salt).

Yum yum yum I'm hungry now!

Thanks for the quick reply ladies!
She did give me cooking instructions for the actual tamales. So I am good there. I just didn't want to look silly saying, "What do I do with these". Plus, she is actually on vacation. I tried calling another friend who I know makes them, but not home either.
I didn't realize you ate so many at one time. I guess a corn husk full of lard should fill me up!! Also explain why there are so many in the bag.
As far as the recipe goes, it is a secret. She is famous for her tamales here in town and often provides them for events and auctions them off for charity. If she gave out the recipe, she might put herself out of business.
She did give me a hint that her recipe originally started as the Cafe Pasqual's recipe, but she has adapted it quite a bit over the years. Sorry, that's all I can get out of her.

There are different kinds of tamales, i.e., beef, chicken, sweet, etc. Do you know which kind you have? They are normally wrapped in corn husks and you can heat them in the microwave. Leave them in the corn husks and just wrap a wet paper towel around them to keep them moist in the microwave. Depending upon whether they are frozen or thawed, it should take no more than one and a half to two minutes for one. Try one first. Keep it in the corn husk until heated; then unwrap the corn husk (being careful not to burn fingers). You can put salsa or anything on it, but they are good all by themselves. They are usually a main dish. You can serve with rice and ...oh, Margharitas.

Enjoy!!

You could always let me know where to meet you to take those pesky things off your hands :D

I didn't know they had lard in them. Lard wouldn't be the good kind of fat, would it? Just askin'....

I've always received mine pre-cooked so all you do is heat them up in the corn husk. You could serve it with beans, black beans aren't bad for you. And maybe a salad? I prefer green sauce if I have sauce but trust me, tamales can be darned good on their own too!!!

That sounds like a good thing to go with tamales to me!!
I have no idea what is in them. I guess it will be a surprise!

Mmmmmm, yum.

I like tamales with red sauce, or even just plain. They are great with rice/beans/etc. of course but I also like to wrap them individually and freeze them. They reheat well and quickly and make a great little snack.

Now I'm thinking I'll have to hunt down a good tamale for dinner...

Anne

Sorry to make you all hungry without being able to share!
I had no idea!
Maybe I shouldn't eat them. What if I really like them? How do I get more?
Maybe I'll save that question for tomorrow after I have actually eaten them!!

When I was a little girl, my grandmother and grandfather ate tamales with butter! I've never known anybody else who did, but when others around me are eating theirs with chili (the standard in Texas -- beef chili and tamales) or other sauces, I'm often eating mine with butter.

Roasted tomatillo salsa verde. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

mmmmmmmmm, tamales :D

I love tamales, we've got a local spot that makes some of the best. Cheese and Jalepeno pepper....droooooooool.

There's a vendor at the Healdsburg Farmers Market that sells Salvadorian tamales.........double drooooooooooooool.

Ok, I'm going home to eat my tamales now!
I'll stop by the store and pick up some salsa and maybe some black beans!
I'm getting hungry too!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamale
I didn't see anything about lard, though.
Maybe I read too fast.
Eveybody could do with a little bit of lard once in a while.

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Originally Posted by teigyr

You could always let me know where to meet you to take those pesky things off your hands :D

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My thoughts exactly, Teigyr!! :p

Nicole -- you're a lucky gal...I love love love tamales! Enjoy! :)
~BikeMomma

Mmmm, tamales. I used to get them from my students in south Phoenix at holiday time. However, the first time, I didn't realize that you don't eat the husks... well one bite made me figure out that you open it and eat it. Score one for the stupid white girl from Boston.
The lard is mixed in with the masa. That's what makes it taste so good. However, I am sure you could substitute another fat, but it wouldn't be authentic.

Now I will be craving tamales all night.

MMMM... I love homemade tamales. We have them for Christmas with my in-laws. My husband works with a lot of people from Mexico, I was so disappointed he didn't buy the homemade tamales at Christmas.

I like my tamales just plain. Although I love tomatillo salsa, I must try them with that. Usually we make a big ol' pot of pinto beans and tamales. MMMM... Gasy. :D

I stopped at the CO-OP and bought some tomatillo sauce and black beans. I jazzed up the black beans and steamed the tamales. They were great. :D Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

Now you need to ride your bike a lot, to work off those tamales!:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by snapdragen

Now you need to ride your bike a lot, to work off those tamales!:rolleyes:

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I rode my bike 18 miles before I ate the tamales last night. Should probably ride again tonight, just to make sure!!