“A falta de pan, tortillas!”
(“Value what you have instead of what you want!”)
—A well-known Mexican saying
It was Christmas; the year was 1949 and I was an excited 14-year-old girl with a bus ticket from Washington state to California, and I had never been more than 40 miles from the Catholic convent where I lived. Twenty-four hours later, the driver hollered out, “Hollister, everyone out,” and so my adventure with tamales began.
The next few days were spent getting to know new members of my family who were born and raised in Mexico. Their language and food, so different from what I was used to, and their Christmas customs were wonderful, especially when their house was filled with the women making tamales for the holidays.
It was in 1977, many years later, my Hubby Norm and I were living in Santa Barbara, that he announced, “We are flying to Baja with Bob.” Bob was Norm’s best friend—how could I say no!
Thus began our adventure flying with Bob who was involved in the Flying Samaritans program. These doctors would give up their weekends and fly into remote areas in Baja, Mexico, treating children and adults alike, who had no other means of medical or dental treatment.
The evening before, I was told I could only bring one change of clothing, and a nightgown. We would share toothpaste and a comb, and no frivolous items (makeup, shampoo, etc.). My suitcase became a grocery store brown paper bag. And, Norm explained, I would be weighed prior to our takeoff. Single-engine planes could only carry so much weight, and the two doctors, one assistant and medical equipment had top priority. As the door of the airplane was pulled shut, I looked down onto the tarmac where my makeup bag, along with my favorite shampoo, bottle of gin and a roll of toilet paper laid. Airport security caught up with me in the form of my hubby.
For the next two years we flew into the remote village of Punta Final (when translated is “the end”), 50 miles south of San Felipe, one weekend a month when the weather allowed. Punta Final and Josephina Zuniga’s hacienda became so familiar to us. I no longer feared the small plane nor the dirt landing strip that had just been bulldozed prior to our arrival.
Bob had a small trailer moved onto Josephina’s property quite near the water’s edge. Because of the heat, the three of us would sleep outside alongside each other on a large tarp—tarantulas, I was told, would not crawl onto a “tarp.” We slept with an axe and a gun for safety, as I was told these would protect us from any “bandidos” that might happen along. The only access to Josephina’s hacienda was by air, or a dirt road 50 miles from the highway, and the population was 50. We were pretty safe!
It was here with Josefina that I learned how to make tamales, chili rellenos, sauces, tortillas and flan, and how to char tomatillos and chilies on the huge comal under the bougainvillea vines winding on the trellis above. All of the ingredients for their food was raised on the ranch.
I have eaten store-bought tamales, and I have bought tamales from the Mexican ladies who sell them outside of grocery stores, but I have never eaten any tamale that is as good as Josephina’s tamales. Years ago, I was comparing tamale recipes vs. Josephina’s and I discovered her “secret.” Fresh corn! Josephina’s recipe has fresh corn and grits, ground fine and added to the rest of the “usual” ingredients.
Follow my recipe below and I promise you the very best tamales you have ever eaten. And by making the chili gravy to pour over—well, you will have one “haute” tamale, I guarantee!
TAMALES (18-20)
Pour 1-quart boiling water over 20 corn husks.
Cover and rest 1/2 hour.
In a large bowl add:
• 1 1/4 cups of Masa Harina
• 1 1/4 cups of “quick” cooking grits.
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups very hot chicken stock. Mix well.
Rest for 30 minutes.
In mixer add:
• 6 Tbsp. room temperature butter
• 6 Tbsp room temp. lard
Beat for 10 minutes until light and fluffy.
In food processor, grind 1 1/4 cup of fresh or frozen corn.
Add all ingredients together and mix until well incorporated. Consistency should be like very thick cake batter and easy to spread. If needed, you can add additional dry masa. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Method: Spread 1/3 cup of mixture onto a towel-dried corn husk and spread masa mixture in a 5-inch square in middle of the corn husk.
Add 2 Tbsp. filling down middle of masa.
Bring sides up and press edge together over the filling and fold over itself.
Fold up bottom to form tamale shape.
CHICKEN OR PORK FILLING
• 3 cups cooked meat, shredded.
Sauté together until soft:
• 1 medium diced onion
• 4 diced garlic cloves
• 1 diced poblano chili
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
Remove from heat and add 1 cup of Chili Sauce to vegetables.
Add to meat mixture.
Let cool before forming tamales.
Place standing up in steamer basket and steam for 1 hour.
CHILI SAUCE
• 6 dried Ancho chilies, seeded and soaked for 1/2 hour in 2 cups of boiling water.
Sauté together until onion is translucent:
• 1 large, diced onion.
• 6 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. salt
In a blender add the Ancho chilies with the onion mixture and blend until smooth.
This chili sauce makes a wonderful gravy for tamales and for enchiladas. Add to a flour roux in place of meat drippings.
Delicious!
Colly Gruczelak, a Ben Lomond resident, loves people and loves to cook. Contact her at cz****@*****st.net.
