The Tamale Apocalypse of 2022

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Jul 26, 2021
2,419
9,818
Metro-Detroit
Anywhere you'd use a "red sauce" you can accompany it with some mole.
Even a couple spoons in your chili recipe can add a different depth.
Thank you for the suggestion.

Today, I slow cooked a citrusy mojo chicken with lemon and lime juice. Then I mixed mole with red enchilada sauce and added brown sugar, chocolate, and lime juice until it was a light frosting consistency. The mojo chicken was filled into flour tortillas (others at home don't care for corn, sigh), smothered with the mole and covered with various Mexican cheeses. Thinly sliced yellow onions topped the dish.

My man, the flavor has depth with a rich and savory smokiness that slowly builds to a slight burn (but stays at the tolerable level) with a sweetness and zesty pop. Cilantro lime rice was on the side.

Excellent suggestion and much appreciated.

As for tamales, I noticed my local chain grocer has several frozen versions, including one by a popular frozen burrito company. May be worth checking out if you're in a pinch and have a Meijer near by.
 

bluegrassbrian

Your Mom's Favorite Pipe Smoker
Aug 27, 2016
6,673
64,574
41
Louisville
Thank you for the suggestion.

Today, I slow cooked a citrusy mojo chicken with lemon and lime juice. Then I mixed mole with red enchilada sauce and added brown sugar, chocolate, and lime juice until it was a light frosting consistency. The mojo chicken was filled into flour tortillas (others at home don't care for corn, sigh), smothered with the mole and covered with various Mexican cheeses. Thinly sliced yellow onions topped the dish.

My man, the flavor has depth with a rich and savory smokiness that slowly builds to a slight burn (but stays at the tolerable level) with a sweetness and zesty pop. Cilantro lime rice was on the side.

Excellent suggestion and much appreciated.

As for tamales, I noticed my local chain grocer has several frozen versions, including one by a popular frozen burrito company. May be worth checking out if you're in a pinch and have a Meijer near by.
That sounds sabroso!

I've seen and tried some refrigerated tamales that are sold in the coolers by the deli at my local Kroger. They come wrapped in a husk and aren't bad at all. Very similar to ones I used to get from La Bamba.
 
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shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,474
26,237
50
Las Vegas
A very nice Mexican family took over our drinking water store recently and added all kinds of extra offerings. The chicken, pork, and beef tamales are to die for. Last time we were in they recommended sweet corn tamales(sort of a dessert tamale) for breakfast with coffee. Anyone else tried these?
One of the best tamales I ever had was a sweet tamale with chunks of pineapple in it. A concierge at the place we were staying in Mazatlan brought them for us.

As an aside, the restaurant at the golf pro shop where we stayed had the best tortilla soup I've ever had and the chef taught me how make phenomenal salsa.
 

bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
10,340
41,836
RTP, NC. USA
After reading this post, went looking for tamales joints around my area. Few sketchy places where I've been to with mediocre tamales. So looked up the Google. One tamales specialist in 40 radius. Closed for unknown reason. Just my luck.
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,857
31,612
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Right after church I picked up our first dozen of home made tamales of the season, still hot from the tamale lady's kitchen
The one I enjoyed for breakfast was spicy chicken and superb.
for years my only experience with Tamales was that cheap candy called hot tamales and for years I thought a tamale was a type of pepper. :( A few years ago I worked with a lady whose husband was from Mexico and she brought in the Tamales his family made and it raised the question how are there not more insanely fat people because could have eaten barrel fulls of that stuff. Darn they're great.
Oh and the first time she ate them... They asked her what she thought and she said they're tasty but the leaf is too tough. Yeah she ate the leaf they're cooked in.
 
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