It’s late, you don’t have to work tomorrow, and you’ve lost count of what number pint you’re on. All is well, except for a steadily amplifying hunger and the growing realization that you’re going to have to plunge into the subzero night air of Chicago in January. All of the sudden …

“TAMALE! TAMALE! TAMALE!”
(Thump)
“TAMALE! TAMALE! TAMALE!”
(Thump)

Sweet, sweet victory! You’ve stumbled ass-backwards into one of the best experiences in Chicago – an unexpected visit from the Tamale Guy. There’s no sure way of knowing his rounds for sure – save for this sporadic Twitter feed. He’s Batman with a red cooler, a hunger ninja who may indeed be elemental spirit of satiation. This may seem a bit over-dramatic for a guy who hawks tamales for $5 a bag at kitchenless North Side bars, but alcohol is great for forming emotional connections to things. And the man works hard to earn a buck. I’ve seen him in locales ranging from West Town to Lincoln Square. I admire that, as do many others. He’s become a sort of cult figure.

When we threw the Que for the Choir last February, a few of us stayed after to wind down and grab a couple drinks. We’d been tasting and serving all night, and were entirely sick of even the concept of food. Just then, the door silently opened, and two thumps on the cooler later, I was wrist-deep in a bag of tamales. He’s just that good. Naturally, we’ve taken one of our favorite foods and turned it into a recipe for you to enjoy – not everyone lives in Chicago, and even those who do can find the experience madly elusive. It’s scrabbled out of bits and pieces of tamale wisdom I’ve been graced with by various Mexican Grandmother-having friends, as well as Rick Bayless’s technique for making a light, fluffy dough. Trust me when I say it’s delicious on its own merits, but believe me that it’s surely no substitute for the real thing.

The Setup

The ingredients for this aren’t too hard to find so long as you’re adaptable. The corn husks can be found for a couple bucks at any Mexican market, and I’ve even found them at most Jewel stores. The banana leaves are optional, but you can find them in the freezer section of Mexican stores. They’re cheap, and add a nice flavor to anything you cook in them, but the lack of them is never a deal killer. Masa is difficult to find (except in Chicago, where we have the El Milagro factory) fresh, but the Maseca flour is in every grocery store. You’d want to use Chihuahua cheese, as it’s the best-melting, and also what the tamale guy uses for his (I asked).
As for the rest, so long as you can make the dough and wrap the tamales, you can fill them with whatever you like. My old carnitas recipe works great. Hell, make Skittle tamales if the urge strikes you.

Tamale Dough and Husks
- Corn husks (Use a third of a package or so. It’s more than you’ll need, but you’d be surprised how many of the husks have defects. You don’t want to have to soak another batch because you don’t have enough good ones.)
- 5 oz lard or shortening (It MUST be one of these. Butter does not work, and will get you shivved by a wild-eyed Abuela.)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 c (1 lb) corn masa (Or 1 3/4 c dry Maseca flour mixed with 1 c hot water, mixed into a dough and allowed to cool.)
- 1 c chicken broth
- 2 tsp salt
- Banana leaves (optional)

Filling
- 18 serranos, sliced
- Chihuahua cheese, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bottle stout beer

Cooking

1. Place husks in a large heatproof glass or metal bowl. Bring a pot of water to a boil, pour over the husks, and let sit for 45 minutes. Weigh them down to keep submerged.

2. Heat the olive oil in a small pan and add the serranos. When they begin to dry, add some stout and reduce. Continue adding and reducing stout until you’ve got soft peppers and a nice, thick reduced stout. Remove to a bowl.

3. Whip lard with baking powder until light and fluffy – about 1 minute with a hand mixer.

4. Add the masa (or mixed Maseca) gradually, continuing to beat the dough with the mixer.

5. Slowly pour in a half cup of the broth, beat for another 30 seconds. The batter, at this point, should float when dropped into water. If not, beat for another minute or so.

6. Season batter with the salt. You can beat in 1/4 – 1/2 cup of additional broth for a lighter texture if you want, but it’s not necessary.

7. Pick 16 of the best husks out and set them aside to dry a bit.

8. Tear 16-32 strips of leftover husks for tying off the tamales.

9. Place a husk on your work surface, then scoop 1/4 c of the batter into the lower half of the husk. Spread out the dough to 4″x4″, leaving an inch or so at the bottom and around the sides.

10. Place filling in the very middle of the batter.

11. Bring the sides of the husk together, closing up the batter around the filling, and roll. Fold up the bottom inch and tie with a corn husk strip. If it’s still a bit loose, tie a second strip around the middle. Leave the tops open so they cook more evenly. Repeat. This takes awhile, so relax and crack open a tall boy of Tecate.

12. Fill a steamer with water just below the line of the steamer basket. Place a few coins in the bottom of the pot. As long as they’re rattling, you know the water hasn’t all boiled away. They’re a bit loud, but burning the hell out of your pot is a much bigger pain in the ass.

13. Line the steamer basket with banana leaves or foil. Stand the tamales open side up in the basket. If they fall, use extra foil or leaves balled up in between them to keep them all upright.

14. Steam for an hour. You might have to add water, so keep that in mind.

15. Remove the steamer from the heat and let sit 4-5 min. If you’re going to freeze any, let them cool all the way first. They reheat well in the steamer or the microwave.