Tamalada
Whether it's the holiday season or a festive weekend, roll up your sleeves and get ready for an all-day fiesta. Texas families gather together to make hundreds of tamales perfect for holiday parties and meals during the holidays. Tamaladas are a Texas family tradition, the perfect time to pass on the art of tamale-making with children and new family members. Grab some snacks, friends and family, and throw your own Tamalada this year!
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Invite plenty of friends and family. This is definitely a group project that requires careful organization and an assembly line to make the job go easier and faster. Assign a job to each person to make planning easier (i.e. preparing filling, spreading masa, preparing wrappers).
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Have all your supplies on hand. Before you start, go over the ingredients and utensils that you will use, and make sure you have everything you need. Ask friends and family to bring anything you might be missing.
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Rinse and soak the cornhusks. The husks float, so push or weight them down.
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Check your masa. You'll know it's the right consistency when 1/2 teaspoon of dough floats in a cup of cold water.
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Take care when handling hot peppers. When you're ready to make the filling, use rubber or plastic gloves to remove stems and seeds from the chiles. And don't touch your eyes!
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Prepare the filling. Prepare the pork, chicken, bean or dessert filling you will be making. See our Tamales Recipes.
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Don't overfill the tamale. Using too much masa and filling will make the rolling and folding harder.
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Place extra husks over the tamales. While the tamales are steaming, the husks help retain moisture and prevent water from dripping into the tamales.
Make your own tamales from scratch using our how-to guide and recipes: Tamales Guide. Of course, you can also pick up a package of H-E-B Tamales and other authentic Mexican foods at your neighborhood H-E-B. And don't forget to pick up fresh, delicious H-E-B Flour or Corn Tortillas to make your holiday fiesta complete.