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Started By
Message
1
Posted on 9/17/22 at 10:28 am to pmacneworleans
quote:
Rocky's
Would yall believe that ladies are now welcomed?!
Posted on 9/17/22 at 11:54 am to Got Blaze
This thread sent me down a tamale rabbit hole.
I’ve been making Mexican style for almost 30 years but always really liked Delta style. While I was courting the future Ms. Dawghair, we would hit up Mufuletta’s in BR.
Until this thread, I didn’t really realize the “New Orleans style” was simmered in a seasoned tomato broth instead of steamed, but I do remember the red gravy.
Working on a batch today. Will post pics later.
Seasoning mixed with ground beef.
First layer - about 40 tamals
Ready for a 2 hour simmer - about 12 dozen.
Simmering
Finished pot. Resting for an hour or two.
I changed a couple of things up compared to the basic recipes I found.
I used corn husks because that’s what I had available.
Also, I was skeptical that a roll in corn meal would be enough to make a good corn meal/masa layer and flavor. So I rolled the “logs” once, and then spritzed with water and rolled again. Edit: I skipped this on the next batch. Not necessary.
Probably should have added more salt, but I think tomorrow the seasonings will balance out. Edit: salt level was fine.
Here is the basic recipe I used. Pretty much copied from a combination of links and references from this thread - and this YouTube video:
Kajun Kravings N.O. Style Tamales
Hot Tamales
Filling
3 pounds ground chuck
4 onions
3 TS granulated garlic
3 TS cayenne pepper (I used less)
1 TS B pepper (I subbed white)
4 TS kosher salt
1 TS cumin
1/2 cup chili powder
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups yellow corn meal
8 oz can tomato sauce
Sauce
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup chili powder (added some RP)
1 TS cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Mix and simmer sauce ingredients and set aside. Made an extra batch of sauce and used about half. Edit: I used both on next batch.
Food Process filling ingredients except meat. Mix into meat.
Shape filling, roll in corn meal and wrap in husks/paper
Lay tamales in pot. Cover with water. Pour sauce over and bring to boil. Then simmer for 2 hours.
I’ve been making Mexican style for almost 30 years but always really liked Delta style. While I was courting the future Ms. Dawghair, we would hit up Mufuletta’s in BR.
Until this thread, I didn’t really realize the “New Orleans style” was simmered in a seasoned tomato broth instead of steamed, but I do remember the red gravy.
Working on a batch today. Will post pics later.
Seasoning mixed with ground beef.
First layer - about 40 tamals
Ready for a 2 hour simmer - about 12 dozen.
Simmering
Finished pot. Resting for an hour or two.
I changed a couple of things up compared to the basic recipes I found.
I used corn husks because that’s what I had available.
Also, I was skeptical that a roll in corn meal would be enough to make a good corn meal/masa layer and flavor. So I rolled the “logs” once, and then spritzed with water and rolled again. Edit: I skipped this on the next batch. Not necessary.
Probably should have added more salt, but I think tomorrow the seasonings will balance out. Edit: salt level was fine.
Here is the basic recipe I used. Pretty much copied from a combination of links and references from this thread - and this YouTube video:
Kajun Kravings N.O. Style Tamales
Hot Tamales
Filling
3 pounds ground chuck
4 onions
3 TS granulated garlic
3 TS cayenne pepper (I used less)
1 TS B pepper (I subbed white)
4 TS kosher salt
1 TS cumin
1/2 cup chili powder
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups yellow corn meal
8 oz can tomato sauce
Sauce
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup chili powder (added some RP)
1 TS cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Mix and simmer sauce ingredients and set aside. Made an extra batch of sauce and used about half. Edit: I used both on next batch.
Food Process filling ingredients except meat. Mix into meat.
Shape filling, roll in corn meal and wrap in husks/paper
Lay tamales in pot. Cover with water. Pour sauce over and bring to boil. Then simmer for 2 hours.
This post was edited on 10/28/22 at 8:39 am
Posted on 9/19/22 at 7:54 am to Professor Dawghair
Great job!
You've got the method down. How did the taste compare to your memory of Manuel's?
ETA: As you probably know by now, a roll in corn meal is sufficient to make a corn layer around the tamale, but a spritz and a second roll only gives you more tamale to savor.
You've got the method down. How did the taste compare to your memory of Manuel's?
ETA: As you probably know by now, a roll in corn meal is sufficient to make a corn layer around the tamale, but a spritz and a second roll only gives you more tamale to savor.
This post was edited on 9/19/22 at 8:00 am
Posted on 9/19/22 at 8:11 am to Stadium Rat
quote:
How did the taste compare to your memory of Manuel's?
Thanks Stadium. I never tried Manuel’s but my wife and MIL say it’s the taste and texture they remembered from growing up and having it other places. They were happy so I’m satisfied. They got even better the second day.
On a side note, I’m thinking of making that Plantation Shrimp Creole dish for a crowd of 100 in a couple of weeks. Any advice? It’s a fish fry mainly so it doesn’t have to be the main course. Thinking of doing 2.5 times the volume of that recipe.
Just want something for them to eat on while the hot fish comes out in waves.
Last year I did shrimp and grits. Want to try something different.
This post was edited on 9/19/22 at 8:42 am
Posted on 9/19/22 at 8:19 am to Professor Dawghair
quote:Absolutely use shrimp stock for the liquid and finish with green onion and parsley. They give it such a nice flavor, but it is a flavor that dissipates quite a bit if added too early.
On a side note, I’m thinking of making that Plantation Shrimp Creole dish for a crowd of 100 in a couple of weeks. Any advice? It’s a fish fry mainly so it doesn’t have to be the main course. Thinking of doing 2.5 times the volume of that recipe.
That recipe won't let you down - it's my favorite.
Posted on 9/19/22 at 8:33 am to Stadium Rat
quote:
That recipe won't let you down - it's my favorite.
Thank you. It does look good.
I’m thinking of cooking everything but the shrimp 2 days out then 1 day out sauté the shrimp separately and mix into the cold base for reheating the next day.
I figure with that volume, the shrimp would be less likely to overcook during the long cool down period.
This post was edited on 9/19/22 at 8:41 am
Posted on 9/19/22 at 10:59 pm to tigers1956
Does hits the spot for me as well.
Posted on 9/20/22 at 11:37 am to Professor Dawghair
quote:
Working on a batch today. Will post pics later.
looks amazing and thx for sharing your experience and pics with us.
If your SO and MIL are satisfied with the final product claiming it's very, very close to Manuel's that's all that matters. Did you also grow up in LA or the NOLA area ? I'm definitely gonna borrow your tweaked recipe above, and see if I can find the parchment paper that Mauel's used to wrap the tamales. Manuel's had more greasy-oil because they used a beef with a higher fat content. Did you use 80/20 ground beef purchase at the store ? Rat also confirmed that Manuel's would cook the beef and seasoning together first, then chill the product before rolling the tamale logs. Other than adding a bit more salt, any other modifications you plan to incorporate for your next batch ? Keep up the good work as you have all of our interests
Posted on 9/20/22 at 12:08 pm to Got Blaze
Thanks Got Blaze.
To be clear, my wife and MIL never had Manuel’s but they did say it was like what they remember from other places. They’ve always called them wet tamales which I get now.
I’m from GA, but married into a LA family about 30 years ago. They are from the Jennings/Lake Arthur area but lived around BR too.
I did use 80/20. I’m interested in the cook before rolling method so might try that next.
I’ve changed my mind about salt. I think it was about right. I did use about 1/2 the red pepper as in the recipe and it had a nice subtle heat. Some folks would probably like them hotter. Also added some red pepper to the pour over sauce. I really like the overall flavor. I’m going to keep reading recipes and researching because there might be an added flavor punch up out there.
I’m thinking about whether you could use a pastry bag to squeeze out more uniform “logs”. I got better at making them by the end of the process but would like to make it more consistent.
I think they really benefited from chilling and soaking in the liquid for a day.
Not sure the double dredge is worth it. Will probably skip that next time.
The corn meal ring really set up better after a days rest.
Appreciate the feedback and Best Wishes to your dad GB.
To be clear, my wife and MIL never had Manuel’s but they did say it was like what they remember from other places. They’ve always called them wet tamales which I get now.
I’m from GA, but married into a LA family about 30 years ago. They are from the Jennings/Lake Arthur area but lived around BR too.
I did use 80/20. I’m interested in the cook before rolling method so might try that next.
I’ve changed my mind about salt. I think it was about right. I did use about 1/2 the red pepper as in the recipe and it had a nice subtle heat. Some folks would probably like them hotter. Also added some red pepper to the pour over sauce. I really like the overall flavor. I’m going to keep reading recipes and researching because there might be an added flavor punch up out there.
I’m thinking about whether you could use a pastry bag to squeeze out more uniform “logs”. I got better at making them by the end of the process but would like to make it more consistent.
I think they really benefited from chilling and soaking in the liquid for a day.
Not sure the double dredge is worth it. Will probably skip that next time.
The corn meal ring really set up better after a days rest.
Appreciate the feedback and Best Wishes to your dad GB.
Posted on 9/20/22 at 12:41 pm to Professor Dawghair
quote:
Appreciate the feedback and Best Wishes to your dad GB.
thx brother... greatly appreciate the support from you and other FB posters.
what about a sausage stuffer (vertical, handheld, KA attachment, or old school) that would produce appropriate size logs, then you could cut to desired length ? Tamale size would be 100% consistent with little hand-rolling effort. You wouldn't need a $200-300 commercial grade stuffer since you're only needing it for 3-4 lbs of seasoned, chilled meat.
Posted on 9/20/22 at 1:00 pm to Got Blaze
quote:
what about a sausage stuffer
Great idea. I actually have one that I haven’t used in years… if I can find it!
That would make dredging a breeze.
Posted on 9/20/22 at 1:30 pm to Professor Dawghair
I want to chime in again about cooking the meat before rolling. If you're trying to recreate Manuel's this is essential. I got this secret straight from the horse's mouth.
Some of you know, I am a retired lawyer. I once had a divorce case in which my client was the son-in-law of Manuel's owner. In other words, he had been part of the family, but now was exiting the inner circle. He no longer had any reason to keep family secrets.
While in a lull at court, I asked him about how the tamales were made. He told me the meat and seasonings were cooked together in giant pressure cookers before the tamales were assembled.
For those who remember Manuel's, you remember that the meat was sort of loose, even if the tamales were rolled tightly. This is because you're rolling the fat in with the other stuff. Remember, with this method, you DO NOT DRAIN THE GREASE OFF.
Some of you know, I am a retired lawyer. I once had a divorce case in which my client was the son-in-law of Manuel's owner. In other words, he had been part of the family, but now was exiting the inner circle. He no longer had any reason to keep family secrets.
While in a lull at court, I asked him about how the tamales were made. He told me the meat and seasonings were cooked together in giant pressure cookers before the tamales were assembled.
For those who remember Manuel's, you remember that the meat was sort of loose, even if the tamales were rolled tightly. This is because you're rolling the fat in with the other stuff. Remember, with this method, you DO NOT DRAIN THE GREASE OFF.
Posted on 9/20/22 at 4:27 pm to Stadium Rat
The meat was def loose. Frequently, after you unrolled and ate a tamale, there would be meat left behind (as well as a ton of grease).
Posted on 9/20/22 at 8:20 pm to Got Blaze
quote:
my brother lives in Mandeville
Check out Mi Bop’s (Facebook link) in St. Tammany. They’re at different farmer’s markets in Mandeville/Covington/Abita every weekend and are close to what I remember getting from Manuel’s and Ben’s.
Posted on 9/20/22 at 8:59 pm to pmacneworleans
quote:
Frequently, after you unrolled and ate a tamale, there would be meat left behind
We’d go through a sleeve of Saltines which was perfect for the messy loose meat
Posted on 10/28/22 at 10:43 am to Got Blaze
copy/paste below from my reply to Mouton's 10/28/22 query about tamales.
dawghair and StadiumRat have great tips .... I did the Manuel's tamale recipe last weekend b/c I grew up in NOLA and my 78 yr old dad wanted me to fix him Manuel's. Bought a sausage stuffer tube (see below pic) off Amazon for $15. It includes 3 different size tubes. I cooked down the fine ground 80/20 chuck with the seasonings. Let it cool and refrigerated the tamale meat for 2 days. Then used the sausage device with the 3/4" tube size to lay out the lines of tamale meat. Cut into 4" lengths.
Add meat to corn meal and very lightly coat. The corn meal will expand when cooking. I barely coated the meat and see how it came out. Dawg mentioned this also as I believe he added a bit too much corn meal.
Do not wrap to tight as the tamale will expand. Do not overstuff or pack the tamales tight as they have to expand. I used coffee filters since my parchment tamale paper order didn't arrive in time. I trimmed a bit off the sides to make it more of a 6" x 6" square. My tamales were cooked in the crock pot on low for 6 hours and covered in the seasoned water. 2.5 lbs of ground chuck yielded approx. 60 tamales (5 dozen)
The flavor, texture, appearance, and end product reminded me exactly of Manuel's. The last time I ate them would have been in the early 90's .... 30 years ago. Very tedious process as it takes a while. Cooking the meat and refrigerating for several days was perfect since it allowed the flavors to soak in like 2-3 day old chili or gumbo. As the tamale meat lines sat it, they became more loose.
What I would do different - after cutting into 4" lengths, I'd keep the meat refrigerated since they're easier to handle and won't break apart. Take out 8-10 at a time and roll. Then take out another 8-10 and repeat. Coffee filters definitely worked, but tamale parchment paper would be much easier. Less corn meal would stick to the paper when unrolling the cooked tamales.
chilled cooked seasoned meat, notice the orange grease which Manuels was famous for.
very lightly cover , or dust in corn meal
dawghair and StadiumRat have great tips .... I did the Manuel's tamale recipe last weekend b/c I grew up in NOLA and my 78 yr old dad wanted me to fix him Manuel's. Bought a sausage stuffer tube (see below pic) off Amazon for $15. It includes 3 different size tubes. I cooked down the fine ground 80/20 chuck with the seasonings. Let it cool and refrigerated the tamale meat for 2 days. Then used the sausage device with the 3/4" tube size to lay out the lines of tamale meat. Cut into 4" lengths.
Add meat to corn meal and very lightly coat. The corn meal will expand when cooking. I barely coated the meat and see how it came out. Dawg mentioned this also as I believe he added a bit too much corn meal.
Do not wrap to tight as the tamale will expand. Do not overstuff or pack the tamales tight as they have to expand. I used coffee filters since my parchment tamale paper order didn't arrive in time. I trimmed a bit off the sides to make it more of a 6" x 6" square. My tamales were cooked in the crock pot on low for 6 hours and covered in the seasoned water. 2.5 lbs of ground chuck yielded approx. 60 tamales (5 dozen)
The flavor, texture, appearance, and end product reminded me exactly of Manuel's. The last time I ate them would have been in the early 90's .... 30 years ago. Very tedious process as it takes a while. Cooking the meat and refrigerating for several days was perfect since it allowed the flavors to soak in like 2-3 day old chili or gumbo. As the tamale meat lines sat it, they became more loose.
What I would do different - after cutting into 4" lengths, I'd keep the meat refrigerated since they're easier to handle and won't break apart. Take out 8-10 at a time and roll. Then take out another 8-10 and repeat. Coffee filters definitely worked, but tamale parchment paper would be much easier. Less corn meal would stick to the paper when unrolling the cooked tamales.
chilled cooked seasoned meat, notice the orange grease which Manuels was famous for.
very lightly cover , or dust in corn meal
Posted on 9/9/24 at 11:05 am to Stadium Rat
My corn meal won't set up. Do you know why that might be. I thought once they cooled, they would firm up. But there mushy
Posted on 9/9/24 at 1:19 pm to Tughub
Try cooking longer. Pull one out and test before you kill the fire.
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