TAMALES

Tamales are a mixture of meat or fowl made hot with chiles and wrapped in corn-husks. In preparing the dough or nixtamal, unless scalded meal is used for a substitute, it is necessary to prepare the shelled corn with lime-water. The Mexicans grind the corn prepared in this way, on the metate, and instead of a mortar use the molcajete and lejolote.

To prepare the corn, cover it with water, add the lime-water and boil until the husks slip off easily between the fingers, then wash in cold water until perfectly white. The lime-water is made by adding an ounce of common lime to a quart of water; stir well and let settle; when clear, drain off the water for use. One quart of lime-water prepared in this way will do for a pound of corn. For the wrapping, cut off the inside leaves of the corn-husks about an inch from the stalk end and boil in clear water until perfectly clean. Tear a few in narrow strips to use for tying the ends; dry the rest and rub them over with a cloth dipped in hot lard.

FARSANTA

Use equal quantities of cold boiled chicken and veal, and half as much ham, all chopped. Mix together and moisten with good gravy. Season with salt, cayenne and a little chopped parsley. Make a dough by pouring a cupful of boiling water on a quart of fine, fresh corn-meal; work in a big lump of butter and add water until like biscuit dough. Have ready, as directed, a pile of the soft inner leaves or husks of green corn. Take a lump of dough about the size of an egg; pat it out flat, put a tablespoonful of the meat on it and roll for the inner husk. Then put on the outer husks with a thin piece of dough in each. Tie the ends and boil in water containing a few red peppers and a clove of garlic.

GENUINO

Boil three quarts of whole corn in ash lye until the hulls come off; soak in clear water until the lye is all out, then grind. Remove the seeds and veins from six chile peppers, boil soft and then put through a colander to separate from the skin. Boil a chicken tender and set aside half of the well-seasoned broth; the rest, with the chicken, thicken with part of the ground corn and add the pepper-pulp and three tablespoonfuls of fine marjoram. For the batter, take the remainder of the broth and ground corn and mix into it a tablespoonful of olive-oil; season with salt and make the dough just thick enough to spread. These proportions will make fifteen tamales.

HACIENDA

Grind two quarts of hulled corn through a meat-chopper and mix to a paste with two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, salt and cayenne. Divide a large, fat chicken and stew until tender, in water containing a clove of garlic and a pinch, each, of salt, comino seed and marjoram. Scald two dozen dry chiles, remove the seeds and veins, scrape the pulp from the skin, add this to the chicken-stew and thicken slightly with flour. Shape the corn-husks with scissors and soak in warm water for an hour. Remove, dry and rub each one with hot fat. Fill one with the chicken-stew, spread four others with the corn-paste; fold over the one containing the chicken and roll the others around. Tie the ends with a strip of the husk and steam for two hours.

HOT TAMAL

For the dough, add to one pint of corn-meal, one tablespoonful, each, of salt and lard, and enough boiling water to make a thick dough. Prepare the corn-husks as directed. For the filling boil one pound of beef and pour over it hot beef fat; cut into small bits and season with salt and chile sauce. Put a layer of the dough in the husk, over this a tablespoonful of the prepared meat; roll like a cigarette, with a layer of dough between each husk. Tie each end and steam two hours.

LAREDO’S CELÉBERRIMO

Boil a pound of pork until two-thirds cooked; then grind it rather fine. Add a small amount of garlic, also a small quantity of seeded raisins and prepared almonds. Soak two and a half ounces of chiles in hot water; take out the seeds and veins, wash them well and grind fine, adding enough of the stock in which the meat was boiled to make a sauce, and strain. For the dough use the ground corn prepared with lime-water; add six ounces of fresh lard to the pound, salt to taste and moisten with the meat stock. Have the husks prepared, spread each with a thin layer of dough, and for the center one, a tablespoonful of the pork and a tablespoonful of the chile sauce. Roll carefully, tie the ends and steam over the liquid in which the meat was boiled.

MESA REDONDA

Cover a four-pound chicken with hot water and add four onions, a clove of garlic chopped fine, a stick of cinnamon, ten whole allspice, ten cloves, three red chile peppers and a teaspoonful of salt. Simmer until the chicken is tender, then remove and cut into small pieces. Strain the liquor, put the chicken meat into it, add enough yellow corn-meal to make a thick mush and boil ten minutes. Have ready the green corn cut from a dozen ears and two pounds of raisins, seeded, and mix these into the mush, with a half-teaspoonful of cayenne. Fill the center husk with a piece of the chicken and some of the mush, roll the others around, each spread with a tablespoonful of the mush. Tie at each end and boil an hour.

VIAJERO

Scald a quart of good Southern white corn-meal, making it moist, but not soft. Have a chicken boiled until tender and separated into parts; season the broth with the pulp of two dozen chile peppers, a quart of whole olives, two pounds of raisins, a cupful of sweet lard, salt and a suspicion of garlic; add enough corn-meal to thicken like gravy. Lay one of the prepared husks flat, put a piece of chicken on it and two tablespoonfuls of the thickened gravy; fold the husk over with the chicken inside, and roll around this six more husks, spreading each with two tablespoonfuls of the scalded meal. Tie each end securely with a narrow strip of the husk and steam three hours or longer.