Green Corn Tamales

The authentic kind, like you get in Arizona.

Any place in Chicago where someone has had these?

Thanks!

jilter wrote:The authentic kind, like you get in Arizona.

How about a little more information for those of us who are not familiar with Arizona green corn tamales. What type, how are they made, where are they typically sold, what makes them noteworthy, any particular part of Arizona.

Curious minds want to know.

Thanks,
Gary

Green corn tamales are made from a fresh masa made from fresh white corn instead of dried corn normally processed to make masa harina. "Masa" is the corn meal filling in the tamal. The processed corn for making masa is readily available in stores in whole kernels to be ground, a paste already ground, and a flour-like dry product. However, green corn tamales are always made from fresh white corn cut from the cob. Tucson home cocineras (cooks) often have yogurt added to the ground mixture for smoothness at the carneceria (meat shop) which grinds the corn for them. Some use lard. The tamal is usually filled with a strip of green chile and a jack-style cheese. The tamales are folded, tied shut and steamed for usually 1.5 hours before serving. These are typically available in late summer and autumn when fresh white corn is available. You can also find them frozen in stores most of the year. The filling is sweeter and smoother than a tamal made from processed dried corn.

Having grown up in Tucson, these are among my favorite tamales to eat and they are really simply to make. I use a method based loosely on the recipe from the El Charro Cafe Cookbook. That recipe calls for cottage cheese rather than yogurt. Farmer's cheese does a nice job. Can't wait to find some sweet, tender corn to make up a batch.

Bill/SFNM

I don't know of any place in Chicago serving Tucson-style green corn tamales, but one can find Mexican tamales de elote or tamales uchepos, which are similar in that they are made with fresh corn. Judging from the green corn tamales our friend and LTH-poster edeben brought us once from Tucson, the Tucson kind are cheesier and sweeter than the Mexican ones. But perhaps you might enjoy the Mexican versions too.

Sol de Mexico and Mundial Cocina Mestiza have had them on the menu in the past -- you could call and check what the current menus have.

Or, you can buy frozen tamales de elote at Lacteos Santa Maria in La Villita.

Sol de Mexico
3018 N Cicero Ave
Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 282-4119‎

Mundial Cocina Mestiza
1640 W 18th St
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 491-9908

Lacteos Santa Maria
3424 W 26th St
Chicago, IL 60623
(773) 277-1760

The Evanston Lunch Group has had them at a couple of different places (again, don't know if they're Tucson style) at Tickie's (just called green corn tamales IIRC) and Pupuseria Los Planes (Tamales de Elote)

Although things have changed with NAFTA and the globalization of food supplies, Tucson green corn tamales were made with young (green), sweeter, tender varieties of corn. Fresh corn tamales in the heart of Mexico were made with tough, mature varieties of field corn like the kind made into nixtamal.

IIRC, the word elotes in Mexico means sweet corn (choclo in South America) where maiz usually refers to the field corn you describe, although often anything made from field corn dough is just referred to as "masa"

Mhays wrote:IIRC, the word elotes in Mexico means sweet corn (choclo in South America) where maiz usually refers to the field corn you describe, although often anything made from field corn dough is just referred to as "masa"

When I lived in Mexico City, I would buy elotes (with mayo, lime and chile powder) from street vendors that were definitely tough and not sweet (the corn, not the vendors ). In fact, I never remember having what we call sweet corn ever - this was back in the 70's. But since NAFTA, the US has been exporting sweet corn to Mexico. As you know, there are often multiple words depending on the context - where it is in the transition from plant or animal in the field to morsel in your mouth: .

Maiz - elote
Pez - pescado
Cochino - puerco
Gallina - pollo
tomate - jitomate
etc.

Fun stuff, but bottom line, green corn tamales are a delicacy - served with a green or red caldillo -a few simple flavors where the whole is far greater than the sum of parts.

Bill

/bump old thread

Anyone seen any green corn tamales (Tuscson style) in or near Chicago?

cafe 28 on Irving Park used to do a dish they called green corn tamales, although it was different from what's described upthread. these were more like corn cakes.....they were triangular, as if they cooked (or molded) them in a square shape and then sliced them diagonally. they did have green chile and cheese in them, though, and were a very tasty side to my eggs and cafe con leche.

May is the start of Green corn tamale season at El Chollo They are $42.00 a dozen by mail.

http://keyingredient.com/recipes/139621 ... n-tamales/

/bump old thread

Anyone seen any green corn tamales (Tucson style) in or near Chicago?

Jilter:

In a word, no. And I've been on the lookout since moving back here from AZ in 1986. Cafe 28 was passable, but not the real deal at all.

But all is not lost! Here's an odd but highly effective alternative/remedy: Get a cheapie fare on JetBlue to NYC (ours was $39). Don't eat breakfast, and visit Los Dos Molinos (a branch of the South PHX/Springerville staple - why NYC? No idea!). Order a green corn tamal and a red chile burro, enchilada style; wash down with a Negro Modelo or two. Perfection on both counts! My visit there took me right back home in a heartbeat. Highly recommended. Probably cheaper than a visit to Alinea, too.