Cornmeal Tamales

Random House

As tamales spread across Texas and the rest of the South, they underwent some changes. Easy-to-find cornmeal replaced the Mexican lime-slaked masa and paper squares were often used to roll up the tamales instead of the traditional corn shucks. Anglo tamale-eaters preferred beef to the traditional pork, so beef tamales became common.

ingredients

3 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/4 cup chili powder
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
Two 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
36 pieces parchment or wax paper cut into 5-inch squares

For Dredging:

4 cups yellow cornmeal mixed with 2 teaspoons salt

directions

Combine the ground beef, seasonings, yellow cornmeal, and tomato sauce in a large bowl and mix well. Make 36 balls of approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture, or 1 1/2 ounces per ball. Roll each ball into a cigar shape about 5 inches long. Fill a 9 by 12-inch casserole or cake pan with the dredging mixture. Dredge the individual meat “cigars” in the cornmeal until well coated. Place each cornmeal-coated “cigar” in a piece of paper and roll up the paper around the filling. In a large steamer pot, lay two layers of tamales and steam for 1 hour, covered. Serve hot.

Variation: Mississippi Corn Bread Tamales

Add 1/2 cup water and a teaspoon of salt to 10 cups corn bread crumbs and work into a paste. Cover the meat “cigars” with the paste individually instead of dredging. Proceed as directed.