What's in the best tamale you've ever had?

[foxmeadow]

We're having friends over tomorrow night ( one a fellow WTer) for dinner. I love to cook Mexican, but I want to try a new filler for tamales. Anybody got a secret recipe?

[foxmeadow]

I am absolutely NOT stuck on the nationality of superior Latino food. ( is there such a thing as "square range" food?) I'd love to know more...

[foxmeadow]

Thanks, C. I'll look forward to those dishes. For tonight, I'll whip up Camarones a La Diabla, chop em up and put them in the tamales. Expedient...

[Brute1100]

Tagged because I want that recipe... :)

[jamgusmc]

Ok.. now I am freaking hungry.. thanks..

[moses1moses11]

add cooked bacon

[CaptBeach]

Goat...best tamale i ever had.....

[Fulanito]

The ones we freeze at Christmas and then open in July. I prefer chicken, carrot, onion and tobasco mixed in.

[foxmeadow]

Tagged because I want that recipe... :)

Filling: http://eauthenticmexicanrecipes.com/authentic-mexican-recipes/authentic-mexican-recipes-shrimp-a-la-diabla-camarones-a-la-diabla

I chopped the shrimp before cooking and used less of the sauce so it wouldn't be too runny.

The masa was good ol' Maseca, lard was used instead of shortening, and I added chili powder to the mix.

Assemble as shown on any tamale making site.

The first shrimp tamales I ever had were on the train to Tepic 38 years ago. The train stopped at every little village and kids would come onto the train selling their mamas' cooking. The aroma of these tamales was incredible, so I bought 4, at 1 peso each. The train started rolling and I unwrapped the first one and bit into it, to discover that WHOLE shrimp had been used- legs, antennae, eyeballs and shells. LOL.

I looked around, and lots of Mexicans on the train were wolfing them down, so what the heck..Yummy

I make them now with only peeled and deveined tails....

I had leftover masa, so I filled them with half of a whole canned chile, a piece of Oaxacan string cheese and a fat tablespoon of roasted fresh corn kernels. Try this too.

[TrojanSkyCop1]

Best homemade tamales were made by my Guatemalan ex-roommate. Sorry, I didn't ask him for the recipe.

Best restaurant tamales I've had were the chicken tamales at Los Burritos Mexican Restaurant in North Hollywood, PRK.

[red-it]

Best I've had were from a Cuban house keeper I had in Coral Gables.
She's passed away but I see the daughter every once in a while, I'll call her ;/

[gatorgrizz27]

I always like pork Tamales the best, it might be pretty good to smoke or BBQ a butt or shoulder, then mix it with some habanero or other chili peppers and stuff some.