thebrownman.com » The personal website of Salvador Zapien

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Tradition

The Wife and I decided to stay home this Christmas and start our own family traditions for the holidays. One tradition I wanted to keep was making tamales. Fortunately for us, her parents are here and were happy to show us how to make their tamales.

This was WORK. All caps, bolded AND italicized. While I was elbow deep in masa, The Wife captured it all with our camera. I can’t wait to make them again.

Meat (pork & beef), sauce, olives and masa.

Meat (pork & beef), sauce, olives and masa.

Game on.

Game on.

My first spread was a little on the thin side.

My first spread was a little on the thin side.

I like mine with a lot of meat.

I like mine with a lot of meat.

The first two tamales (mine is the little one in the back).

The first two tamales (mine is the little one in the back).

Getting down to business.

Getting down to business.

First batch (roughly two dozen) ready for the pot. It took us (mostly me) an hour to create these.

First batch (roughly two dozen) ready for the pot. It took us (mostly me) an hour to create these.

Parchment paper - a nice little tip from the mother in law to help keep the tamales from drying out.

Parchment paper – a nice little tip from the mother in law to help keep the tamales from drying out.

Into the pot!

Into the pot!

Back to work, no time to waste.

Back to work, no time to waste.

Final product. They weren

Final product. They weren’t as good as my mother in law usually makes them but they were still pretty damn fine; not too much masa, plenty of meat and not dried out. LIKE A BOSS.

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