can i cook tamales in a crock pot
Christy Duke
I will be making Tamales with second graders does anyone know if i can
steam them in a crockpot? It would make it so much easier than having a
big pot of boiling water in the class.
--
Christy Duke
.
wrote:
> I will be making Tamales with second graders does anyone know if i can
> steam them in a crockpot? It would make it so much easier than having a
> big pot of boiling water in the class.
Got a microwave oven at achool?
I steam mine in a covered bowl in a small microwave oven.
IWTIYDTYM
"." <yefel...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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Wayne Lundberg
"Christy Duke" <Christy.Du...@foodbanter.com> wrote in message
news:Christy.Du...@foodbanter.com...
.
wrote:
> Not hot enough. You need steam heat to cook a tamale.
Not necessarily.
The temperature in an indigenous earth *pib* isn't hot enough to boil
water continuously, but there is enough heat in the rocks to get the
water in an evaporated state and that is enough to "steam" masa
adequately.
When I make tamales, there is no point in wrapping the masa in a
corn husk, because I don't plan to sell tamales in a supermarket
parking lot, or try to give them to my neighbors for Christmas.
And I'm not going to carry a bunch of tamales with me for lunch when I
work in the fields, so the wet corn husks used for small tamales are
superfluous.
So I make what could be described as a "tamale pie" in the Tex-Mex
vernacular.
I grease a microwave bowl so the masa won't stick.
I cover the bottom of the bowl with masa, pour my filling in the
center, and cover it with more masa.
Then I put a lid on the bowl.
I microwave it on *high* for 20 minutes, and then let the bowl sit for
45 minutes to an hour, letting the masa steam *from the inside out"
And, if somebody wants to disrespect my humble tamale pie, remember
that Mexicans make much bigger tamales than that and steam them in
earth pibs.
I don't remember the name of the giant tamale that Mexicans make when
they have venison, but no corn husk is going to hold that sucker!
Wayne Lundberg
"." <yefel...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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On Nov 24, 10:38?am, "Wayne Lundberg" <waynel...@worldnet.att.net>
.
> I don't remember the name of the giant tamale that Mexicans make when
> they have venison, but no corn husk is going to hold that sucker!
Zacahuil...
This recipe feeds 60 persons.
gunner
> steam them in a crockpot? It would make it so much easier than having a
> big pot of boiling water in the class.
>
Christy, YES.... you can steam cook tamales in a crock pot. A counter top
roasting pan can also be used. A rice steamer will also work and faster if
they are not too tall so to prevent the lid from closing . Put a bit of salt
and chile in the water, this is probably more myth than fact. The salt water
is supposed to keep the salt in the tamal from leeching out. A more
practical approach would be to cook them a day ahead and then put them in
the crock pot or a microwave to
reheat and stay warm. Thus accomplishing your safety in the classroom goal
The temp in a good crockpot will get up to 212F on high setting. How
long to get up to temp will depend on many things and something you will
need to time. It took about 2 hours to come to 212 today here in WA.
So I do not think It will not matter much if the tamales are in husks or
leaves but do not over crowd the container. I figure 2 hours to heat,
somewhere close to an hour to an hour and a half or so of some good moist
heat for cooking. Then the next batch goes in.
In cooking with a crockpot this way you will need something to keep the
tamales out of the liquid, some form of wire rack, basket or up on something
like a small plate. I rigged up 4 demi tasse cups in upside down and then a
narrow plate that fit inside my crock pot and allowed room around the edges
for the
steam. The problem was the plate collected and pooled the liquid. So try a
throw away aluminum roasting pan that you poke drain holes for your basket.