On 1/7/2021 7:40 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
>
> "jmcquown" <
j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:8wNJH.89642$192....@fx47.iad...
>> On 1/7/2021 12:40 AM, Julie Bove wrote:
>>> The steamer basket looks pretty useless. Barely an inch > deep. It
>>> might
>>> make one tamale at a time. Might. There were no instructions for
>>> steaming except to use an external timer.
>>
>> Why is it you think a rice cooker is intended to be used for tamales?
>> Just because you love "mexican rice" doesn't mean a rice cooker will
>> work for tamales. Or anything you perceive to be "Mexican".
>
> Because it comes with a steamer. I've never made steamed foods. I've
> never made tamales except for cup tamales. I now know that tamales can
> take up to two hours to cook. So while the rice cooker might be able to
> steam one tamale at a time, it wouldn't stay hot long enough to cook it.
> At least not the model I bought which is pretty much plug and play.
>>
>> I mentioned this in another post where you brought up tamales and a
>> rice cooker. Requires a deep pot with a lid and a steamer basket.
>> Yeah, you got rid of the deep pot because you never used it and didn't
>> have that type of steamer basket.
>
> I haver ordered a tamale steamer.
No need for one.
>> So, go ahead and complain about why your rice cooker won't work for
>> tamales. I can certainly understand why.
>
> I didn't complain. Just stated a fact/
Which always sounds like a complaint.
>> No way is a rice cooker is designed to handle this. When I made
>> tamales it was pretty much a one pot deal (from cooking the meat to
>> create the nice spicy broth to stacking them in the pot and steaming
>> until done.) Except for the mixing bowl for the masa dough, only one
>> cooking pot was needed and it sure wasn't a rice cooker.
>>
>> Tamales are a lot of work. Have you ever made them?
>
> No. But I don't mind a lot of work. I don't have anything else to do
> right now. Mine probably won't contain meat. I like black bean and
> cheese and chle. Justin does like chicken though so I might make some of
> those. I will have to get some freezer space for them.
>>
Black bean and cheese and oh, chle. Sorry, vegetarian tamales with
beans and cheese might appeal but the methodology is no different.
>> I slow simmered a pork roast (I know, you don't like pork - substitute
>> chicken if you like with lots of spices in a deep pot in liquid until
>> the meat was falling apart tender. Removed the meat and strained the
>> spicy cooking liquid. When making tamales, that liquid is reserved
>> and used to add moisture to the filling but also to the dough and to
>> steam the tamales. Shred or chop the meat (whichever you prefer) and
>> moisten it with a bit of the spicy broth.
>>
>> Make the dough using masa harina (some of the spicy cooking liquid is
>> also added to the dough as the liquid). Spread the dough onto soaked
>> corn husks then add the meat and roll the tamales. Place them in a
>> deep pot over a steamer basket, standing upright, and steam until
>> about 30-40 minutes until when you unwrap one the dough lightly pulls
>> apart from the husk.
>
> Hmmm... The recipes I've seen call for far more cooking time.
They actually do but I doubt you'd have the patience.
>> I think you're expecting the impossible from a stove-top appliance. I
>> also don't think you intend to "make" tamales. Reheat some frozen
>> ones, perhaps. A rice cooker is still not the best countertop
>> appliance for the task.
>
> No. I've always wanted to make tamales but felt like the stuff to make
> them was too costly. Most of the pots I saw were $50 and up. I found one
> that was about $20.
There is no need for a specific "tamale pot". Good lord, you're
gullible. You seem to enjoy buying and then discarding things.
> I think the biggest expense will be the corn husks.
Oh, sure. Dried corn husks are extremely expensive. <snork> Sorry you
can't afford about $6 for a package of 12 dried corn husks. BTW, they
don't expire.
> I don't know of any Mexican grocers around here any more. I did look
> online but the search was kind of bogus because it mostly turned up
> restaurants and not grocery stores.
That's because you don't use a normal search engine. I don't shop at a
Mexican grocer. As far back as 1995 when I tried my hand at making
tamales, I could find masa harina in the flour/baking section. If you
don't want to leave the house you can order it online. I'm sure you can
find beans and whatever cheese to add to them. But if you don't make
the broth and don't make a proper seasoned masa dough and have a pot
large enough to steam them, waste of time.
> I have been trying to stay out of
> stores. I know the standard grocery stores sell them, but in small
> quantities.
>
Sell them? Sells a special tamale pot? Not necessary. Certainly not a
rice cooker.
Jill
> When I reheat frozen ones, I wrap them in damp paper towels and nuke them.
Maybe you can use the rice cooker for that.
I sincerely doubt you'd ever undertake the task of making tamales from
scratch. The ones I made were delicious, time consuming and simply
because I really wanted to try my hand at making them from scratch. No
pseudo vegetarian tamales were involved.
Jill