Smoked tamales anyone?

[RichPB (richlife)]

Really, that's a question. Since I'll have the smoker going for the 4th and also have some great leftover "taco sauce" (super tomatoey, amazing ranchero-type sauce), I was thinking about trying to smoke these wonderful pre-made pork tamales I found at Costco. (Padrino Foods, fully cooked wrapped in the corn husk. Cooking instructions call for boiling in the plastic bag, but I have always baked them in an enchilada sauce.) Obviously, I'll leave them in the corn husk and smoke carefully. Most will be for leftovers as I'm also doing a Mexican Chorizo Meatloaf (more leftovers) and extras.

But my question here is about smoking tamales. What little a search found suggested that the masa may get dried out in the smoker, but this is pre-cooked and wrapped -- already moist. Unless I can get some other ideas, I guess I'll just have to try it and keep a good watch on it. -- possibly consider wrapping in butcher paper at some point with a little liquid.

I know there are several folks here to make their own masa, tortillas, etc. and also some who have tried tamales with their own pulled/diced smoked pork. I'm not likely to get into trying my own masa or tortillas, so this is an alternative to try smoking tamales. Using my own pork butt with tienda bought masa may be a consideration, but I'll start with this and see how it goes. These tamales are really very good, so there is hope.

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

I might moisten the husks before putting them on, that should keep them a bit more tender.

 

[RichPB (richlife)]

Thanks, good point. My memory from the what I've prepared, they are already quite moist, but this is definitely worth making sure. I THINK they are in a light sauce.

 

[ChuckO]

If you're going to smoke them, I suggest putting water in the pan (I can't believe I said that) I would tread lightly on the smoke

 

[Rich Dahl]

If you're going to smoke them, I suggest putting water in the pan (I can't believe I said that) I would tread lightly on the smoke

I can't believe you said put water in the pan Chuck. Now I have to go rinse my eyes out with #5 sauce.

 

[Darryl - swazies]

If you're going to smoke them, I suggest putting water in the pan (I can't believe I said that) I would tread lightly on the smoke

Tamales need the steam......steam n smoke is not a combo I know personally

 

[Tony-Chicago]

We have a local lady that makes great tamales. However, over the years they have gotten hotter...

 

[ChuckO]

I can't believe you said put water in the pan Chuck. Now I have to go rinse my eyes out with #5 sauce.

It does go against everything I believe. But if the smoker was hot enough to boil the water, then the needed steam would occur and there would be some smoke flavoring. Would definitely have to get that water boiling though

 

[ChuckO]

Tamales need the steam......steam n smoke is not a combo I know personally

If the smoker was hot enough to boil the water, it might just work. Smoke/Steamed flavored Tamales. It could happen

 

[Mark Foreman]

My question would be … do you get smoke flavor after the husk is removed??

 

[Darryl - swazies]

If the smoker was hot enough to boil the water, it might just work. Smoke/Steamed flavored Tamales. It could happen

I was thinking this but not sure if it works.

 

[Darryl - swazies]

My question would be … do you get smoke flavor after the husk is removed??

I was also thinking this..........those husks are serious

 

[RichPB (richlife)]

My question would be … do you get smoke flavor after the husk is removed??

I'm thinking so, though the husks may be just what's needed to avoid overwhelming the masa in smoke. I like to get the smoking effect through to the pork, but that's a big ifff...

I'll be sure let you know and (hopefully) with pics. I'd hate to do all this with pics so that it never happened.

 

[RichPB (richlife)]

The tamales I smoked for the 4th came out really good. I did them on the WSM for about an hour or until the temp reached 150*. My recommendation would be to smoke only to 140* -- I got close to too much. As I had remembered, the pre-prepared tamales came in a light sauce. The filling is chopped, cooked pork (probably in that sauce) -- not smoked as far as I could tell from previously having them. The corn husks didn't interfere with smoke penetration at all. My preparation method was to bake with my taco sauce and add shredded cheddar. In a small baking dish, layer a tablespoon or two of sauce, a 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar, the still wrapped tamales slightly separated, then 1/4 -1/2 cup more of cheddar and a half cup of sauce over all. Because the tamales were refrigerated, bake at 350* for 25 minutes (or as appropriate for your circumstances). The flavors of all came through wonderfully with smoke, masa, filling, cheese and sauce melding but independently discernable. I loved them and will definitely do this again. With or without smoking. (Baked two separate time and failed to get pics -- my bad. Looked great though!)

 

[Teddy J.]

Sounds so good! I love tamales. Living in Chicago for a bit I had a coworker who was Mexican, she would pick some up from a food cart on her way into work. Never had any better!

 

[John K BBQ]

I buy tamales from the freezer section - they have fancy packaging and say they're made in TX. I usually heat them in the micro-wave per instructions and dowse with a generous amount of Texas Petes....now I'm thinking those same tamales thawed in the fridge for a while and brought to temperature in a smoker w/a little bit of water in it may be a great idea. I can have a couple of packages all ready at the same time in the WSK or WSM vs a batch or two at a time from the nuke...

ZZ Top should have included tamales in their TV dinner song/recipe.... maybe the sauce was too blue??