Willow Glen Resident

Cover Story

Photograph by Vicki Thompson

Sister Act: Darlene Tenes (from left) and her sisters Celeste Oda and Diana Tenes gather round the table to make tamales for the holidays. The family usually make 20 dozen. The Tenes spread the 'masa' (cornmeal) on the cornhusks before adding the shredded pork.

That's a Wrap!

Labor-intensive tamales are holiday favorites

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

As the holidays approach, light displays are placed and residents finish the last of their shopping, one woman prepares to partake in a tradition that is more than 7,000 years old.

Darlene Tenes' kitchen fills with chatter and laughter as three generations of women wash their hands and roll up their sleeves, to make a traditional holiday food--tamales.

The tamale dates back to pre-Columbian times, when women were taken along in battle as army cooks. As the demand for portable food grew, the women came up with a creative and tasty way to keep their warriors fed. They made a burrito-like filling wrapped in cornhusks that could be cooked over a comal, or grill, between battles.

Tenes, whose company Marketing Maniacs helped promote the reopening of the Garden Theater, gets together with the women in her family on the first weekend of December to make tamales.

"In our family, it's predominantly the women that make the tamales," Tenes says. "The men only help out when they are really young, and once they get older, they disappear until the tamales are done."

The task is "mindless labor," Tenes says, but it's about spending time with family.

"You could buy them at a store or restaurant," she says, "but getting together is the important part."

Tenes' mother, Lily, represents the oldest generation, and Tenes' nieces represent the youngest.

Darlene learned how to make tamales when she was young and wants to make sure the tradition is passed down.

"We want the young generation to learn about our culture and experience the tamale-making process," Darlene says.

Lily says more than ever the tradition has purpose.

"The family is so large now, and most have their own Christmas celebrations, so making tamales is a way to get the whole family together during the holidays," she says.

The importance of getting the family together became apparent after a winter tragedy in 1992, when their matriarch, Luz "Mama Luz" Sanchez-Guerrero, Lily's mother, died in a fire.

"It was as if the family party the night before was a going-away party," Lily says. "We all said our good-byes."

Now, the women in the family are trying to get together more often to make tamales, she says.

"They want to learn how to make them, especially those who married into the family," Lily says.

Lily remembers when she made her first tamale. She was 8.

"I used to make them at my grandmother's house on Christmas Eve," Lily says. "I would spread the masa or cornmeal, on the hojas, or cornhusks, and sit around and wait for the tamales to be ready to eat."

She had no idea how much work really went into making the holiday treats.

"When you're kids, its all fun," she says. "You don't think about those things."

When Mama Luz began making tamales, she took a more practical approach.

"She would freeze them," says Lily, who continued this practice when she began making her own tamales five years ago.

"We used to go to my sister, Carol [Rivera]'s, house to make them," she says. "I got to the point that I wanted to learn how to make them myself, so that's when I started making them at home."

Preparation and care

The masa, along with the meat and chili, are all made the day before the women get together.

"We could buy prepared masa, but we like to add lard to help with the taste," Darlene says.

The masa is the most important part of the whole, she says.

"To test if the masa is ready, you put a little bit in water, and if it floats, it's ready," she says.

The more people that show up, the faster the tamales are made, she says. The family usually make 20 dozen.

The next step consists of moving the prepared masa, chili and meat to a long table in the kitchen. A makeshift assembly line is put together, and the women strap on their aprons.

"In our family, all the women wear aprons," Darlene says. "My grandmother, Mama Luz, used to say, 'A lady always wears an apron in the kitchen.' "

All the aprons are hand-sewn and were given to the women as Christmas gifts.

The first step of tamale-making is spreading the masa on the cornhusks.

"We need to show everyone how to spread the masa like peanut butter," Darlene says.

After the spreading, the meat is put in the middle and an olive is placed with it.

"We have put olives in the tamales since forever," Darlene says.

Although the traditional meat for tamales is pork, the family also makes chicken tamales and rajas, or cheese and jalapeño tamales.

"The biggest misconception about tamales is that there is only one kind," Darlene says.

There are different types of meat tamales, vegetarian tamales, cornhusk and banana leaf tamales and, depending on the region, large and small ones.

"The Texan tamales must be the only thing that's done small in Texas," she says.

When Darlene was growing up, the tamales would be made on Christmas Eve, and everyone would stay up and wait to eat them.

"But today, women work as well as cook, so there's not as much time," Darlene says. "We only cook a few for the workers. The rest will get cooked the day we eat them, usually Christmas Eve."

Old traditions

Over the years, the tamale-making process evolved with the technology.

"Things are more high-tech," Darlene says. "We use evites to invite all our family members."

The women also use a standing mixer to mix the masa instead of doing it by hand.

"We're getting more practical now," she says.

Items such as the masa and chili can be bought prepared.

"Growing up, there were hardly any Mexican grocery stores," Darlene says. "Now there are many, trying to keep up with the modernized Mexicans."

The tamales' move into the 21st century also made them more accessible.

"It used to be that the only way to have tamales was to know someone who was making them and go over to their home," Darlene says. "Now, even non-Mexicans can eat tamales anytime."

Tamales can be found easily in local restaurants and food chains; even Costco sells them in bulk. But Tenes warns that unless they are handmade, they won't taste the same, and she doesn't recommend the low and nonfat varieties either.

"It's no myth that making tamales is a lot of work," Darlene Tenes says, "but it's worth it because they are so good."

Traditional red tamales
(Makes about five dozen)

4-5 lb. boneless pork or beef roast
(can also use chicken)

1 large onion

6-8 garlic cloves

8 cups of red chili sauce (see below)

30 cups of masa * (see below)

6 dozen dried corn husks, prepared for tamales

Cover the meat, onion and garlic with water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for two hours until tender, adding more water as necessary (cooking water can be used as stock for masa). Shred meat.

Prepare the masa and chili sauce. Mix together.

Assemble the tamales by spreading about 1/3 cup masa on the smooth side of a corn husk, place 2 teaspoons meat in the center of the masa, and top with 2 tablespoons of salsa. Wrap in the style of your choice and steam.

Red chili sauce (Makes about eight cups)

12 ancho (or dried poblano) chiles (available at
any market)

4-6 dried California chiles

3 large onions

6 cloves garlic

1 can (28 oz.) puréed tomato

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

About 3 cups chicken, meat or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried coriander

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a quart of water to a boil in a medium pot. Seed and rinse the chiles, and add to the boiling water. Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes to soften. Remove chiles from water and reserve 2 cups of the soaking liquid.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet and sauté onions until soft but not browned. Use a food processor or blender to purée the soaked chiles, onion and garlic.

Heat remaining oil in the skillet, stir in the cumin and coriander for 30 seconds (do not let the spices burn or they will become bitter). Add the chili mixture, 2 cups reserved chili soaking liquid and enough stock to give the sauce the consistency of a thin marinara sauce. Stir in the brown sugar and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Masa (Makes about 15 cups, enough for 2 dozen tamales)

Pre-made masa can be purchased at local supermarkets

7 cups chicken, meat or vegetable stock

2 cups lard, butter, margarine, shortening, olive or
corn oil, or any combination of these ingredients

1-2 tablespoons salt to taste

12 cups dry masa harina flour

Heat the stock until it's warm.

Using electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour with stock. Beat on medium speed for a minute or two until well combined. If dough seems dry, add additional stock. At this point, dough should resemble a thick pudding.

If using oil, drizzle in oil while mixing and beat the masa for about 10 minutes or until light and fluffy.

If using butter, margarine, lard or shortening as fat, remove the masa mixture from bowl and set aside. Beat the solid fats in a separate bowl on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Fold the masa mixture into the whipped fat one cup at a time until completely incorporated, continue blending the mixture until is becomes a soft paste consistency.

List of places to purchase
traditional tamales, where they are still handmade

El Azteca Tamale Factory

77 S 28th St.

San Jose, CA 95116

408.287.6000

elaztecafoods.com

Casa Vicky Mexican Bakery and Café

792 E. Julian St.

San Jose, CA 95112

408.995.5488

Casavicky.com

Lucy's Tamale Factory

233 S White Rd

San Jose, CA 95127

408.729.1846

Lucy's Tamale Factory

974 Story Road

San Jose, CA 95122

408.275.8262