La Tamalada, the making of tamales, is a Mexican tradition that has become a holiday favorite for many families in San Antonio.
“It’s not Christmas without tamales,” said Jennifer Camacho, a Palo Alto College student who has not chosen a major.

Tamales are made with masa, corn dough, which has been seasoned with lard, salt and chili powder and filled with your choice of meat, beans and/or cheese then wrapped in an hoja, corn husk, and steamed.

The exact origin of tamales is undocumented, although there are many theories of how tamales came to be. One theory is that the tamale is dated as far back to the Aztec Indians, who would take their women out to war to cook for them. As the army grew, so did the need for a food that was easy to carry along.

One thing is true of tamales: they differ from place to place. In Culican, Sinaloa, tamales are made of sweet brown beans, corn and pineapple. In Monterrey, Nuevo León, people prefer small tamales with meat and chili for the filling. Here in San Antonio, tamales are usually filled with pork, beans, chicken, or even turkey.

Many recipes for tamales can be found at http://www.recipezaar.com like this one for pork tamales: 5 pounds of lean pork or beef, cooked and shredded; 6-7 pounds fresh masa; 1 pound of lard; 1 tablespoon of salt; 1 1/2 pints red chili sauce; and 1 bunch of hojas. This recipe makes 4 to 5 dozen tamales.

If you are looking for a healthier recipe, www.fabulousfoods.com has a tomatillo, tomato, tofu tamale recipe that calls for 7 cups chicken, meat or vegetable stock; 2 cups lard, butter, margarine, shortening, olive or corn oil, or any combination of these; 1-2 tablespoons salt; 12 cups dry masa harina, about 6 cups tofu, drained and cut into small cubes; and about 36 dried hojas, prepared for tamales; 3 pounds fresh tomatillos; 1 can (26 oz.) mild green chiles; 2 onions; 6 quartered garlic cloves; 1 bunch chopped cilantro; salt and pepper to taste. Assemble the tamales by spreading about 1/3 cup masa on the smooth side of a corn husk, place about 2 teaspoons of tofu in the center of the masa, and top with about 2 tablespoons of tomatillo salsa.

“But it’s not going to compare to a Mexican tamale,” said Blanco Resendez, owner of Don’s Molino.

If you would like something easier, you can purchase a tamale kit online at www.mexgrocer.com for $29.95 plus $7.95 shipping and handling. The kit includes a 16-ounce pack of corn husks, a 20-ounce steamer, 4.4-pound bag of masa, a 16-ounce can of crushed tomatillos, and a 2-ounce bag of dry chili ancho.

However, you don’t have to make your own.

“For $30 you can get 80 tamales ready to eat,” said Luz Galaviz, manager at Barbacoa To Go.

The easiest way is to order your tamales from a molino, a restaurant that specializes in tamales. But where can you find good tamales on the South Side of San Antonio? Seven Palo Alto College students were given a pork tamale from three locations and asked to choose the one they liked best. The students’ first choice with a near unanimous vote of 6 out of 7 was Don’s Molino, 724 Pleasanton Road. Their hours are Wednesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. A dozen tamales costs $4.65.

Second place was Barbacoa To Go, 1501 W. Southcross. Their hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. A dozen tamales costs $4.99. Last but not least, the Del Rio Tortilla Factory, 1402 Gillette Blvd., whose hours are Wednesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. A dozen tamales costs $4.65.

At all three locations, the owners and managers recommend ordering early. This will help ensure that you get some holiday tamales.

“This is a repeat business. Every year people know when to come to order,” said Resendez, owner of Don’s Molino. “It’s a demand. It’s once a year, and it is the best.”

At Don’s, they start taking orders right after Halloween. Barbacoa To Go needs at least a month in advance, and Del Rio starts their order-taking in June. They all take orders through the first two weeks of December.

If you are looking to try something new, pay a visit to La Michoacana # 3 Meat Market at 2510 Pleasanton Road. Here you will find a fat tamale that has a sweet and delectable flavor.
“[The tamales] Son todos hechos a mano (They’re all made by hand),” said Virginia T. Sanchez, manager at La Michoacana.

So, it really does not matter how or where you get your tamales. Just make sure you get them early, because once they’re gone, they’re gone.

“During the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth [of December], we sell about 30 cans every 30 minutes,” said Paul Perez of Del Rio Tortilla Factory.

“You have to have something to unwrap for Christmas,” he said.