The Couyon Cook (Cajun for Stupid Cook): August 2010

Tamales have been on my to-do list for quite some time. Now, they are a mere notch in my culinary belt. The research stage of the project revealed that there are many different kinds of tamales - name a meat product, and there is probably a tamale recipe featuring it. On top of that, there are different styles of tamales. I ruled out the first choice right away - the New Orleans style tamale, made famous by the renowned Manuel's Tamales. This establishment, washed away by Katrina, served piping-hot, greasy, cigarillo-sized, tubes of meat wrapped in newspaper - sometimes parchment paper - at all hours of the day and night. Fans of the traditional corn husk wrapped tamales of Mesoamerican origin, dating back to 8,000 BC, may scoff at Manuel's take on the tamale. With that said, Manuel's was beloved in New Orleans, and many were saddened by the abrupt end of its reign as king of the New Orleans tamale. Since Katrina, with the influx of scores of Latino workers, the tamale and many other delicious treats typically only found south of the border, have surfaced. Grab them while you can. Who knows how long they'll be around.

In the end, I not only chose to go the more traditional route - steamed chunky tubes of masa harina in corn husks - but it also struck me that tamales might be quite delicious on a po-boy. Once I had that thought, there was no getting it out of my mind. I Googled "tamale po-boy" and was actually shocked to find that one local south Louisiana establishment was way ahead of me. Mo's Hot Tamale Cafe in Covington, LA serves up plate lunches and specializes in the Southern Tamale, also known as the Mississippi Delta Tamale. More akin to the New Orleans Tamale than the Mesoamerican variety, Delta Tamales are smaller, tighter, sometimes parchment wrapped instead of corn husk wrapped, greasy, and are sometimes bundled in threes - a far cry from the larger, doughier, traditional tamale.

I went the traditional route, sort of, by gathering authentic corn husks, masa harina, and peppers at La Placita Market. La Placita Market, only a few blocks from my Bywater apartment, is a relatively new addition to the growing selection of Latino markets in New Orleans. If you want to make your own tamales, or buy hot exotic plate lunch, check them out - right next door to Quintron's Spellcaster Lounge on St. Claude Avenue. I combined these customary ingredients with Vietnamese French Bread (if that makes any sense to anyone) from Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery at 14207 Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans East. If you're in the area, and interested in this delicious, soft loaf, please know that it can be purchased at Jazmine Cafe - 614 South Carrollton Avenue.

The process of prepping the husks, cooking the meat, filling the husks, and steaming it all up took over three hours. Put it this way, I listened to all five of the following albums all the way through: Putumayo Presents Mexico, Afro-Latino, Cuba, Republica Dominicana, and Puerto Rico!

The end product was very delicious. Every bite was a little fiesta in my mouth, with a well balanced medley of spices. We paired this flavorful po-boy with my friend Kyle's home-brewed Hefeweizen. This recipe for Chorizo Tamales is an adaptation of the Emeril Lagasse recipe found here.

corn husks

corn husks soaking

masa mixture

Chorizo filling

black bean and roasted red pepper salsa for topping

rolling the tamale

ready for the steamer

notice the varying filling techniques...

steaming with extra basket filling the empty space in the pot

steamed tamales

tamales for the foundation

Chorizo Tamale Po-Boy

with Black Bean Salsa, Jalapenos, Colby Jack, and Cilantro

Kyle's Home-Brewed Hefeweizen

Angela and I traveled down to Brandon, FL (right near Tampa) this weekend to visit my new baby niece. While there, my brother in law and his wife took us to a wonderful "authentic Spanish" restaurant called La Septima Cafe. The sign out front reads, "La Septima Cafe, A Taste of Old Ybor". Ybor is a historic neighborhood near Tampa, founded in 1880 by cigar manufacturers, and inhabited by immigrants from Spain, Cuba, and Italy. These folks brought more than their cigar-rolling skills - they also provided the area with a fantastic culinary tradition.

The establishment was voted "Best of Brandon" for 15 years in a row! Some of the featured dishes are Breaded Palomilla Steak, Jaiba Enchilada, Arroz con Pollo, Ropa Vieja, Picadillo Con Papas Fritas, Cuban Sandwich, Palomilla Milanesa, Lechon Asado, and the dish that I ordered, Boliche Ybor.

Boliche Ybor is described as "Tender slices of eye round roast that has been stuffed with chorizo and baked in a light tomato sauce." I added yellow rice, Platinos Maduras, and their homemade Sangria to my meal. I finished up with "un buchito", a shot of Cuban espresso!! Everything was delicious, and I'm sure we'll be back to La Septima on our next visit to the Tampa area.