Tamales — Beating Air Into Masa & Steaming in a Husk

Mexican Cookery

Chapter 8 · Tamales: Beating Air Into Masa & Steaming in a Husk

Tortilla masa (Chapter 4) is a firm, moist dough, pressed thin and cooked dry on a hot comal. Tamale masa starts from the same base but takes it in a genuinely different direction — whipped with fat until it's light and aerated, then cooked slowly by moist steam instead.

Beating Air Into the Masa

Combine masa with lard (or vegetable shortening as a substitute), and beat vigorously — with a mixer, or by hand with real sustained effort — until the mixture becomes noticeably lighter and fluffier, closer to a thick batter than a firm dough.

The real float test Drop a small ball of the beaten masa into a cup of cold water. If it floats, enough air has been incorporated. If it sinks, keep beating and test again — a genuine, concrete way to check without guessing.

Assembling in a Husk

  1. Soak the husks Soften dried corn husks in warm water until pliable.
  2. Spread the masa Using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, spread a layer of beaten masa across the wider end of a husk.
  3. Add the filling Place a spoonful of filling — savoury (meat in mole or salsa, or cheese and chiles) or sweet — in the centre of the masa layer.
  4. Fold to enclose Fold the sides of the husk in over the filling, then fold up the narrow bottom end, enclosing the masa and filling completely.

Steaming

Stand the wrapped tamales upright in a steamer, open end up, and steam for a real, substantial time — often an hour or more — until the masa sets.

A real doneness test: does it release cleanly? Unwrap a test tamale carefully. If the masa sticks to the husk, it needs more steaming time. A properly done tamale's masa pulls cleanly away from the husk.

The husk itself is purely a cooking vessel here — unlike Chinese Cookery's own dumpling wrappers, it's never eaten, only removed before serving.

Kitchen Practice

Kitchen Practice 1
Beat a batch of masa with lard until light, testing it with the float test, and continuing to beat and retest until a small ball floats.
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Kitchen Practice 2
Assemble and steam a full batch of tamales — soaked husks, spread beaten masa, a filling, folded and steamed for the proper time — checking doneness by whether the masa releases cleanly from the husk.
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Kitchen Practice 3
Make one tamale with properly beaten, aerated masa, and one with plain, unbeaten masa (like tortilla masa). Steam both the same way and compare texture.
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Quick Reference — Tamales

  • Tamale masa is beaten with lard until light and aerated — genuinely different from tortilla masa's firmer, unbeaten texture
  • The float test — a small ball dropped in water — is the real, concrete check for enough air
  • Spread masa on a soaked husk, add filling, fold to enclose, and steam upright for a real, substantial time
  • A properly done tamale's masa releases cleanly from the husk; an underdone one sticks
  • Unlike a dumpling wrapper, the husk is purely a cooking vessel — never eaten
Next — Chapter 9: Lime, Citrus & Ceviche: "Cooking" Without Heat
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