Tamales are widely produced in areas like Chicago with a big Mexican population. In the 1920s and ’30s, there were a lot of African-Americans selling tamales, too. I’m not sure when or why that practice died out here — it still happens in the Mississippi Delta.

Chicago is the principal home of the paper-wrapped “corn-roll” tamale, which is nothing like these and sold at hot dogs across the city.

To follow up his 101 on fat, back before refrigeration, saturated fats have always resisted oxidation (rancidity) more than many plant oils. Notice how the 7/8 empty jar of neglected vegetable oils will acquire a nasty smell which is oxidation. Lard lasts a long time even stored wrapped in paper if in a reasonable cool spot. Also famous for high resistance to oxidation are the cocoa butter and palm oils. I'm under the impression that for some reason beef tallow does not last as long as lard. And I don't know the relative shelf-life of unrefrigerated schmaltz compared to those. But we do have freezers and refrigerators nowadays.

Everyone should keep in mind I'm an amateur cook, but my tamales (after the lard almost killed me) now contain far less fat. A little bacon fat or canola oil works fine for me. The flavors of the tamales are so good I don't seem to need fat at all in them…

Nick: this was… an evocative post, sir. I'm from New Mexico, originally — tamales are taken pretty seriously down there. (Though we use chicken and red or green chile sauce, not usually tomatillo.) You've made me very hungry, and a little nostalgic. In fact, you've probably won me as a reader — first post I read, too. Neat!

Ezzie: chemically, fats and oils differ primarily by the temperature at which they solidify (room temperature for fats, slighly lower for oils). You *shoud* be able to do a substitution, but I'd go with good canola oil over olive oil or butter — something a little more flavor-neutral. But, you know what might be extra-super-tasty? Schmaltz. I haven't poached a chicken in this manner yet, but when I make stock, or when I roast a chicken, I usually get a pretty generous amount of chicken fat, either in the pan or floating on the poaching liquid. It'd certainly add an extra step and a little time, but if you let your poaching liquid cool and then refrigerate it, you'll likely find quite a layer of (solid, easy to manipulate) fat on top — the schmaltz! I usually use mine to make biscuits with chicken gravy; I see no reason you couldn't use yours to augment the tamales. There might not be enough — in which case, you're back to canola oil or Crisco. You'll likely get a different texture; I imagine Crisco would give something much more like the texture of whipped lard.

Happy cooking, and good luck!

Ezzie: Yeah, about that lard. There definitely is a lot. Crisco seems the most similar, so it might work. But I'm not sure about butter and oil. Let me know how yours end up.

My only problem with your recipe is we don't eat pork at all, so no lard comes into the house.

So what would be a good alternative? Crisco comes to mind, but even at that I shudder…I wonder if I could make it a combo of butter and olive oil? I'll have to experiment.

Thanks for the great instructions! As usual your pics really add to it as well.

Great post, thanks. If I'm going to make 32 tamales I see some going into the freezer. Any idea on what is the best stage to freeze them at? Before or after the final steaming? Thanks.