Christmas Tamales

Renowned Tilaran cook Mary Barrientos answered a culinary call from Tronadora on Dec. 2, visiting the lakeside village to show my friend Elvie Gray how to make up a big supply of tamales to help sustain husband Neal while she makes a trip to Canada. The Grays have bought a wonderful volcano-view hectare and are house-sitting in Tronadora while they build their own home. Their neighbor, Mary Esquivel, persuaded Tilaran’s Martha Stewart to undertake the long process that produces the traditional Costa Rican tamale. The process starts with making a chicken and pork soup of which both the meat and broth are vital to further steps in the process. It ends with the cook dextrously tying up the results in a banana leaf prior to steaming or freezing. Observing the tamale-making process was awe-struck Nancy Durham, another new resident of the lake area, who may or may not undertake tamale production for husband Rusty.

Sra. Barrientos began early that morning by submerging pork roast and a whole chicken in a bath of water, salt, garlic, onion, sweet peppers, carrot, cilantro, and garlic. When the pork and chicken were cooked, she set them aside to cool and then shredded the chicken and chopped the pork. The rich broth that was a result of the cooking was then used to make a "masa" of corn meal mixed with the rich broth. Butter was added to the masa at the end and when it was just the right consistency it was set aside to await the production of the tamales.

While the meats were cooking, Sra. Barrientos and her helpers chopped up sweet peppers and carrots, cilantro, and cooked some green peas. They also cooked some white rice with spices and achiote for color and some potatoes as well.

The banana leaves used in Costa Rica for making tamales are washed and cut and stacked in twos. Sra. Barrientes put us to work getting the table and the banana leaves ready for the tamale process.

Now came the fun part. But Sra. Barrientes was not going to let some novice gringas ruin her hard-earned reputation, so she watched over each and every one of the tamale assemblies, especially the wrapping.

It was hard not to take tastes along the way because everything looked and smelled so delicious! At one point I did catch my pal Nancy sneaking a taste:

After a while one gets the hang of it, or at least one thinks one gets the hang of it, but don't ask Sra. Barrientes her opinion of your handiwork unless you have thick skin.

All in all, we had a wonderful time sharing something cultural, delicious, and friendship-building.

Pura Vida and Happy Holidays!