On 3 May 2013 16:36:47 GMT, notbob > wrote:

>On 2013-05-03, Janet Bostwick > wrote:
>> a Food Network, Alton Brown episode called "Tamale Never Dies"? He
>> made a comment about lard during the show and I didn't quite catch it.
>> Help, please.
>
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCrn5zlGjig
>
>I watched most of it and had to laugh. Alton has obviously never been
>to an authentic Mexican tamale making party. I have. Not even
>remotely close to the Good Eats recipe. The masa was more like 40%
>lard, the filling had so much chili powder in it it was red, and both
>masa and filling were so much more paste-like. Both were spread on
>the husk with a spoon, literally painted on the husk.
>
>I usta wonder why there was so little filling in a traditional tamale.
>Now I know. After the masa (thick paste) is smeared on the corn husk,
>a smaller smear (a thinner paste) is spread on the masa. Then it's
>wrapped and tied with husk strands, which is basically a long husk
>split lenghwise into narrow ribbons and used like string. You priced
>food grade string, lately? I can't even find it, let alone buy it.
>
>Back to original help question: Alton was talking about lard like it
>it's all pure rendered lard, which it is not. The stuff you buy in
>sprmkts, usually labeled manteca, is more often than not,
>hydrogenated, thus making that once healthy lard into a full or
>partially saturated fat. Not healthy. Bad Alton.
>
>nb

Switching gears a little bit, it was my understanding/remembrance that
there is a separate tamale tradition in the American Southeast. I
just don't recall who the immigrants were and when that provided the
tamales. Anybody?
Janet US