VIDEO: It’s tamale time + Simona shows us how to make them

This post first ran December 20, 2019

Simona Padilla owned a meat market at 24th and York streets for 15 years. There, she started cooking Mexican dishes to sell. Although she says she’s mostly a home cook, she’s gone on to cook for the likes of the Mexican consul, then-Mayor Gavin Newsom, and fundraising events for the Society of Professional Journalists, among other organizations. In this video, Simona Padilla shows us how to make tamales, a dish traditionally served for Christmas and other special occasions.

All the ingredients shown in the video can be purchased at La Palma Mexicatssen on 24th Street, and at Casa Lucas.

Simo’s Tamales (makes approximately 24 tamales)

4 chicken thighs
1 pasilla chile
2 pounds of prepared masa (ask for masa preparada for tamales at La Palma)
2 garlic cloves
salt and pepper
2 dry California chiles
1 dry guajillo chile
1 dry pasilla chile
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 bag dry corn husks

Soak corn husks in water for at least one hour. Place in a bowl.

For chicken tamales:
Boil chicken thighs or breasts in water and salt. Keep broth for salsa.
To make the salsa, take out seeds from dry California chiles, guajillo chile, and pasilla chile.
Sautee in oil.
Put in blender with garlic, 1/2 cup of water, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.
Pour salsa in leftover chicken broth.
Add a bay leaf and cook salsa on stove for a few minutes.

For rajas tamales:
Remove seeds from fresh pasilla chiles and cut in three strips.
Cut Monterrey cheese in strips.

To finish tamales:
Take corn husks and spread prepared masa on husk, leaving the bottom third empty.
Place filling of choice and fold.
Place in a steam basket and steam for approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!