Delta Hot Tamales

Name: Delta Hot Tamales
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: US & Canada, Southern
Ingredients: 24 , corn husks; 1 1/2 tablespoons, chili powder; 1 tablespoon, paprika; 1 tablespoon, salt; 2 teaspoons, ground cumin; 2 teaspoons, sugar; 3/4 teaspoon, pepper; 3/4 teaspoon, cayenne pepper; 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces), yellow cornmeal; 1 tablespoon, baking powder; 12 tablespoons, unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces; 1/2 teaspoon, baking soda; 1 pound, 85 percent lean ground beef; 2 , garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons, cornstarch combined with 2 tablespoons cold water

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Appears in Cook's Country June/July 2014, Cook's Country TV

Hot tamales—rich, spicy meat wrapped in a flavorful corn dough—are a bedrock favorite in the Mississippi delta. We set out to bring them into our home kitchen.

SERVES6 to 8

TIME1¾ hours, plus 30 minutes soaking

has video

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Unlike Mexican tamales, these Mississippi morsels are heavily spiced and stewed rather than steamed. Our winning spice mixture—a combination of chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, sugar, salt, and pepper—goes into the cornmeal and butter...

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