SC - RE: OOP Question about Tamales

[Decker, Terry D.]

> and Lord Stefan replied:
> > I don't think I would use the enchilada sauce. Around here 
> most of the
> > resturantes do not serve any kind of sauce on/with their tamales.
> 
> where's "around here" ;-)

Stefan is in Austin, where, many years ago, I found one of the local
Pancho's Mexican Buffets serving sauces of satisfactory fire rather than
their usual bland fare.  Curiously, the place was run by a Hispanic family.

> 
> most of the restaurants that I've been to here in Atlanta have served
> tamales with a sauce on them, usually either a red sauce, similar to
> enchilada sauce, a "brown" sauce which I can't identify or a 
> mole.   

I've found very few places which serve mole.  The common sauces are picante
or salsa colorado (red), salsa verde (green, usually with green chilies) and
chili sauce (brown).  Queso (cheese sauce) can usually be requested.

> 
> Unfortunately making them in paper seems to be popular in the cheaper
> restaurants around here.  I had one make in a corn husk for 
> the first time
> a few years back and just went wild over it... it was so much 
> *better* than
> what I had had before.  Now we judge a Mexican restaurant on 
> two things...
> the quality of their tamales and the quality of their chili 
> rellenos.  I
> get the tamales and my lord gets the rellenos and if they 
> both pass then we
> put it on our list of "good" Mexican restaurants.  ;-)
> 
> I remain, in service to Meridies,
> Lady Celia des L'archier


Tamales are commonly available, ready made and in the freezer case around
Oklahoma City.  A lot of so called Mexican restaurants use them rather than
go to the trouble of making them.  This isn't too bad if they are Pick's,
but they still didn't match the fresh Pick's tamales and unfortunately their
restaurant was closed many years ago.  Frozen rellenos are also available.

The Mexican restaurants I recommend in Oklahoma City are the Chellino's on S
39th St. (the original in the Hispanic part of town) and either of the Los
Pericos.  I particularly enjoy Los Pericos because the rellenos can be
ordered with shredded beef rather than ground beef.

Bear