FYI
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How are your tamales packaged?
Answer: Each dozen is packed in vacuum-sealed bags, six tamales to a bag. The plastic is thick enough for boiling in water without bursting.
2. How should I cook the tamales?
Answer: You can steam them, heat them in a microwave or boil them in quarter.
a. If you elect to microwave them, be sure to poke the top of the plastic bag 3 times to allow steam to vent while cooking.
b. Although steaming is the traditional method that many people prefer, boiling the tamales in the sealed package for 20 minutes is much easier.
c. If you elect to boil them, leave them in their sealed package. Do not puncture it. Bring your water to a rapid boil in a large pot, drop in the
tamales package, making sure there is enough water to cover the entire package, and boil for 20 minutes. When removing and cutting open
the package we recommend clipping a corner of the package with scissors first and allow all steam to escape before you elect to open the
entire package.
2. How should I cook the tamales?
Answer: You can steam them, heat them in a microwave or boil them in quarter.
a. If you elect to microwave them, be sure to poke the top of the plastic bag 3 times to allow steam to vent while cooking.
b. Although steaming is the traditional method that many people prefer, boiling the tamales in the sealed package for 20 minutes is much easier.
c. If you elect to boil them, leave them in their sealed package. Do not puncture it. Bring your water to a rapid boil in a large pot, drop in the
tamales package, making sure there is enough water to cover the entire package, and boil for 20 minutes. When removing and cutting open
the package we recommend clipping a corner of the package with scissors first and allow all steam to escape before you elect to open the
entire package.
d. Whether you microwave or boil the tamales, make sure you cut a corner of the bag after cooking (as described above) to allow all steam to
escape before you slit the bag open. This is a safety precaution because hot steam can burn you if you let it touch your skin.
3. Where do your tamales come from?
Answer: Since we first started selling tamales over a decade ago to raise money for charities we support, we have always purchased our tamales from the same vendor, located in the greater DFW area. They have been a reliable supplier of authentic Mexican tamales of the highest quality. Year after year we get great reviews for consistent quality and taste.
4. What are tamales made from?
Answer: Tamales are wrapped and cooked in corn husks or banana leaves, but they are removed from the husks before eating. Our tamales are wrapped in corn husks.
5. What are your most popular sellers?
Answer: Pork tamales, which are the most authentic of all tamale flavors, are far and away our most popular seller. Beef and Chicken run a distant second and third behind pork, but people often elect to buy them because they have less fat content, and the chicken is more heart-healthy. But the pork has more moisture. In recent years, the Four Cheese Jalapeno and Black Beans and Cheese tamales have become bigger sellers, with the Four Cheese and Jalapeno growing in popularity among both Knights and parishioners.
6. Do you have vegan-friendly or vegetarian-friendly tamales?
Answer: Without getting too technical, because vegans don't normally eat cheese and both our Cheese and Jalapeno tamales and our black beans and cheese tamales have cheese as an ingredient, they are not considered vegan-friendly. However, our supplier lists both of these two tamale products as vegetarian-friendly products.
