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| Hussong's Interior |
Oh Las Vegas! The city of pool parties, drinking and nightclubs! Fortunately Vegas does have plenty of other fun events to entertain you. Sure you have ordered tamales at your favorite Mexican restaurant, but have you ever tried to make one? Get LUCKY at Hussong's and learn how to make your own.
Available by appointment only you can learn to make tempting tantalizing Tamales from Masterchef Noe Alcala at Hussong’s Cantina Las Vegas located in the Shoppes at Mandalay Bay. You will learn about the history of the tamale which dates back to 3,500 B.C. Tamales are present at every special occasion that includes Mexican cooking, such as Birthdays, weddings, and Baptisms and more. One can only image before current times how hard it was to harvest the corn, ground it up and make it into fresh masa. However now it is as easy as picking up a bag of corn meal flour at the grocery store or speciality store. And now you can also use a mixer to mix the masa dough or you can do it by hand. But before you start this step make sure that your corn husks are soaking in hot water to ensure that they are flexible enough to wrap the tamales. This takes around two hours. You can also pick up the corn husks at the grocery store.
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| Tamales (Done by me) |
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| Masa before mixed and kneaded |
Once your masa is mixed and a little gritty, you can ensure that is is ready to be used, put a little bit in a glass of cold water and it should float. I would suggest you do a few practice tamales before you start wrapping and steaming. As for the filling you can choose a wide variety, but the most popular are chicken, pork and turkey. You can simmer these with water, salt, garlic and onion until tender.
The most common sauces to use are salsa verde, salsa roja and mole that you will need to prepare in advance. You can research online or in Mexican cookbook how to make the sauce that you enjoy. And yes you can buy canned sauce but your tamales will be tastier if you make your own!
Now everything is ready! Remove the corn husk from the water and pat them dry with a towel. Take one husk and spread about ¼ cup of the prepared masa in the upper center of the husk. Add two tablespoons of sauce and some shredded or small chunks of meat. Carefully wrap everything inside the corn husk by folding one long side of the husk over the masa so that is completely covers the masa. Fold the remaining long sider over and then fold the narrow end under and then tie with a long strip of corn husk.
With all your tamales assembled it is time to steam them! You can buy a steamer on Amazon or at your local cooking shop. They should run around between $25-$45. When you finish with the class you will know all about how to make Tamales along with some inside “steaming” tricks!
Of course what would Mexican cooking be without Tequila! With your class comes a Tequila tasting. We had four and they were all very diverse!
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| My Favorite Tequila |
My favorite -
Tequila Fortaleza
Aromas of citrus, caramel, butter, cooked agave, and sage are the beginning of a pleasingly balanced and very unique tasting experience. Fortaleza Reposado has it’s own distinct character, and is not like any other tequila.
Flavors include cooked agave, citrus, vanilla, apple, earth, and cinnamon. The finish is long and rich, delicately spicy, and it has an oily texture that make this a joy to drink.
The other tequilas that we enjoyed are:
Tequila Chamucos
Tequila Corralejo
Chinaco Blanco
Booking and prices are available by contacting the restaurant. Such a GREAT way to spend the afternoon in Vegas! A delectable lunch is included with your experience (TAMALES!) and to book contact heidi@titanbranding.com.
Hussong’s Cantina Las Vegas
3930 S Las Vegas Blvd, # 121B (7.01 mi)
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
(702) 632-6450
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