I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of tamaladas, the Mexican tradition of gathering together to make tamales. Usually, it’s a family event but friends gather too, working together, sharing conversation, passing along tips, teaching new generations the methods and recipes… It’s a wonderful idea. Not being of Mexican descent myself, though, a tamalada was something I could only hope to be invited to someday. That opportunity came, with a twist, with Denver restaurant, Que Bueno Suerte, hosting a series of tamalada classes so that we can all experience this wonderful, cultural tradition. Now we know how to host a tamalada – and now you can too!
Last year, 2021, Que Bueno Suerte, located on Pearl Street in the Old South Pearl neighborhood, began offering these classes. They sold out rapidly, so this year, more classes were offered, running both Saturday and Sunday, November 5-December 18. We were fortunate enough to attend last year and again this year. It was just as fun and informative (and delicious) the second time around so we’ll plan to build Que Bueno Suerte’s tamalada classes into our list of events and activities that are a “must” for a holiday season In Good Taste!
What to Expect from Que Bueno Suerte’s Tamalada Classes
The classes are held upstairs, in Que Bueno Suerte’s event space (which can be rented out for holiday parties, etc.). Upon arriving, it’s clear you’re in for something good because each table has chips and salsa, tasters of the featured spirits purveyor of the day (it was Suerte Tequila the day we went), and the makings (and tools) of the featured cocktail of the day.
We were quickly presented with a House Margarita while learning about Suerte Tequila’s history (a Boulder company with an operation in Jalisco, Mexico), how tequila is made, and what the differences were between the four tequilas we taste-tested. Then we were taught how to make the cocktail of the day. In our case, it was a “Crushed Paloma.”
We were glad to see Kate, Executive Chef at Que Bueno Suerte, back again like last year, to guide us through the tamale-making process. We’d always fumbled when trying to make them before but she helped it all make sense. It was good to get a reminder-tutorial.
Each table gets a tray with ice cream scoops of one dozen balls of masa – the majority are “plain” but four are flavored. In this case, they were sweet potato masa to go with a vegetarian option of filling. The three fillings we would be using were also brought to us – Pollo & Poblano, Spiced Confit Carnitas, and Sweet Potato & Black Bean.
Tamales are naturally gluten-free and it’s easy to create vegan versions by using various oils instead of lard in making the masa. And certainly, with the fillings, you can do gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan variations. Just make sure all fillings are cooked before putting them in the tamale, for both bacteria and thorough cooking reasons.
Chef Kate showed us just how thin the pliable masa should be, how far up the corn husk it should go, how much filling to put in and how to fold them. That’s the tricky part for me that, it turns out, I’d been doing wrong – it takes a few steps to enclose the masa/filling inside the corn husk and then fold it and tie it up in the right way. You want the filling to steam from the bottom up, gaining flavor from the corn husk (banana leaves can also be used) while staying contained.
We were given a plastic tub in which to put our finished tamales, which we could have taken home and steamed for 45 minutes that night OR, to freeze. We put ours in a zipper bag and labelled them as to what the three different kinds were. We’ll defrost them thoroughly and steam them, open-side-up. After cooking, they can be frozen again too but we love them for lunch with just a quick microwaving to heat them through again.
As if making a dozen tamales per table, enjoying two cocktails, and munching on chips and their thick, roasty salsa wasn’t enough, your time at Que Bueno Suerte concludes with enjoying a plate of each of the three tamales you were just taught to make, with their corresponding sauce, and black beans and rice! Chuck, the General Manager at Que Bueno Suerte told everyone, “The good news is, when you make these at home, this is exactly how they’ll turn out.” Well, I dunno about that – the tamales themselves may but those sauces were delicious and even the rice and beans, typically a generic “plate-filler,” were really flavorful and worth scooping up. You do get the recipes for the masas, the fillings, AND the sauces so, conceivably, you can recreate the magic at home. Do note that, because these classes run 2-5pm, you’ll be enjoying an early dinner.
Here’s what you get for $60/person or $100/pair at Que Bueno Suerte’s Tamalada Classes:
-Two cocktails per person (one ready for you and one you make)
– Chips & salsa
– One dozen tamales per table to take home
– Free cocktail-making swag
– Recipes for the cocktail you make plus all elements of the tamales
– One complete meal per person
You can purchase additional tamales to make during the class to take home in increments of one dozen.
Between all of those elements, the instruction, the great food, and the fun, it’s one heck of a deal!
To learn more and purchase tickets, click on this eventbrite link. To learn more about Que Bueno Suerte itself, click here.
How to Host a Tamalada
While attending Que Bueno Suerte’s class was a tamalada in itself, it also made us want to host one at home with family, friends, and neighbors. Thankfully, attendees come away with the recipes from Chef Kate and the techniques to pass on to those in attendance who need some assistance.
Gather everyone around a large table or countertop. Offer up food-handling gloves because things get messy. Have multiple bowls of the masa and fillings available so everyone can reach.
Since making tamales will make you hungry, be sure to have chips and salsa, guacamole, veggies, and other nibbles on hand. And drinks? Of course – margarita-makings, non-alcoholic options like aqua fescas or horchata, and pitchers of water because you work up a mighty thirst at a tamalada.
Put together a festive playlist of tunes to have playing in the background.
Provide zipper bags so everyone can package up the tamales they made and take them home. Include instructions for what kind of pot to steam them in too – Chef Kate will show you. Tamales also freeze beautifully. Defrost them, then steam them for 45 minutes. If you choose to cook them and then freeze them, they don’t need to be re-steamed, just heated up (the microwave works well).
Please note, we were hosted by Que Bueno Suerte for their first Tamalada class.
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