4 Levels of Tamales: Amateur to Food Scientist | Epicurious
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2022
- We challenged chefs of three different skill levels - amateur Onika, home cook Daniel, and professional chef Saul Montiel from Rooftop Cantina - to make us a some piping hot tamales. Once each level of chef had presented and tasted their creations, we asked expert food scientist Rose to explain the choices each made along the way to add some scientific context to the results. Which tamales can compare to your favorite?
Director: Debra Remstein
DP: Luke Riffle
Editors: Manolo Moreno
Talent -
L1: Onika McLean
L2: Daniel Victor
L3: Saul Montiel
Food Scientist - Rosemary Trout
Producer: Tyre Nobles
Culinary Producer: Graciel Caces
Line Producer: Jennifer McGinity
Associate Producer: Sam Ghee
Production Manager: Janine Dispensa
Production Coordinator: Kandace Selio
Cam Op: Lucas Young
Audio: Austin Rumsey
Post Production Supervisor: Stephanie Cardone
Post Production Coordinator: Alter Scout
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araujo
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
Video Copy ad Recipe Editor: Vivian Jao
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I love how Saul is still scared his grandma will kill him even though he’s a grown man with a few decades of experience as a professional chef
If you know you know!
That fear never really leaves you.
You may be a professional in cooking but abuelitas are on a very high level hahahah
@@jeemoon1626 I keep a jar of marinara sauce in my pantry for those times I'm too tired or sick to actually make a sauce. I apologize to my Italian great-grandmother every time I use that type of backup plan. The fear is real!
well his abuelita gonna give some chancladas for using maseca instead of natural masa
Instantly clicked on this one, Mexican food means Saul, and a Saul video means I'm gonna have a good day
this is so cute 😂🥰
Same.
You must have not seen the 4 levels of tacos video. Don’t watch it I’m still recovering like a year later
Thanks to all Of You I have a good day 🫔🎉👌🏼😀
True. I was like, if Chef Saul isn’t the level 3, I’m skipping!
Level 4 is Saul's mother.
Level 5 is Saul's abuelita.
LMAO
Level 3.5 is Beth.
I want to hear Saul's voice describing any mexican menu. His enthusiasm, and expertise is a big seller.
As a Mexican, I can say Daniel did really good with this one... Don't be afraid Dany boy, I'm sure Saul must be really proud
Right! I have never tried the blue dough but know that it is a stapple in a lot of areas in Mexico.
This is one of the few times I wouldn't say demote Danny to level 1.
As a mexican, I can Say that level 1 did not. She is not good with mexican food.
@@itssharktime6560 i would demote onika to level 0. Tamales must be Made with nixtamal and banana leaf or corn leaf.
@@hernanflores814 Yeah, which is why the level isn't really stable because for example, someone could be a 2 in their cultural food, while in others they aren't too great
I love the Tamal representation here between Daniel who used a traditional central and northern Mexican tamal as proof by the red sauce, corn husk, and blue corn masa harina. Saul then used a southern Mexico and Guatemalan inspired tamal. Awesome! Keep it up.
Which part of Mexico does Onika’s tamals come from?
@@brookereister7593 urban USA
@@brookereister7593 Nowhere xD I live in Nuevo Leon in the north of Mexico and what Onika did can't even be considered Tex-Mex xD, still we respect. But Daniel's Tamal is basically the same as "Tamal norteño" which is very common here in the north Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, etc. They are thiner and smaller but in my case we put the masa in all the corn leaf except the bottom, which Daniel didn't do, but is basically the same. My boi Saul's version you would have in Mexico City, Oaxaca, and all of the south of Mexico. I only had them once they are great obviously, but here in the north they bully us because they ask for 1 tamal and it is pretty small compared to the banana leaf tamal xD. Always great to see or cuisine represented and by none other that Saul ❤️
Actually both in Nicaragua and Costa Rica we wrap tamales in banana leaves as well. Venezuela has hallacas, too (which is another version)
@@brookereister7593 Walmart
Every video with Saul, I love him more. Today it was validating the use of enchilada sauce in a pinch. He's an elite non-elitist and I am here for it. Just waiting for his standalone videos.
He’s seriously my favorite
same here. i absolutely love him
Him and Frank, I would love to see them cook something together.
One day! 🥰🥰🥰😄😄😄😃😃😃
@ I mean, if you need a letter writing campaign, let us know, sir
Saul deserves his own cooking show
YESSSS‼️‼️‼️
Hear me out, Better call Saul.
no
"Would I serve it to my grandma or ma? No! But if I'm home, alone, and no one is watching, yes." A fantastic Saul quote.
I love how Daniel is a Saul fanboy 😂💖✨
Me too!
As a Mexican, I started to slowly die inside when Onika used cornmeal and butter to make her tamale dough .. 😰
Same, her version was painful to watch. They gave me the shivers, and not in a good way.
It helps if you call hers stuffed cornbread instead
@@Cissablack708 Even more painful was to see Onika gloat about her version. Emily wouldn't cut corners or brag. #TeamEmilyLevel1
That hurt my heart but my soul was crushed with the paper. It was all painful. I feel I’ll never forget this.
And then wrapped in parchment paper!
Saul is just the greatest. Its impossible not to feel his warmth.
CZcams will not let me upvote this more than once. It is a great failing on this platform.
My grandma used to say...sin paciencia no tienes nada que hacer en la estufa...w/o patience, you have nothing to do at the stove...and chef Saul is giving me that vibe so much 😁😁😁
I got much better at cooking just by relaxing... setting the timer and doing other things... there are times when I'm cooking something and since I have a few minutes to spare, it occurs to me to prepare a sauce that I saw on CZcams or something else...
Saul makes me feel like life isn’t so hard after all
Please don’t skip steps anymore!!! We are down to watch an hour long video, you don’t have to cut stuff out!!
Right ?
And the end the video wasnt that longits just 14 minutes
im sure if they had put the stuffing cut in here that would be just an extra 10 - 15 minutes
@@Samgotboredd I was so sad when I realized it was ending, it was soooo short!!! Also, don’t they know that the algorithm likes linger videos?? Maybe they lost some footage?
To be fair... I could watch Saul cooking anything from start to finish with no editing and be almost 100% happy. If I could then eat it, I'd hit 100%.
Sadly, it comes down to what performs the best on the CZcams algorithm.
@Trippy SZN I love Rose part! Its o e of my favorites and lately she doesn’t have much time to explain all the Science of the dishes! My brain hungers too!
I thought it was me!!! Play the entirety!
I think they all did great! I love Saul’s understanding and that he doesn’t seem to be elitist about food. “Do what makes you happy” 🥰
As a Mexican I am quaking!!!! But good job to Daniel for trying with the chiles!!! 👏👏👏 Saul did a different version with the banana leaves, but lard all day everyday!!!!!!!!
I had a long time since the last I saw Onika. Missed her a little.
Love that Daniel's recipe is close to a Mexican recipe.
Saul, as always, bringing joy to the video.
Daniel's recipe is closer to my mom's recipe 😋 we are from North Mexico
I am Mexican and have never seen a tradicional tamal oaxaqueño look like that.
I love that Saul said that corn husk are the second best method to wrap tamales. We do it with banana leaves in El Salvador and they taste so much better. Love to see it 🫶🏽
...thanks for sharing this, Tiffany!
And our tamales are delicious, aren’t they, Tiffany? I love to have a couple of tamales de chipilín for breakfast on Sundays.
However, in my opinion, the king of tamales is the Nicaraguan nacatamal, because it’s a complete meal in tamal form. If you haven’t tried them, you should.
Its a diferent kind of tamales....
Making Salvadoran tamales is soooo labor intensive
@@Momopimko LOL! You haven’t tried to make a nacatamal. You need an assembly line for it, LMAO, because they are filled with pork or chicken (pork are the best!), pork belly fat, rice, a slice of potato, a prune, an olive, a slice of red or green bell pepper, a slice of tomato, and a little sprig of peppermint (hierbabuena)…. I’m sure I’m forgetting something. The masa is also seasoned with pork lard, salt and sour orange juice. You can also add blended onion, bell peppers, and garlic to the dough. Each nacatamal is about 10 oz. of deliciousness!!
I really appreciate Rose's lvl 4 explanations on these videos. I can watch the differences in cooking, but might not immediately understand the implications of what's being done. And it helps me better understand dishes I haven't necessarily cooked before. Love you guys!
Yeah, banana leaves not only are a perfect wrapping for tamales because of its flexibility and resistance, but also ADD flavor and smell to the masa.
Corn husk are also traditional, but in my expertise as tamal eater, they don't add a lot of flavor to the tamal.
Try reheating corn husk tamales on a dry cast iron pan! The husk will char a bit, giving the tamale a smoky flavor. It's better this way than right out of the steamer IMO
Corn husk isn't traditional everywhere. In Guatemala the traditional wrapping is banana leaves.
@@arthaal i live in the northern part of mexico and here banana leaves are harder to get, so you see more tamales with corn husk. they tend to be more popular in here, but i do agree that banana leaves are tastier and make a better tamale
@@arthaal I'm Guatemalan and I can attest to that since my mom always use banana leaves in here tamales
Came here to say exactly this, it's just harder to find banana leaves. I can find them, it's just easier to get corn husks. I would never use parchment lol
as a Mexican that grew up eating tamales and still eats them, I feel:
1. offended by Tonika’s “tamales”.
2. impressed by Daniel and his respect for the traditional ways of Mexican cuisine.
3. marveled by how easy makes Saul look making Tamal Oaxaqueño. ❤🇲🇽
I don't think Onika had any ill will when she concocted the abomination tamal. If anything I feel flattered that she tried to recreate tamales even though they are clearly outside of her comfort zone.
I love that in this video we get to see Daniel fangirling over Saul
Saul is a treasure. They all are, but I love how scared he is of disappointing his grandma.
On a related/unrelated note, I feel for him because I know my late grandmas tamal recipe, here in Costa Rica are, well, different, and I dont want to seem extra but my grandma's recipe is from scratch-scratch, and I mean cooking up chicharrones to put ground in the masa and get dried corn kernels and nixtamalize it oneself on a pot with water and lime. A LOT of work.
Saul is hands down the best thing that ever happened to this channel.
¡Saúl, orgullo nacional! And I really appreciate Daniel's cooking, he was really respectful of the technique. Onika, however, literally made me go: pinches gringos.
You all should be allowed to taste each others food like those episodes of "pro vs home" cook. Would be nice. 👍👍
I don't know if they are all making them simultaneously, but it would certainly be interesting see reactions to each other's dishes.
Always wanted to see this too!
Yeah we been asking for this since ages
Interesting... parchment paper....
Daniel's looked really good, reminded me of a NM Tamale. I love blue corn.
Saul's looked amazing, per usual...
"I know I don't look like I take care of myself but I do"🤣🤣🤣 Saul is amazing!! Also, can we acknowledge his hair cut 🙌 Looking good! Fantastic group all round Onika 🥰Daniel 🥰 Saul 🥰🥰
Daaamn Daniel, those tamales look really good. You are invited to my family's Christmas dinner in Mexico. Obviously Saúl killed it too
10:06 when Saul says "Mexico!" is our equivalent of saying "'Merica!" I love the cultural pride.
Viva México
viva méxico
Being from Taiwan, I love seeing all sorts of different “steamed carbs and proteins in leaves” dishes. Cultures with large Chinese populations eat 粽子, a rice “dumpling” made in a way that’s similar to tamales. I’ve seen similar steamed rice in leaves dishes from other Asian cultures, too. These types of convergent cooking are really fascinating to me.
And man, I could really go for some tamales right now!
I have tried those they are really good. It's surprising how sticky the rice gets.
Daniel can be a little extra sometimes (props to him for being his true self), but red chicken tamales sounds good.
His technique was pretty close to the Serious Eats red tamale recipe, if you want to do it yourself!
I have only 2 complains about his recipe.
1. It should be pork lard for the masa.
2. He did not protected the tamales from the gosips using a knot in the pot handle made with corn leafs. A tradition from the grandmas... 😅
"Daniel can be a little extra sometimes" May I introduce you to Lorenzo?
@@OriginalElysian I think they were referring to a different type of extra. Lorenzo definitely has that *extra* energy level but I think Daniel can sometimes be a bit posh in what he does, just the feeling though.
@@genieinthepot2455 Ultimately, Daniel is here for the sake of eye candy, which he fills in well.
_Level 1_ : as Saúl said, if nobody's home it's ok, a sacrilege for some people.
_Level 2_ : Dani boy, you are doing it so well, good top tamales.
_Level 3_ : Saúl just made happy the aztec gods because he created a dish worth of them.
pero si es comida oaxaqueña it wouldn’t be the aztec gods😅
Onika didn't make tamales, she made stuffed cornbread...
I'm impressed by how much creative freedom she took.
Being a Mexican American I am insulted they asked HER to do tamales and not a TRUE Mexican home cook!
@@Kost1cGrassnapper To be fair, they nailed it trying to find the most level 1 tamales
@@Kost1cGrassnapper the home cook is Daniel she’s the amateur
@@myhlanoelsalsa8690
Epicurious: What do you know about tamales?
Onika: Whatchu mean?
Epicurious: Perfect.
Love Saul and how he keeps our Mexican dishes alive and makes them look so good!! lo tqm
When saul said “would I do that in front of my mother? No.” I felt that lol
I’m proud of you, Saulito. #vivaoaxaca 🇲🇽
I love whenever y’all do Hispanic food because I know that I’ll be able to see Saul!
Seriously 😅 I’m always here for Saul
And I’m here for all of you 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
He comido tamales como el de Daniel y Saúl. Ambos muy buenos.
No te atreves a comer un tamal como los de Onika
Some episodes I think could be good:
1. Ribs with Emily, Lorenzo, and Frank
2. Muffins with Onika, Gabi, and Penney
3. Salad (I know, I know, but there’s literally so many kinds of salads I’d love to see what they come up with)
4. Lobster bisque with Onika, Daniel, and Saul
I haven’t seen the chefs yet, however if Saul isn’t here I’m boycotting.
WOOOOOOOOOOO SAÚL IS HERE!!!!!! Also yay for Onika.
If he's not in the video, ya know what to do: BETTER CALL SAUL!
@@retonito92 who Saul time stamp
Please bring back 50 people tries....it was so fun
The professional chef seems like a BLAST!
...I love the line-up of Onika, Daniel and Saul!!
As a Mexican, I just love the representation of various ranges of tamales even though there's so many variants of tamales in between regions they somehow managed to make it feel very representative and that's always appreciated, Daniel's is closer to the one we eats here at the north of Mexico and Saul's is like the ones they eat at the south.
Parchment paper and can sauce, cornmeal etc!! Oh Dios mio, my ancestors 🤦♀️
That is why she is level 1... Never show that version to anyone
I feel the same way, im speechless ill be scare to try them
It's just not the traditional way so it shocked me that it was something people considered as an option. Obviously no Abuelita would be ok with that method, but to each their own.. but its not an authentic tamale.
She's making it her own and I feel she's using Haitian influence in her tamales. She used creole seasoning for her corn meal and her filling. Also they use parchment paper on Haitian tamal.
What Onika made is Tamal-inspired Cornbread.
How come Frank gets all the 'I make my own X' memes while Saul just casually be like 'leaves straight off a banana tree'
Cause banana leaves are the traditional tamale wrapping in southern Mexico and Central America, so it's not like a fancy addition or anything. It's standard in much of the tamale eating world.
Yep im from honduras and my mom always makes them with banana leafs from a tree we had in our back yard
My family’s Guatemalan….we’ve only ever used corn husks. 🤷🏾♀️
Salvadoran here and we use banana leaves except for the corn tamales. Corn tamales use corn husks.
In a pinch just straight up aluminum foil can be used.
Cause Saul be humble lol
Saul: Make everything from scratch, it's healthier for you.
Also Saul: ...now I'm going to cook everything in lard.
all abuelitas I know do the exact same, that's the dark secret
As much as I loved this video, the level 1 tamale was giving me shivers, I was like cheese and beans ?!??
Idk level 1 has me feeling offended lol
Bean and cheese is a pretty common tamale, but the way she made them was practically blasphemous. Its was just bad the whole way around. Just awful.
Saul has d best attitude and Daniel has the best smile😍
Nothing better than seeing Saul making mole, it makes my heart beat
Saul is that uncle who you always want to hug
Don’t lie to yourselves people…
We all came for Saul.
I’m as Mexican as Mexican can get but not going to lie , Daniels tamales look so good.
They all look good. I appreciate the level one because everyone may not have access to masa and corn husks but corn meal and parchment paper are a bit more abundant. This allows anyone access to tamales, especially if you have to deal with being in a food desert.
I have never used cornmeal, but Rose said it made the dough way more dense. As a Mexican there is nothing worse than a very very dense dough for the tamal. I think the taste will be great, but you will have to try and find a way to make it lighter. Pork Lard is always the best option for making it fluffier, just do not forget to whisk it (it adds air to the fat making it even lighter) and maybe add enough stock to make it not as dense. And I think you will be good to go.
Also, if you do not have good options for wrappings, there is no point on giving it wrappings, because those wrappings are mostly there for the flavor. If you use parchment paper, it will be too much work for no benefit at all. So you could make it as a casserole, which is also traditional. It will lack the flavor of the wrapping, but it is still really good.
Tamales are not made uniquely with mass and corn husks, they are very different across not only Mexico but all the nations that also make them, from Guatemala to Ecuador
Masa can be many things. Doughy isn’t one of them.
Just stop. Anyone with a desire to make tamales has access to masa and corn meal. Amazon.
@@hotseatsports3989 gonna keep going. Not everyone uses Amazon.
Saul creates nothing but art. His cuisine is just beautiful.
At 4:07 "Who has time to make a mole?" -- try counting the time it takes to drive to McDonalds and wait in line. I'll bet I can make a mole in about the same amount of time. It isn't about time. It's about being lazy.
I just love this line up! 😍
Not with no bean and cheese… oh goodness
Next time I cook tamales I’m definitely attempting banana leafs. 🙏🏽🤤🤤🥰
In the south of Mexico we usually use the banana leaf and it’s amazing ❤
banana leaf we use in puerto rico for pasteles which is similar concept to tamales. omg, it really is so delicious with the leaves
If y'all want some high quality level 3 mexican food y'all know who to call: BETTER CALL SAUL 👉👉
For chicken tamales, go to Los pollos hermanos
This comment wins.
This is everything, you win
I came here for this comment.
S’all good, man!
@@toku_moriya breaking bad fans unite!😀
You can tell that Onika is an actual level 1 chef...so I won't judge her cornmeal tamales, besides the bean stuffing the dough looks nice. Saul accent is so funny and I'm proud of his cooking
Let's appreciate how Daniel got that corn husk😁
As a man from the state of Guerrero (next to Oaxaca), it made me smile that he used the best tamale wrap. Banana leaves are superior
Los tamales con la hoja de plátano son más ricos. Especialmente los de puerco 🤤 en salsa roja. Claro también los de pollo pero en salsa verde 😋
Y como Guerrerense me hizo feliz que uso epazote.
Love Saul!! Definitely my favorite level 3! Also, didn’t expect him to use a nikiri style knife though, definitely a good tool for the job!!
Daniel did excellently well. I'm pleasantly surprised
After the disaster I created while making Chef Saul's fried Calzone, there's no way I'm going to try these! 😂
Try level 2. Only use pork lard instead of the vegetable one. The secret to know if you have enough is to touch the masa and that your clean hand becomes shinny. And instead of chicken you can use pork, that is my favorite.
And the wrap can be made with leaf strings too.
@@belaytriks Yes! I can't stress it enough, lard is extremely important for the distinctive flavor of the tamal. If you really really need to use the vegetable one, be sure to use a very good stock and or flavor the dough somehow. Without lard, the tamal dough might end up being too bland.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
You can buy the mole sauce skipping the laborious part of making the tamale, go to a Mexican grocery store, you'll find plenty there
you can buy the masa that's already prep. you can go to a place where they make tortillas the fresh ones. and ask if they have masa for tamales you can make the cheese ones. those are easy you can add jalapeños or poblanos for spiciness 😊
Looks yummy gonna try Level 2 Version.
Everyone is fun to watch but Saul is clearly the 🤴 of the show ! Great and natural cooking talent
Cheers from San Diego California
Thank you so much for sharing
Is it just me or did they skip over the entire portion about the filling?
I know Rose is probably just reading off a script and is the least talked about person on these videos but even through a script she has so much personality and warm, positive energy. I love her!
Adoro ver a Saúl cuando nos metemos con comida mexicana QuQb es genial ver a alguien siguiendo la receta tradicional en lugar de las extranjeras.
I spent years eating corn husk tamales. Then one time, I came across a lady selling Oxcaca style tamales wrapped in banana leaves and the banana leaves made all the difference.
Thank you for the subtitles! Now I can know what Saul says :)
if that level 2 red sauce was run through a fine sieve, it wouldve looked absolutely fantastic.
The level 2 chef was pretty good with tamales
Thank God in Denver we have La Popular for tamales. Second best tamales in the world. First? Saul's of course
Immediately clicked the video. Made me so happy to see this traditional dish on here. Brings back so many childhood memories of playing with banana leaves while my tias cooked away.
I love the admiration that Daniel has for Saul. Same, Daniel, same.
I thought to myself if Saul isn't here on level 3, I'll close this video immediately 😂
Love watching Saul cook!
I would try Saul's and Daniel's tamales. That's how tamales are made the sauce is just as important as the masa. Love learning from these channels.
Everyone was perfect in this video
Saul killed me with his thoughts on enchilada sauce
I know it wouldn't make sense to pair up 2 pro chefs, but can Saul and Frank please do a video together?
Daniel and Saul are just so wholesome.
OMG!! my three favorites!
Even being a vegetarian, it is still loving to see Chef Saul cooking a Non-Veg meal!!!
Jackfruit and a little nutritional yeast works well for tamales! Simmer the jackfruit in some sauce until it shreds, drain, then assemble.
Rajas are another traditional filling very commonly used for tamales!
You just need a cheese (preferably a melty kinda like chihuahua, but others work fine, even alternatives) and jalapeños or a different kind of chile to fit personal taste!
@@Sapphire_Kitty Oh, poblano peppers and cheese! I haven't had those since I last was in Texas 20-ish years ago. So good! I wish there was a place around here that sold them.
Daniel! Spread the masa all the way to the side edges next time. It'll seal the tamales and you won't need to tie them. Plus, that little bit of overflow will taste heavenly!
When I'd seen Daniel with his blueberries, I'd thought, who's this monster!!! And now I absolutely love seeing him with his adorable labrador energy.
Now this was the video i was waiting for. Not just because of the food but because of saul. Best video by far in my opiñion
As someone whose mom made tamales often when I was a kid, I love the level 2 and 3 chef's. They tamales look delicious and make me want to call my mother so she can make some of her delicious tamales this weekend. On the other hand, I don't know what the level one chef was doing. I'm sorry but it looks like she got her recipe from a taco bell book. No thank you
I said something similar in my post. Those things might be tasty for someone used to the bastardization of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, but they definitely were not tamales.
Spring rolls?
She made it her own but I noticed she used creole seasoning which probably as Haitian influence. I know they make some sort of tamales and they use parchment paper. I don't know about the cheese but the beans probably they use with chicken.
I love Saul's recipes
love these 3 !!!
Everyone is cool. I love the ethos Saul brings. Paciencia paciencia ♥️
Saul is always a delight to watch.
I think I speak for us all when I say I wanna eat some of sauls grandmas food
Saul!!!!!😍 Saul and Frank are amazing and my two favorites on this channel!
That looks so goooooood!!!
Reminds me of "pasteles" from Puerto Rico. Except that we make it with mashed plantains and wrap it with the plantain leaves. Regardless, really wanna try those tamales!!!