HOUSTON – It’s not the holidays without tamales in Texas and the Flores Family has made it a tradition for 20 years.
“This is the one special day out of the year that we actually get to sit around a table and share our time,” said Frank Flores.
This year, they’ll cook 70 dozen pork and chicken tamales.
“It really does make you feel good as a parent, when you look at the table and you see your kids, your grandkids, everybody participating in tamale day,” said Rosie Flores.
Rosie Flores started it and she’s in charge of the most tedious work.
“You start with masa, and you add the broth where you cook the pork butts and you add lard and you add baking powder,” said Rosie Flores.
The masa is a corn-based dough.
“You have to spank the masa,” said Rosie Flores. “And the key is once you pat it, the masa, your hand should come clean, that’s how you know your masa is ready.”
And right next to Rosie on the table is her infamous list, which is kind of like a naughty and nice list for tamale day.
“I put down who showed up and if somebody showed up late, or didn’t show up at all, that’s noted too,” said Rosie Flores.
The laughs kept coming and Christmas music played in the background, while family members were hard at work.
“We have those that are spreading the masa, we have those who are putting the meat in the masa in the tamale, then we have those who are bagging it,” said Rosie Flores.
Rosie’s son could be considered the best “spreader” in the family where you spread the masa onto corn husks.
“I call it old school, which is the spreader like this, to me, new school is one swipe, bam, you’re done,” said Frank Flores.
Sitting around the table, Frank Flores remembered some years when they sold the tamales to make ends meet.
“We’re so grateful that these little tamales, yet they mean so much to so many people and they’ve gotten us through some hard times,” said Frank Flores.
But mostly, they share tamales with family and friends.
“These are by far the greatest, but I think it’s because there’s so much love that goes into them,” said Frank Flores.
They hope the love continues for generations to come.
“I hope that they enjoy it as much as we do and hopefully this tradition will carry on with them and their kids,” said Frank Flores.