The Las Vegas Review-Journal and La Bonita Supermarkets have teamed up to bring the Virtual Food & Cocktail series into your kitchen. The original air date for Episode 4 took place on November 11, 2021. La Bonita’s Chef La Che prepared not one but two different types of tamales, Mexican Rice Pudding, and amazing holiday drinks, spiked hot chocolate and honey tamarindo demonstrated by Nick Polydoroff from Jack Daniel’s.
Here’s a bit of an overview surrounding the Episode 4 menu and ingredients that you can show off to your friends and family as you make this delicious meal.
Tamales originated from Mesoamerica as early as 8000 to 5000 B.C. The Aztec and Maya civilizations used tamales as quickly portable food, hunting trips, traveling significant distances, and supporting their armies. The most vital ingredient in making the perfect tamal is the masa. Masa is the plain, wet stone-ground dough made with an ear of special corn known as nixtamal. The tamale is steamed in a corn leaf or banana leaf.
Tamales can be a rigorous food to make if done from scratch, with as many as 120 steps. Many families make tamales for special occasions like Christmas. There are different tamales; pork, chicken and green sauce, jalapeños and cheese called rajas, beef, chili sauce, onion fillings, garlic, corn, and sweet tamales. In Episode 4, Chef La Che prepares two tamales, chicken with salsa verde and rajas and cheese. Nowadays, you can buy the masa pre-made; La Bonita Supermarkets sells regular and sweet masa. Sweet masa is used to make sweet tamales like strawberries or pineapple.
Chef La Che also prepared a Mexican rice pudding for dessert during episode 4. Rice pudding has been a food staple that potentially dates back as far as 6000 BCE. This dessert started becoming popular once it showed up on diner menus in the 1920s. The rice pudding recipe that Chef La Che shares in the video can be served warm or cold, but either way you have it, it’s a tapioca-like treat that is delicious. It can also be served as a breakfast dish too!
Viewers also had another treat with not one but two cocktail recipes prepared by Nick Polydoroff from Jack Daniel’s. Nick prepared a delicious Spiked Hot Chocolate and refreshing Honey Tamarindo cocktails using Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey. Hot chocolate dates back thousands of years. Historians credit the Olmec Civilization of southern Mexico as the first to roast the fruit from the cacao tree, then grind it down and mix it with water and other ingredients. Thomas Jefferson was a big fan of hot chocolate, and Revolutionary War soldiers had it in their rations. Hot chocolate mixes were given out monthly to soldiers, and sometimes offered instead of wages. The other cocktail utilizes Jarrito’s Tamarindo flavored soda, made from a sweet and sour fruit called Tamarind. Tamarind is mainly found in tropical areas of the world. Tamarindo consists of a combination of 3 ingredients: tamarind, water, and sugar.
List of cookware and utensils need to prepare this meal:
- Tamale steamer or a large pot with a steamer basket
- Medium pot for the hot chocolate
- Large pot to boil chicken
- Medium pot to boil vegetables (tomatillo and pasilla)
- Large pot or container to soak the husk – or use sink
- Blender
- Whisk
- Large spoon or rice spatula (to spread the masa on the husk)
- Knife
- Spatulas or spoons to mix
- Medium jug for the Jarritos cocktail
- Bowl for the shredded chicken and sauce
- Container for the sliced jalapeños
- Container for the sliced cheese
- Colander to drain the husks
Golden Spiked Mexican Hot Chocolate w/Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and Ibarra
Ingredients – Makes four cocktails
- 1½ Ibarra chocolate tabs
- 4 cups almond or low-fat milk
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of ground chipotle pepper
- 4 ounces of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey
Instructions:
- Step1 – Prepare Ibarra hot chocolate on the stovetop – One and a half chocolate tabs and four cups of almond milk or low-fat milk.
- Step 2 – Add one pinch of the following: ground cinnamon, ground chipotle pepper, and stir until melted.
- Step 3 – Remove from heat and add 4 ounces of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey.
- Step 4 – Serve into four individual cups and garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Honey Tamarindo w/Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and Jarritos Tamarindo
Ingredients: Makes four cocktails
- 1 – 2 cups of ice
- 4 ounces of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey
- ½ bottle of Jarritos tamarindo soda
- Optional – Lemon juice and chili-lime salt for the rim of the glass
Instructions:
- Fill a pitcher with ice and 4 ounces of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey
- Add about half of the bottle of Jarritos tamarindo soda slowly to the pitcher
- Give it a light stir, and it’s ready to serve!
- Optional garnish: Lemon and chili-lime salt rim
Chicken Tamales in Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 5 lbs chicken breast cut in chunks
- 1 white onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lb tomatillos
- 1 poblano chile
- 3 lbs tamales masa
- 1 package of corn husks
- Chicken bouillon to taste
Instructions:
Prepare the Husks
- • Step 1 – Soak the corn husks so they soften up and will be easier to fold.
• Step 2 – Place the corn husks in a large pot of hot water or fill the sink with hot water.
• Step 3 – Press the husks into the water to ensure they are completely covered.
• Step 4 – Soak the husks for 20 minutes, drain and set them aside to dry.
Prepare Chicken
- Step 1 – Add chop onion, peeled garlic clove, chunked chicken breasts, and chicken bouillon to taste in a large pot.
- Step 2 – Add water to cover the chicken thoroughly.
- Step 3 – Cook over medium-high heat until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
- Step 4 – Once cooked, drain the chicken, and let cool before shredding.
Make the Salsa
- Step 1 – Slice and quarter the tomatillos.
- Step 2 – Slice the poblano chili lengthwise, remove the veins and seeds, and cut into 1-inch slices.
- Step 3 – Place the tomatillo quarters and the poblano chili slices into a pot of water and add salt if you wish.
- Step 4 – Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked and soft.
- Step 5 – Once cooked, pour the vegetables into the blender and blend until smooth.
Prepare the Filling
- Step 1 – Pour the shredded chicken into a large bowl.
- Step 1 – Next, pour the salsa over the chicken and stir to combine.
The Chicken in Salsa Verde filling is now ready!
Assemble the Chicken Tamales
- Step 1 – Lay a corn husk flat in your hand with the straight, wide edge facing toward you. With the other hand, scoop about 2 to 3 tablespoons of masa into the husk.
- Step 2 – Spread the masa evenly about ⅔ across the straight edge of the husk and halfway down. You’ll need the empty space to fold the tamales over.
- Step 3 – Scoop about a tablespoon of chicken filling and place on top of the masa in the husk. Spread evenly in the center of the dough.
Rajas and Cheese Tamales (jalapeño and cheese)
Ingredients
- 3 chile jalapeño devein and seeded
- 1 10 oz pack cheese fresco
Instructions
Prepare jalapenos and cheese
- Step 1 – Cut jalapeño devein, seeded and sliced thin
- Step 2 – Cut cheese in medium slices
Assemble the Rajas and Cheese Tamales
- Step 1 – Lay a corn husk flat in your hand with the straight, wide edge facing toward you. With the other hand, scoop about 2 to 3 tablespoons of masa into the husk.
- Step 2 – Spread the masa evenly about ⅔ across the straight edge of the husk and halfway down. You’ll need the empty space to fold the tamales over.
- Step 3 – Place a slice of cheese in the center of the masa and one slice of jalapeno on each side of the cheese.
- Step 4 – Fold over one half of the corn husk toward the center to cover the filling, then fold the bottom of the corn husk over the tamale, then fold over the other half over the tamale.
- Step 5 – Place the folded tamale on a plate and repeat with the remaining corn husks.
Steam Your Tamales
- Step 1 – Add a few cups of water to a steamer pot and heat until the water is hot.
- Step 2 – Now it is ready to place the steamer rack in the pot and heat the tamales.
- Step 3 – Alternatively, you could use a stockpot with a steamer basket as long as you can get a good seal when you cover your pot.
- Step 4 – Place the tamales into the steamer upright with the open part of the husk at the top, being careful not to crush them.
- Step 5 – Once all the tamales are added to the steamer, cover, and steam over medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until cooked. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Step 6 – Check every so often to make sure there is enough water in the pot.
Mexican Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- ¾ cup white rice
- 2 ½ cups of water
- 1 small piece of a cinnamon stick
- ¾ cup 2% milk
- ½ cup of condensed milk
- ¼ cup of raisins (optional)
- Ground cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
- Step 1 – Place water, rice, and the piece of cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, until rice is tender.
- Step 2 – While the rice is cooking, mix the whole milk with the condensed milk and stir. If you would like to make your rice pudding sweeter, you can add more condensed milk.
- Step 3 – Rice is ready when all water evaporates. Make sure rice has formed some holes over the surface
- Step 4 – Remove pot from heat. Pour the whole milk and condensed milk mix into the saucepan and stir. If you would like to add the raisins or vanilla extract, you can add them now.
- Step 5 – Return the saucepan to heat, cover, and keep cooking until it thickens. It will take about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid it from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.
- Step 6 – If the rice looks too dry for your taste, add ¼ cup of warm milk and stir. The result should look like a soft and creamy pudding.
- Step 7 – Whether served warm or cold, place in small cups and sprinkle ground cinnamon.
Enjoy the video, and don’t forget to share your completed dishes and virtual gatherings on social media by tagging photos with the hashtag #rjcooking.
Members of the editorial and news staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal were not involved in the creation of this content.