Tamale Pie is a Latin American pie comprising of a sweet or savory fillings. The pie is different from that of a conventional pie as its casing is made of starchy flour, such as corn flour, and it is boiled or steamed.
Preparation of Tamale Pie
The tamale pie is made by filling a mixture of seasoned vegetables, cheese, chilies or meat in a shell made of starchy dough, most often corn-based. The pie is conventionally boiled or steamed in a leaf, though modern cooking also recommends baking. The leaf is removed while consumption.
Regional Variants of Tamale Pie
• Mexico – The tamale pie is a traditional comfort food, and is made in a number of ways. The tamale pastry is made of masa and the fillings include pork, chicken or vegetables. Popular Mexican tamale pie recipes include the savory torta de tamale and the sweet fruity tamal de dulce and tamal sordo.
• Cuba- The Cuban tamale pies are similar to the Mexican ones. They are wrapped in corn husks with spicier fillings. Popular Cuban tamales include pastels.
• Central America- Tamal de elote, Tamalito de Chiplin and Tamal Blanco are popular tamale pies of the region.
• South America – Tamale Salteños and Tamales Jujeños are popular South American Tamales
• United States – Tamale pies from all ethnicity are commercially available in the United States. The Puerto Rican tamale pies called guanimes are indigenous to the region.