Tamales are one of Mexico’s humblest dishes. Consisting of corn masa and fillings, they are made all over Chicago.
Making tamales is a methodical process, and when you’re producing an average of more than 200 each day, as they do at Santa Masa Tamaleria on the northwest side of town, consistency is key.
Daniel Espinoza and his wife, Joanna, missed making them after their pandemic pop-up, so when a storefront opened in the Belmont Heights/Dunning area, they jumped at the chance to start filling corn husks again.
“Other than missing it, it’s the legacy that continues to pass on through the teachings of our grandparents and the food that we honestly just love to eat,” Espinoza said.
“Nixtamalized corn that we bring in from Sinaloa [Mexico]it is non-GMO. Vegetable shortening; we whip it up until it’s about three times the volume. We pour it on the dried corn husks that we rehydrate in hot water overnight, and then your filling of choice.”
You can get smothered poblano peppers, onions and cheese, a sweet version with strawberries and salted caramel, or chicken, available with either a green tomatillo salsa or a brick red guajillo. Unlike every tamaleria in town, pork is not an option.
It is a conscious decision.
“When we started Santa Masa, my mom almost killed me because we didn’t do pork,” he said.
There are also football-sized huaraches topped with beans, caramelized onions, chipotle crema, cheese, lettuce and tomato, as well as tacos, which use the same corn masa dough for the tortillas. Try the Santo Taco, which has one side coated with crispy cheese, then topped with pork shoulder adobada and beef barbacoa.
“And it just melts in your mouth. We top it with chorizo verde,” he said.
Torta de Chilaquil has to be one of the greatest breakfast sandwiches in town. Beans and softened, cooked tortilla chips or chilaquiles (your choice of red or green) are piled with shredded lettuce, pickled red onion and crema, topped with egg.
“That thing starts your morning in Mexico. It’s that carbonaceous thing that will keep you going until noon, and it’s pretty damn good,” Espinoza said.