Tamales Salteños – Argentine Corn Parcels
The traditional technique of grinding the corn, the role of the beef suet, and how to wrap them in corn husks. A reliable regional recipe from northern Argentina.
The corn is boiled with clean wood ash. That is not folklore: the alkali loosens the hull so it can be removed, and it is the same principle as Mexican nixtamalization. Without it the grain stays tough and the dough will not come together.
And the filling is completely sealed inside the dough before the parcel is wrapped. Any gap and the filling escapes into the cooking water.
🔎 What is beef suet? — where it comes from, what goes in it and how it differs.
Ingredients
- 1 kg yellow corn kernels
- 1 kg roast beef, boiled and chopped
- 500 g potatoes, boiled and chopped
- 200 g scallions (spring onions), sliced
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 200 g butter
- Beef suet, as needed
- 1 tsp paprika, mixed with a little suet
- Dried corn husks, boiled for 1 minute
- Brine (salted water)
- Salt, chili flakes and cumin, to taste
- Clean wood ash, for the traditional grinding
Method
- 1
Grinding the corn: boil the kernels for 60-70 minutes in water with clean wood ash to loosen the hulls — the alkali is what makes the grain workable, the same principle as nixtamalization. In a mortar or food processor, crush the kernels, adding splashes of brine until you have a pliable dough. Work in the butter.
- 2
The filling: cook the scallions in beef suet. In a separate bowl, mix the finely chopped meat with the potatoes, the scallions and the hard-boiled eggs. Season generously with cumin, chili flakes and paprika.
- 3
Assembly: shape a disk of dough in the palm of your hand. Put the filling in the center, leaving a free border, and close the tamal making sure the filling is completely sealed inside.
- 4
Wrapping: wrap each one in a boiled husk, shaping it like a wrapped sweet. Tie the ends firmly with strips of the same husk to keep the seal.
- 5
Boil the tamales in salted water over gentle heat for 20 minutes, so the flavors come together.
- 6
Drain and serve hot, inside their husks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use bicarbonate of soda instead of ash?
Yes, absolutely 🌽 Bicarbonate of soda works perfectly and the result will be just as good. It does the same chemical job as the ash: it creates an alkaline environment that softens and loosens the hard skin of the corn kernel.
🥄 The right proportion is 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda per litre of cooking water.
💧 One key tip: rinse the corn kernels very thoroughly under plenty of clean water after boiling them. That is essential for removing the bits of skin and any excess bicarbonate before they go into the mortar or the food processor.
What is the ash for, and where does it come from?
The ash is used to hull the corn — a process similar to nixtamalisation. The alkaline environment loosens the hard skin from the kernel and makes it more digestible. It has to be ash from pale, untreated wood (from a barbecue fire), with no plastic or chemical residue.
Modern substitute: if you have no ash to hand — the normal situation in a flat — use bicarbonate of soda or food-grade lime, one tablespoon per litre of water.
Do you eat the corn husk?
No, definitely not. The dry corn husk (the chala) is both cooking vessel and wrapping: it holds the moisture inside and gives the characteristic rustic aroma. At the table it is opened like a present — only the filling is eaten.
What is grasa de pella?
It is the purest beef fat, taken from around the kidneys — what English-speaking kitchens call suet. It matters because of its high melting point and the characteristic flavour that defines the Salta tamal. Ask a butcher for beef suet; it is also sold already rendered as beef dripping.
Is this an Andean recipe?
Absolutely. The tamal is a pillar of Andean cooking. The corn tamal of the Calchaquí valleys is the fullest expression of the culture of north-western Argentina, with pre-Hispanic roots it shares with Bolivia and Peru. Cooking of the high country: corn and patience.
Are they always made with yellow corn?
No, not at all. Yellow corn is very popular and gives the dough its characteristic golden colour, but white corn (hulled white corn) is just as traditional in many parts of north-western Argentina — some would say more so.
Andean cooking has an enormous range of corn varieties, but for tamales salteños the argument is always between white and yellow:
White corn: usually the favourite of purists and of the oldest recipes. It gives a paler dough with a slightly more neutral, earthier flavour, which lets the filling — and the paprika in the beef suet — take the lead completely.
Yellow corn: gives the dough that vivid, appetising colour, along with the faintest sweetness that contrasts nicely with the salty, spiced filling.
Both are correct and traditional. In fact the ash process for hulling the kernels works exactly the same way for either one.
Flavors of Salta
The soul of Argentina's northwest in your kitchen. A run through the Andean inheritance of corn, slow fire and deep flavors that take you there with every bite.
