Los Hernández Tamales

Who am I to argue with the James Beard Foundation? These really are amongst the very best tamales I have ever eaten. The pork are perfection, and though I can no longer eat them, I am certain the chicken tamales are as well. The balance between filling and casing is always just right, and on the rare occasions it is slightly off, they always err in the direction of too much meat, rather than too much masa. The special tamales right now are gluten-free jalapeno and pepper jack tamales. Pretty darned good, and the masa isn't as stiff and dry as it could be without the addition of wheat flour, but I still prefer the pork. During the Spring asparagus harvest they make asparagus tamales that are heavenly. Situated along a tired looking commercial strip, inside a tiny cinder-block building, magic happens just about every day of the year. Such a simple dish, so easy to get wrong, the only times I am disappointed by these tamales is when I go too long without eating them.