Name: Cornmeal Tamales
Ingredients: 3 pounds ground beef; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder; 1/4 cup chili powder; 4 tablespoons sugar; 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal; Two 8-ounce cans tomato sauce; 36 pieces parchment or wax paper cut into 5-inch squares; 4 cups yellow cornmeal mixed with 2 teaspoons salt

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Cornmeal TamalesCookbook cover image courtesy of Random House

As tamales spread across Texas and the rest of the South, they underwent some changes. Easy-to-find cornmeal replaced the Mexican lime-slaked masa and paper squares were often used to roll up the tamales instead of the traditional corn shucks. Anglo tamale-eaters preferred beef to the traditional pork, so beef tamales became common.

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