Crumbs in my 'Stache: It's a tamale party

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

By Ben Cannon

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-I wasn’t quite living in the valley yet when the Betty Rock Café shut its doors three years ago, but the recently reopened lunch spot must have cultivated a sizable and ardent customer base eager to welcome its return. I first noticed the Betty Rock when local blogs 22 Local and JH Underground reported the reopening – despite a looming economic climate in which not very many new businesses are expected to launch.

Anyhow, I stopped by the Betty Rock on the late side of the usual lunching hours one day last week, and was mildly surprised to find quite a few diners finishing panini and cups and bowls of hot soup. In a pinnacle moment of battling a cold, I myself was in need of some soup and chose spicy black bean – the soup of the day – over the Betty Rock turkey chili.

At $7, the bowl of black bean soup, served with fried tortilla strips on the side, was a fair value. It was tasty, reasonably hearty and definitely packed a bit of a spicy kick. Until this cold subsides, I’m still avoiding dairy products, Pearl Street Bagel chocolate cookies (thanks, Brady) and other rich foods, though I look forward to trying a Betty Rock panino one day soon.

But sometimes the health benefits of hot peppers on the embattled immune and respiratory systems can outweigh the toll of heavy foods on the sick person, no?
With that in mind I ordered a dozen tamales for the Planet JH office recently. I have heard  about the made-to-order tamales from El Gordito’s, and called in the order a day ahead of time. They arrived at Planet JH HQ still warm, and those of us who can eat corn without going into a potentially life-threatening anaphylactic shock (i.e. not my editor) made quick work of six pork and six chicken tamales.

The tamales bulged in cornhusks, and at two bucks a pop, an order of two or three should satisfy all but the biggest lunchtime appetites at a bar. For reasons known only to a kindly Mexican woman, hand making these tamales in El Gordito’s kitchen, the spicy chicken and green chili tamales were prepared tamal blanco with white corn dough, while the pork, made with milder red chillis, were tamal de elote, or made with sweeter tasting yellow corn. While some said they preferred the spicier chicken tamales, I think the ones with pork – usually considered the more traditional meat of Mexican foodways – were more flavorful.

Still, another said El Gordito’s tamales did not stack up against frozen tamales that come from Salt Lake City, but I’d recommend them to the tamale eater anyhow. I think my old man, who sometimes likes to go out of his way to stop at tamale stands in small towns around the rural south, would approve.

I’m not entirely sure if tamales have to be phoned in ahead of time, but if you’re looking to bring in a fun and inexpensive meal to work – either to treat productive coworkers or marginalize those with corn allergies – it’s a good idea to call El Gordito’s the day before. And if you speak Spanish, ask the kindly tamale woman what gives with making the dough for pork and chicken tamales from different kinds of corn.

She’ll probably say something dismissive, like, “Who eats chicken tamales?” PJH
Betty Rock Café is located at 325 W. Pearl St.; 733-0747. El Gordito’s is located at 1180 S. U.S. Hwy 89; 734-6736.
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Crumbs in my 'Stache: It's a tamale party | Planet JH News Article: Restaurants And Dining

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