Making tamales with goose fat?

Question

I don't have any lard on hand, but lots of goose fat leftover from the holidays.  Has anyone made masa dough using goose instead of pork fat?

Greenstuff · Answer

I knew those would be good!  Thanks for reporting in.

Brain H. · Answer

So...I had a little tamalada (tamale-making party) and we did a side by side comparison of goose fat vs. lard in the masa dough. The goose fat tamales were lighter, more crumbly, and had a more subtle flavor. This masa was especially good with the roasted turkey and epazote. The lard tamales were also delicious, but the dough was much more dense. The lard tamales paired well with more intensely-flavored fillings, like lamb and mole and mergeuz sausage.  We also made sweet fig tamales, and used butter for the masa; these were by far my favorite!!  If you have an abundance of goose fat on hand, I say go for it!

Brain H. · Answer

There's only one way to find out!  Will report back.

Sam1148 · Answer

I've never tried that, but it sounds fantastic.

Making tamales with goose fat?

4 Comments

Popular on Food52

The Best Vanilla Extract Substitute Is Probably Hiding in Your Kitchen

11 Easy Dinner Recipes for When It's Been a Loooong Week

The 15 Best Pasta Salad Recipes to Make All Summer Long