Does anyone remember "Red's Tamales?"

[zasha]

I just logged on to my computer to look up Red's tamales. I remember them. My family used to go to the drive-in movie in the SF bay area. They always had ads for them during intermission. They sold them at the snack bar. I have found the canned ones a lot more recently. I was hoping that someone knew of another brand that was close. I love tamales!

 

[rbmain]

Reds Tamales Made at home

I grew up in Oakland and my Mom fixed these every Tuesday from frozen six-packs. You can closely approximate them today pretty easy. Buy ready to go masa at a Mexican grocery. Mix with tamale spices and beef broth to get a toothpaste consistency, spread inside wet soaked corn husks. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of Hormel Chili con carne with no beans on top of masa. Roll up and steam for 1-2 hours. That'll bring back memories, and explains why Red's were unique.

 

[roadfix]

Hi !!

 

[Just Cooking]

Grew up having Red's on a weekly basis in Monterey, Ca...

A local old timer writes an occasional column in the local paper and he mentioned Red's in this column..

Phil Bowhay, Flashback: Touting tasty tamales

My family was friends with his family.. He is a few years older than me.. I'm 78...



Ross

 

[caseydog]

Wow, an eleven year old thread. No wonder I didn't recognize the names. LOL

CD

 

[Just Cooking]

Wow, an eleven year old thread. No wonder I didn't recognize the names. LOL

CD

LOL...Uh huh...I got to page 3 before I realized that..

Its kinda fun to read some of the old threads tho..

Ross

 

[mhiggins]

Found a Tamale similiar to famous retro brand "Red's Tamales"!

To everyone who has posted their fond memories of "Red's Tamales" (sold in the 1960's and 1970's by Ingram Foods in Oakland, CA....the company was sold in the 1970's) and are trying to find a tamale similar to Red's Tamales, I have found it!! The product is called "XLNT Beef Tamales" produced by XLNT foods company in Long Beach, CA. You can go to their web-site to see which stores in your area carry this product. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and the "Smart & Final" stores in my area carry them. In my opinion, these tamales are even BETTER than Red's Tamales: They have the same wonderful flavor, but there is MUCH MORE beef filling in the XLNT Beef Tamales. I also like the Masa better in these Tamales. The tamales are packaged in a plain white bag with big black letters that say "XLNT Beef Tamales". They have limited distribution, so to find them in your area, you can go to the company web-site to find a store in your area that carries them at: xlntfoods.com
This company has been in business since 1894 and manafactures out of Long Beach, CA. It's a very authentic Mexican recipe for beef Tamales. DELICIOUS!!

 

[Kayelle]

Hi mhiggins, and welcome.
Actually I don't remember Red's Tamales at all, however, I do remember XLNT.

I was raised here in SoCal and XLNT is what we saw in stores, although I havn't looked for them in years. In my world I can buy some darn good Tamales at the local Mexican market that has a hot food deli.

 

[Hidekihara]

I just found the XLNT tamales at Smart and Final and they taste nothing like Red's. Red's had a smooth creamy Masa and XLXT was a little dry. I wish Reds was still around��

 

[Hidekihara]

Girabaldi's tamales made with Polenta or Masa?

I just found the XLNT tamales at Smart and Final and they taste nothing like Red's. Red's had a smooth creamy Masa and XLXT was a little dry. I wish Reds was still around��

Just searched the internet and found Girabaldi's tamales made by Homestead Foods and they are located in South San Francisco, just a hop, skip and a jump from where I live in San Bruno. They make tamales with either polenta or masa. I think that's the difference in the taste that maybe I'm missing. I'm thinking that maybe Reds used polenta? I'm going to either the factory store or find them in my local grocery. Wish me luck!

 

[Cheryl J]

Hi mhiggins, and welcome.
Actually I don't remember Red's Tamales at all, however, I do remember XLNT.

I was raised here in SoCal and XLNT is what we saw in stores, although I havn't looked for them in years. In my world I can buy some darn good Tamales at the local Mexican market that has a hot food deli.

Same here. I still see XLNT tamales in the packaged cheese and cold cuts section of the grocery store, and haven't bought that brand in years. The filling is pasty, kind of like how I remember the meat in a Jack In The Box taco. There are lots of homemade tamales here in town that I like a lot better - they have distinguishable shredded meat in them. I've never seen Red's but from the pics I just pulled up they look a lot better than XLNT.

 

[Cheryl J]

Just searched the internet and found Girabaldi's tamales made by Homestead Foods and they are located in South San Francisco, just a hop, skip and a jump from where I live in San Bruno. They make tamales with either polenta or masa. I think that's the difference in the taste that maybe I'm missing. I'm thinking that maybe Reds used polenta? I'm going to either the factory store or find them in my local grocery. Wish me luck!

Hello Hidekihara, and welcome. Just wondering, have you tried finding locally made tamales in your area by friends recommendations...? It seems that your area would have lots of Latino ladies making those wonderful tamales as we do here in so cal. We get them here for around $20/dozen or less from the ladies, or in the butcher section of the grocery store for maybe 2 for $5, when they're on sale. Good luck!

 

[Mad Cook]

I just noticed the title under my user name....nobody in their right mind would allow me to be their assistant!

Don't worry, Seank. By the time we've finished with you you'll be a "Master Chef"

 

[Queequeg21]

Since I was raised in San Francisco in the 1950s and 1960s, Red's Tamales remains big with me. What I remember was a single enormous tamale with red chile and chunks of white meat turkey in thick masa de harina. They were GREAT! They were sold frozen and singly. Steamed and enjoyed frequently in our house. I recall they were also a sponsor of the S.F. Giants for the radio broadcasts of the home games. How I miss them!!!

 

[rox]

Oh, in the late 1960's, through the 70's and maybe part of the 80's there used to be frozen tamales that came in like a 6-pack called "Red's Tamales." This was also back when there were tamales in a can that you had to boil the can to heat. Red's Tamales were wrapped in a paper "husk" and you would boil them to heat them up (pre-microwave days). Red's didn't really have any chunks of meat, there was this red paste (looked like a dark tomato paste) that was meat flavored as the filling and yellow-colored masa. Does anyone remember them? I assume the company no longer exists? Who manufactured them?
Anyone got a similar recipe for "Red's Tamales" -- not just any tamale recipe will do. I can find tamale recipes. It's just gotta taste like Red's.
Thanks!
- HoneyB

Hello, they also have Xlint Tamales. The company is around in CA and you can order directly from them or look up where they sell them in your area. I too loved to get these for lunch in high shool,was better than cafeteria food! And backthen they were only a buck! Sometimes on sale for 75 cents. Lol good luck in finding and or ordering.
Roxie