Local trio takes third at prestigious tamale cookoff

By David Stone

The Belton Journal

A trio of Belton-area women took third place in the Texas Tamale Fest & Cookoff earlier this month.

Cousins Rachel Greenhaw and Terrie Easley, along with friend Deb Callahan, captured a trophy and $400 for their zesty pork tamales. The team competed under the name CTX Tamale Familia.

“We did a double entry, but we won third with our zesty pork,” Greenhaw said. “I’m calling it ‘zesty’ because it’s a mix of our spicy and mild tamales. People really loved them. We were allowed to take some to sell, and we sold a lot.”

“We plan to return next year, and I think we will make the zesty pork and our brisket tamales,” she said. “Our brisket tamales are extremely popular around Christmas. One of the two teams that beat us entered brisket tamales.”

Courtesy Photo

Rachel Greenhaw of Belton, along with Terrie Easley (on right) and Deb Callahan (on left), won third place at the Texas Tamale Fest & Cookoff in San Marcos with their zesty pork tamales. Greenhaw and company made 1,100 dozen tamales last year, and they are ramping up for a big November and December this year.

“There was a lot going on at the festival. We got lots of positive comments from people around us and those who purchased our tamales. Besides tamales, there were vendors selling crafts and clothing, and there were several Chihuahua competitions.”

“There was a guy who walked around selling tamales, and he told me that he had tasted many tamales that day and ours were his favorite,” Greenhaw said.

Team members said it was an honor to be invited to the prestigious cookoff.

“We were invited last year, but I was too busy to go,” she said. “I went on a cruise this summer, and while I was gone, I received an email inviting us to compete this year.”

Greenhaw and Easley are pros at making tamales. They have been serving local residents for six years, and they made more than 1,100 dozen tamales last year. Do the math — that’s a total of 13,200 tamales.

“November and December are our biggest months, and we also sell tamales in March, before Cinco de Mayo, and the Fourth of July.

“I’m not sure why, but people buy the heck out of them on July 4,” Greenhaw said with a laugh. “We make mild, medium, and spicy pork and chicken tamales, as well as bean and cheese. And we make the brisket tamales for Christmas.”

They are taking orders on their Facebook page — TAMALES (all caps) — now through Nov. 17 for Thanksgiving. Delivery will be Nov. 20 and 21.

“I’ve already made more than 200 orders, and I’ll be cooking all week up until Nov. 17,” she said. “Then we enjoy Thanksgiving, and soon we will start taking orders for Christmas.”