Tamales—meat or vegetable fillings surrounded by masa dough and steamed in softened corn-husk packets—are a Latin American staple, and this rendition cleverly showcases corn in three distinct forms. Kernels of fresh sweet corn brighten up a dough made from corn tortilla flour. (Adding cornmeal to store-bought masa flour helps mimic the texture of fresh tamale dough, a trick we picked up from Magda Bogin at the Cocinar Mexicano cooking school in the town of Tepoztlán.) Poblano chiles add a touch of heat, but it's the time on the grill that gives the tamales real fire. The husks develop a light char, and the smoky flavor penetrates the tamale, accenting the corn in all its dimensions beautifully.
· Tamales can be steamed (but not grilled) 2 weeks ahead and cooled completely, then frozen in sealed bags.
· Thaw by resteaming until hot, then let stand 10 to 20 minutes before grilling.
· If you aren't able to grill outdoors, tamales can be cooked in a hot lightly oiled large (2-burner) ridged grill pan over medium-high heat.
