Mother-in-law (sandwich) explained

The mother-in-law is a fast food dish of Chicago, consisting of a tamale topped with chili, served in a hot dog bun.^{[1] [2] [3]} The mother-in-law is made with Chicago's unique style of tamale, a machine-extruded cornmeal roll wrapped in paper instead of corn husks, which is typically cooked in a hot-dog steamer.^{[4] [5]}

History

Mexican-Americans brought the tamale to Chicago, and African-Americans from the Mississippi Delta area brought the hot tamale to the city.^{[6] [7]} But no one knows how the mother-in-law sandwich developed.^{[8] [9]} Some speculate it may have had its beginnings in Mexico City's torta de tamal, a tamale on a bolillo. The precise origins of the Chicago-style tamale are also obscure.

See also

• List of sandwiches

Notes and References

1. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10279183 "Making a Mother-in-Law Sandwich"
2. Kindelsperger, Nick (November 9, 2012). "Fat Johnnie's Mother-In-Law Deserves Fame", Serious Eats. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
3. https://www.southernfoodways.org/interview/chicago-connection/ "Delta Tamales in Chicago: The Mother-in-Law Sandwich"
4. Zeldes, Leah (December 18, 2009). "The Unique Chicago Tamale, a Tuneful Mystery", Dining Chicago. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
5. http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3932 "'Mother in Law' = 'Tamale with Chili'"
6. Sula, Mike (September 16, 2013). "The Great Tamale Migration". Chicago Reader. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
7. Sula, Mike (May 15, 2008). "On the Trail of the Delta Tamale", Chicago Reader. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
8. Katz, Jamie (April 19, 2009). "Searching for a Mother-in-Law Sandwich", Smithsonian magazine. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
9. Web site: Ashlie D. . Stevens . May 5, 2022 . The Murky Origins of the Mother-in-Law, a Chicago Tamale-Hotdog Hybrid . Salon.com . May 5, 2022.