Meet the Tamale Queen

At the heart of every family’s kitchen, there’s always a dish that holds more than just flavor; it carries history, tradition, passion, and memories. What’s yours?

At just age 8, Matilde Santa Cruz stood in her family’s kitchen in Imuris, Sonora, Mexico, hands covered with masa, learning the rhythm of tamale-making from two generations before her.

That first tamal—carefully wrapped, steamed, and shared—was more than a childhood milestone. It was the beginning of a legacy.

Decades later, Matilde has hand-crafted millions of red beef tamales, each one a tribute to tradition, resilience, and the vibrant flavors of Tucson’s Mexican-American heritage. It’s a journey from humble beginnings to an award-winning culinary icon.

“My grandmother was amazed how quickly I could make tortillas and tamales when I was a child,” she recalls. “I can make three tortillas in one minute. I can make a dozen tamales in one minute.”

Always keeping busy since an early age, before going to school, young Matilde would wake up at 4 a.m. and help her father on the family farm – milking cows, making cheese, butter, tortillas, salsa, green corn and red beef tamales, and empanadas, all organic.

“I was good in math,” she says, “so I did the books for my father, too.”

Seeking a better life, at 15 she came to Tucson, where 4 of her 6 sisters (there were also 4 brothers) were living, all married and raising their families. She helped with their children, continuing to make tamales, tortillas, and lots of other dishes.

Her family’s entrepreneurial spirit ran deep. One of Matilde’s sisters ran a bustling fruit stand at the corner of 12th and Ajo, where a Walgreens sits today.

Matilde would sell her homemade empanadas and tortillas to an aunt, who resold them to eager customers in South Tucson. It was a grassroots network of flavor, stitched together by family.

Then came the moment that changed everything. About 50 years ago, Paloma Griffith, a local food enthusiast and wife of the late folklorist Big Jim Griffith, co-founder of Tucson Meet Yourself, and with a sharp eye for talent, tasted one of Matilde’s beef tamales and asked the question that would alter the course of her life: “Do you sell these?”

That simple inquiry opened the door to a future Matilde, a wife, mother of 6 sons and a daughter, hadn’t imagined, one filled with community orders, more than 30 years of having the longest lines at Tucson Meet Yourself, festival booths, winning awards for her tamales, and eventually, a reputation as one of Tucson’s tamale queens.

Now, you can learn from the legend herself!

On Saturday, November 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Matilde will open her home for an intimate Red Beef Tamale making class. You’ll take home a dozen cooked tamales, make 4-6 in class you’ll take home to steam, and enjoy a delicious lunch featuring tamales, rice, beans, salsa, and beverages. Cost is $90 per person, and the experience? Unforgettable.

This isn’t just a cooking class! It’s a chance to learn from a living legend, hear stories behind the flavors, and carry forward a tradition that’s fed Tucson for generations.

With 12 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren, her home remains the family hub. Big pots of yumminess fill the stove. Although, as daughter Mattie Santa Cruz notes, “She still cooks every day, even though she doesn’t have to.”

Nodding in agreement, Matilde spends about eight hours every day in the kitchen, always ready for whomever drops by.

Visiting with Matilde and Mattie while sipping the best homemade hot chocolate ever, was an experience beyond words. Talking food was amazing; and one nugget I learned, which is incredible and makes me feel like a slacker, Matilde has never purchased a ready-made dish or meal from the market and still roasts her coffee beans and grinds all her meat.

When asked, she agrees she’s a confident cook and definitely cooks with love.

Matilde, Mattie, and I look forward to cooking with you on November 15.

Wishing you joy in the kitchen,
Michele

Cochido – Sonoran Beef & Bean Stew
Yield: 6–8 servings

Note: This recipe isn’t from Matilde Santa Cruz.

1½ lbs. beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ lb. pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 smoked ham hock, optional, for depth
Canola or neutral oil
1½ cups dried pinto beans, soaked overnight
½ cup pearl barley or cracked wheat, optional, for texture
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 chayote squash, peeled and cubed
1 small cabbage, cut into wedges
1 ear of corn, cut into 3-inch rounds
1 medium tomato, chopped
½ white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 cups water or beef broth
Optional garnishes:
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
Pickled jalapeños
Warm flour tortillas

Directions:
1. Drain and rinse pinto beans. Set aside.
2. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat a splash of oil over medium-high. Brown beef and pork in batches until golden. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pot, add onion, garlic, and tomato. Cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
4. Return meats to the pot. Add beans, ham hock if using, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in barley if using, carrots, potatoes, chayote, corn, and cabbage. Simmer uncovered 45–60 minutes, or until everything is tender and flavors meld.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf and ham hock.
7. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro, lime, or jalapeños. Pair with warm tortillas for dipping.