Holiday fare that’s like a gift in a corn husk

YOU can’t beat tamales for the holidays. When you unwrap one from its moist corn husk, it’s like unwrapping a tiny, edible present. (That is, unless you’re like President Ford in ’76 and you try to eat one with the husk on.)

For several years, El Pollo Loco has offered chicken tamales during the holiday season. They taste all right, but with just a little extra effort, they could be that much better. The problem? The microwave oven.

El Pollo prides itself on its fresh, authentic marinated flame-grilled chicken, so it’s profoundly disappointing to see that their holiday tamales are nuked. The microwave dries the husks and the tender tamales within. For $1.69 each, would heating them in a traditional steam pot be too much to ask?

Still, in the spirit of the holidays, we should concentrate on the positive. After all, every time a microwave dings, an angel gets his wings.

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El Pollo Loco’s Chicken Tamales

Taste

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Moisture aside, the corn masa is very tasty -- sweet, but not too sweet, and chock-full of corny goodness. However, it would be nicer if the tamales had a little more chicken, because in the real world, the meat-to-masa ratio is nowhere as close as in the glamour photo above.

Diet Watch

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One tamale has only 180 calories, but there are 8 grams of fat, 21 grams of carbohydrates, and a single tamal simply won’t fill you up. Instead of ordering three or four to make a meal, you’re probably better off getting a two-piece chicken dinner and ordering one tamale as an appetizer.

Portability

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If microwaving has one advantage, it’s that these little fellers are firm enough to eat in your car. But for the safety of everyone, do not attempt to remove the cornhusks while your vehicle is in motion. You could have an accident and the Legislature would be forced to enact anti-shucking laws.

Hype-o-meter

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Don’t expect to see El Pollo’s new spokesman, the muy caliente Master of the Flame, hawking these in a Santa suit. Instead, the chain has taken a slightly classier route, advertising only through signage at the stores, as if to say their tamales are sweet, secret gifts to their regular customers. If they nixed the nuking, they’d be just about right.

* Ratings are on a scale of zero (lowest) to four (best).