Pila's Molino — Restaurant in San Antonio

This has been our go to Molino for generations. From my late grandmother who taught us the art of making Tamales, mother who affirmed us in making Tamales after my wonderful grandmother passed and now myself passing the tradition on to my children. Best tasting tortilla masa out there. to prepare for tamales. If you have never made Tamales Start soaking your corn husk before you start anything till soft in hot water. Do not boil. ok now you can start: Mix 20 lbs of masa, 1tablespoon sifted baking powder, 2-3 tablespoons salt or to taste, Boil seeded chile ancho approx 10-15 and guajillo approx 10 . Till completely softened. Blend with some of the chile liquid with 2 large raw fresh garlic. Use about 1 to 1 and a half cups of the chile mixture in the masa.

Do not discard the rest. You will use it. Melt 6-7lbs Lard and mix it in your masa. Mix the masa until you can not see color inconsistencies. All masa must be the same color. No swirls or bumps. Also remember masa is made from fresh corm so feel for corn kernels and remove if you happen to find a few.

Filling : pork shoulder roast in crock pot over night till its pretty much shredded on its own. Drain but keep broth after removing all the fat. mince the meat fairly well and add the remaining chile mixture. Add 2-3 spoons or to taste if your not a fan of comino must be freshly ground comino in your molcajete and salt to taste. And more garlic to taste. If you are not a fan of meat I make great bean and cheese tamales as well.

Blend your favorite brand can beans or cook your own add same chile mixture to taste and salt, fresh ground comino & garlic to taste and long horn cheese or your favorite .

You can also make green chile chicken Tamales. Boil about 10lbs chicken. Shredded Boil 10 jalapeño, till soft. 10 Green tomatillo till the color starts to change a bit and remove quickly to prevent sour tomatoes. Mix tomatillo, jalapeños, fresh garlic salt and a bunch of cilantro . Add mixture to your shredded chicken and boil a bit and add salt to taste. Enjoy...

I would like to share an incident that happened today ..I love the Menudo from this place in fact it’s best menudo I ever had ! Its amazing! ..Well today I took it back it had no flavor.. 🤷🏻‍♀️.. Miss Pila was very, very kind not even question me gave me my money back another Menudo plus a soda Oh, and Tamales 😁..when I got home not only the Menudo but Tamales as well had no flavor. ..when I had my coffee it’s then I realized my coffee as well had no flavor 🤔..turned out to be a very bad allergy reaction I had that prevented me from tasting 😳.. I want to take this time to apologize so sorry Miss Pila it was not your tamales or Menudo. It was me!! ..You were very very kind. You did not even question it turns out it was me who was going through an allergic attack and had attacked my taste buds ... I’m so sorry. Thank you for your kindness, my apologies to you your crew of Employees specially to the one who makes your delicious best menudo ever hands down 😁Thank you. HIGHLY...

Let me give you the 💯 low down…Pila’s Molino ALWAYS serves San Antonio that AUTHENTICO, FRESH & CLEAN menudo. Their all meat barbacoa layed out in their fresh tortillas made on site always puts a smile on my girlfriend’s face (aka Chipmunk) which puts a 😁 on my face. They always have cold 2 liter BIG RED on deck…that’s how we San Antonians wash down all that Pila Molino goodness…The West Side of SA isn’t the West Side without Pila’s Molino. Stop by and get treated like familia…tell’em Nene sent you😉 (sorry for no pics, but the food doesn’t last long enough to...