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.[4]