Break up the ground round into a bowl. Add all the other filling ingredients and mix together well with a fork or a heavy whisk.
With a tablespoon, scoop out the mixture and roll it out into a cigar shape. Then roll it through the corn meal to stick a thick layer of meal onto the meat mixture.
Soak paper tamale wrappers in warm water. Lay a paper out and sprinkle corn meal over it. Place a coated filling "cigar" onto the paper and roll it up, folding in the ends of the papers to completely enclose the tamale.
Put the tamales on their sides in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, alternating direction of layers. Pour water enough to cover all the tamales, plus about an inch. Place on medium fire until the water boils. Lower heat to maintain a simmer and cook, with cover on, for an hour and a half to two hours.
