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Ingredients
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Masa (Dough)
Red Sauce (Recado Rojo)
Filling (Meat)
Assembly & Wrappers
To Finish
Method
Preparing the Meat Filling
- 1
Cook the meat
Place the pork shoulder or chicken in a large pot with enough water to cover, add bay leaves, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until very tender (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours for pork, 45 minutes for chicken). Skim foam occasionally.
- 2
Shred and reserve broth
Remove meat from broth. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking broth for blending the red sauce and another 1/2 cup for moisten the masa later. Shred the meat finely using forks or your hands. Set meat aside.
Making the Red Sauce (Recado Rojo)
- 3
Prepare chiles
Remove stems and seeds from guajillo and ancho chiles. Toast them briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat for 10-20 seconds per side until fragrant (do not burn). Then place chiles in hot water to soak for 15 minutes until softened. Reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.
- 4
- 5
Blend the sauce
In a blender, combine soaked chiles (drained but include some soaking liquid as needed), roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, 1 cup reserved meat broth, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp salt. Blend until very smooth, adding soaking liquid a tablespoon at a time if too thick.
- 6
Cook and reduce
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour the blended sauce in and cook, stirring frequently, for 8-12 minutes until the raw taste is gone and the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust salt. If sauce is very thick, add a little broth to reach a saucy but not watery consistency.
- 7
Combine sauce with shredded meat
Add the shredded meat to the pan with the sauce, toss to coat evenly, and simmer 5-8 minutes so flavors meld. Remove from heat and keep warm. Drain any excess liquid so the filling is moist but not soupy.
Preparing the Masa
- 8
Beat the fat into masa
In a large bowl, beat 1 cup lard or shortening with an electric mixer or by hand until fluffy. This aeration helps a light tamal texture.
- 9
Mix masa dry ingredients
In another bowl, combine 4 cups masa harina, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix to distribute evenly.
- 10
Incorporate broth and combine
Gradually add 2 cups hot reserved chicken/pork broth to the masa mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. If using fresh masa, adjust liquid to reach a spreadable but not runny consistency.
- 11
Whip masa with fat
Fold or beat the masa solution into the whipped lard in batches until light and smooth. A useful test: drop a small piece of masa into cold water — if it floats, the masa is properly aerated. If it sinks, continue beating and add up to 1/2 cup additional broth if too stiff.
Preparing Wrappers
- 12
Soften banana leaves or corn husks
If using banana leaves: pass each leaf over a low flame briefly to make pliable and cut into 10x12 inch rectangles, then wipe clean and keep warm wrapped in a towel. If using corn husks: soak in hot water for 30 minutes until soft and flexible, then drain and pat dry. Trim to similar size if needed.
Assembling Tamales
- 13
Spread masa on wrapper
Lay a prepared banana leaf or corn husk flat. Spread about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of masa in the center, flattening into an even rectangle about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Leave a clean border around edges for folding.
- 14
Add filling
Place 1-2 tablespoons of the shredded meat in the center of the masa layer, slightly off-center if you will fold longitudinally. Do not overfill; the masa should fully enclose the filling.
- 15
Fold and secure
Fold the sides of the wrapper over the filling, then fold the bottom up and the top down to form a neat packet. If using banana leaves, fold into a rectangular envelope and tie with kitchen twine or a thin strip of leaf. If using corn husks, fold and tie with husk strips or twine. Repeat until all masa and filling are used. You should make about 12 tamales.
Steaming
- 16
Prepare steamer
Fill a large tamalera or steamer pot with about 1 to 2 inches of water (not touching the tamales when stacked). Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer.
- 17
Arrange tamales
Stand tamales upright (open end up) in the steamer basket, packing them snugly but not crushed. If using banana leaves, you can arrange them with the seam side down.
- 18
Steam time
Cover and steam over medium-low simmer for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Check water level occasionally and add more boiling water as needed. Rotate tamales once at 40 minutes for even cooking if your steamer requires it.
- 19
Test for doneness
After about 60 minutes, test one tamal: carefully unwrap and the masa should be set, spring back slightly, and pull away cleanly from the wrapper. If masa is still sticky or raw-tasting, steam an additional 10-20 minutes and test again.
Serving and Storage
- 20
Serve
Serve hot directly in the wrapper or unwrapped on a plate. Tamal rojo is traditional with a side of curtido, pickled vegetables, or fresh salsa and a hot beverage.
- 21
Store
Refrigerate leftover tamales up to 4 days in an airtight container, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat by steaming for 15-20 minutes (from refrigerated) or 30-40 minutes (from frozen) until heated through.