Tamales Recipe

Place dried corn husks in a large bowl and cover with hot (not boiling) water. Let soak 30–45 minutes until pliable. Separate and pat dry on a towel. Reserve a few whole husks for lining the steamer.

Simmer pork

Place pork chunks in a medium pot and add enough water to cover by 1 inch (about 6 cups). Add 1/2 of the onion (quartered) and 2 garlic cloves. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until pork is tender and easily shredded, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Reserve 1 cup cooking broth and discard aromatics; shred pork with two forks.

Prepare chile sauce

While pork cooks, remove stems and seeds from guajillo and ancho chiles. Toast chiles briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with 2 cups hot water; soak 20 minutes until softened.

Blend sauce

Drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. In a blender, combine soaked chiles, reserved 2 garlic cloves, the remaining half onion (rough chopped), 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 1.5 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 1/2 cup of the reserved pork cooking broth or chile soaking liquid. Blend until very smooth, adding more liquid a tablespoon at a time if needed to reach a saucy consistency.

Cook sauce with pork

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pour the blended chile sauce into the skillet and cook 4–6 minutes, stirring, to remove raw flavor. Add shredded pork, stir to coat, and simmer 8–10 minutes so flavors meld. Taste and adjust salt. Stir in chopped cilantro if using. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine masa harina, baking powder and 2 tsp salt. Whisk to mix. Using an electric mixer or by hand, beat the lard (or shortening) and 2 tbsp oil into the dry mixture until light and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes. Gradually add warm broth while continuing to beat until batter is soft and spreadable—about the consistency of softened peanut butter. The masa should hold together when pinched; if too dry, add up to 1/4 cup more broth; if too wet, add 2 tbsp masa harina.

Perform a float test to check readiness: drop a small piece of masa into a cup of cold water—if it floats, the masa is properly whipped and airy; if it sinks, beat more (adding a little more fat) until it floats.

Lay a soaked corn husk flat with the tapered end pointing away. Spread about 3 tablespoons of masa in the center, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the sides and 1–2 inches at the bottom. The masa layer should be approximately 1/4-inch thick.

Place about 1–2 tablespoons of pork filling in a strip down the center of the masa. Do not overfill.

Fold the long sides of the husk inward to enclose the masa, then fold up the bottom tapered end. Tie with a strip of husk or kitchen twine if desired to secure. Repeat until masa or filling are used, arranging finished tamales seam-side down in an even layer.

Set up a steamer pot with a rack or insert and line the bottom with a few reserved whole husks. Add about 1–1.5 inches (approx. 4–6 cups) of boiling water — water should not touch tamales. Arrange tamales standing upright (open end up) or lying flat seam-side down in the steamer, packing snugly but not crushed.

Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid (wrap lid with a kitchen towel if it gaps) and steam over medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Check water level occasionally and add more hot water as needed to maintain steam.

To test doneness, remove one tamal and let cool 2 minutes; the masa should pull away easily from the husk and be fully set. If it sticks and feels doughy, steam 10–15 minutes more and test again.

When done, let tamales rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with extra chile sauce, salsa, or crema.