Tamal Recipe
Homemade masa filled with shredded chicken or pork only.
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Ingredients
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Masa (Dough)
Filling - Shredded Chicken or Pork
Sauce for Filling
Assembly & Steaming
Method
Filling - Shredded Chicken or Pork
- 1
Cook meat
Place the chicken thighs or pork shoulder in a large pot. Add the quartered onion, 3 garlic cloves, bay leaves, 1 tsp salt and enough water to cover the meat by about 1 inch (about 6 cups). Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until meat is very tender and shreds easily (chicken ~30–40 minutes; pork shoulder ~1.5–2 hours).
- 2
Sauce for Filling
- 3
- 4
Roast tomato, onion, garlic
While chiles soak, roast the tomato, small quartered onion and 2 garlic cloves in a dry skillet or under a broiler until charred and softened (about 6–8 minutes), turning as needed.
- 5
Blend sauce
Drain chiles (reserve soaking liquid). In a blender, combine rehydrated chiles, roasted tomato, roasted onion, roasted garlic, 1 cup reserved cooking broth, cumin and oregano. Blend until smooth, adding a little of the chile soaking liquid if needed for texture. Strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve for a smoother sauce (optional).
- 6
Cook sauce and combine with meat
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pour in the blended sauce and simmer 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with 1 tsp salt or to taste. Add shredded meat to the simmering sauce and stir until fully coated. Cook together 5 minutes so flavors meld. If filling seems dry, add up to 1/4 cup reserved broth to loosen. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Masa (Dough)
- 7
Prepare masa base
In a large bowl, combine masa harina, baking powder and 2 tsp salt. Using a mixer or by hand, beat in the lard (or shortening) until mixture is crumbly and evenly incorporated.
- 8
Hydrate dough
Gradually add 3 cups warm reserved cooking broth (or water) to the masa mixture while mixing. Continue mixing until the dough is soft and spreadable. If massa is too thick, add up to 1/2 cup extra warm broth or water, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a soft, spreadable consistency that holds together but is not runny.
- 9
Test masa readiness
To test, drop a small piece of masa into cold water — if it floats, the masa is properly aerated and ready. If it sinks, beat in a little more fat (1–2 tbs) or continue mixing.
Assembly & Steaming
- 10
Prepare corn husks
Soak dried corn husks in warm water for at least 30 minutes until pliable. Drain and pat dry. Lay 1 husk flat with the narrow end pointing away from you. For thicker husks or larger tamales, overlap two husks slightly.
- 11
Spread masa
With wet hands or a spatula, spread about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of masa onto the center of a husk, leaving a 1-inch border at the bottom and sides. Spread into a rectangle about 4 x 3 inches and about 1/4 inch thick.
- 12
Add filling
Place about 1–2 tablespoons of the shredded meat filling in a line down the center of the masa. Do not overfill – leaving room to fold is essential.
- 13
Fold and tie
Fold the long sides of the husk over the filling so they overlap at the center. Fold the narrow end up toward the center. If desired, tie each tamal with a thin strip of soaked husk to secure, or simply place seam-side down in the steamer.
- 14
Steam tamales
Arrange tamales upright (open end up) in a steamer basket with a layer of husks or a towel on the bottom to prevent direct contact with water. Cover the tops with remaining soaked husks or a damp towel. Bring water to a simmer in the pot, place steamer insert with tamales, cover and steam for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, checking occasionally to ensure there is always water in the pot. Rotate tamales halfway through for even cooking.
- 15
Check for doneness and rest
Tamales are done when masa easily pulls away from the husk and is firm to the touch (test one tamal after about 60 minutes). Remove from steamer and let rest 10–15 minutes before serving to firm up slightly. Serve warm, unwrapped.