Tamales Recipe

Soak corn husks in warm water for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour until pliable. Drain and pat dry before use.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat lard on medium-high until fluffy, about 3–5 minutes.

In a separate large bowl, combine masa harina, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, add dry masa to the whipped lard alternately with hot broth: add a cup masa, then 1/2–1 cup broth, gradually incorporating until all is added. Beat on medium for 5–7 minutes until dough is light and spreads easily. Test masa by dropping a small piece into cold water—if it floats, texture is correct; if not, beat in up to 1/2 cup more broth or an extra 2 tbsp lard.

Keep masa covered with a damp towel while you prepare fillings so it doesn't dry out.

Remove stems and seeds from guajillo and ancho chiles. Toast the chile skins briefly in a dry skillet for 10–20 seconds per side (do not burn) to deepen flavor.

Place toasted chiles, garlic cloves and the half onion in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak 15–20 minutes until soft. Reserve soaking liquid.

Blend soaked chiles, garlic, onion, 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid, cumin, oregano and salt until smooth. Add more soaking liquid as needed to make a thick, smooth sauce.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the blended sauce 4–5 minutes, stirring, to remove raw taste. Add shredded chicken and stir to coat. Simmer 3–5 minutes until chicken absorbs sauce. Adjust salt. Cool before assembling.

Place tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic and onion in a pot of boiling water and cook 6–8 minutes until tomatillos change color and feel soft. Drain.

Blend cooked tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt until smooth to make a bright green salsa. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Heat a skillet over medium and briefly cook the salsa 3–4 minutes to concentrate flavors. Add shredded chicken, stir to combine and simmer 2–3 minutes. Cool before assembling.

Prepare the guajillo/ancho chiles the same way as for Red Chicken: toast briefly, soak with garlic and onion, then blend with cumin, oregano and salt into a smooth sauce.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and cook the blended chile sauce 4–5 minutes. Add shredded pork and toss to coat thoroughly. Simmer 4–6 minutes so pork absorbs flavor. Adjust salt and cool before assembling.

Boil tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic and onion 6–8 minutes until softened. Drain and blend with cilantro, lime juice and salt to a smooth salsa verde.

Cook salsa briefly in a skillet 3–4 minutes, add shredded pork and simmer 3–5 minutes so the meat soaks up the salsa. Cool before assembling.

In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese with finely chopped jalapeños, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth and evenly combined. Chill slightly so filling firms a bit if very soft.

Combine shredded pepper jack cheese with sliced jalapeños. If jalapeños are very moist, pat dry. Keep mixture chilled until assembling.

Lay a drained corn husk with the narrow end pointing toward you on a flat surface. Spread about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of masa in the center of the husk, forming a rectangle about 4–5 inches long and leaving a 1/2-inch border on sides and 1–2 inches at the top and bottom. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon dipped in water to spread masa smoothly.

Place 1–2 tablespoons (for meat fillings) or 2–3 tablespoons (for cheese fillings) of the chosen filling in a line down the center of the masa, leaving room at ends so filling doesn't spill out when folded. For big homemade tamales use the larger amounts (closer to 1/2 cup masa and 2–3 tbsp filling).

Fold the sides of the husk toward the center to enclose the filling, then fold up the bottom narrow end and leave the top open (or tie with a thin strip of husk if desired). Repeat until all tamales are assembled, placing finished tamales standing upright in a single layer in a prepared steamer.

If making a mix of flavors, keep fillings in separate bowls and label stacks of assembled tamales or arrange in the steamer grouped by flavor.

Prepare a large tamalera (steamer) with 2–3 inches of water in the bottom and place a steamer rack or a layer of folded damp corn husks to keep tamales out of the water. Bring water to a simmer.

Stand tamales upright (open end up) in the steamer, packed but not squashed. Cover the top with a layer of damp cloth or additional husks and place the lid on.

Steam over low to medium simmer for 1 to 1 1/4 hours for large homemade tamales. Check water level every 20–30 minutes and add more hot water as needed so it doesn't run dry. Rotate tamales once halfway through cooking if your steamer allows for easier even cooking.

Tamales are done when masa separates easily from the husk and is firm and not doughy in the center. Remove a test tamal and let cool slightly before unwrapping.

Serve warm with salsa roja or salsa verde, crumbled queso fresco, chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

To store: refrigerate cooled tamales in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Reheat by steaming 20–30 minutes from chilled, or 45–60 minutes from frozen (or until heated through).