Tamales Recipe

Place dried corn husks in a large bowl. Cover with warm water and weigh them down with a plate. Soak 30–45 minutes until pliable. Drain and keep covered with a damp towel to prevent drying while you prepare other components.

Place chicken thighs in a medium pot with quartered onion, 2 garlic cloves, bay leaves and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, reduce heat to low and simmer gently 20–25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken to a bowl and let cool slightly. Reserve 1.5 cups of the cooking liquid (use later or for masa stock). Shred chicken with two forks or by hand into bite-sized pieces.

Toast guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat 30–60 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water; soak 15 minutes until softened.

In a blender, combine soaked chiles (drain but keep some soaking liquid), chopped tomato, remaining 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup of reserved chicken broth, cumin, oregano and 1 tsp salt. Blend until smooth, adding a tablespoon or two of the chile soaking liquid if needed to reach a purée consistency.

Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pour in the chile purée and cook, stirring, 4–6 minutes to deepen flavor and remove raw taste. Taste and adjust salt.

Add shredded chicken to the skillet and stir to coat evenly with sauce. Cook 2–3 minutes to warm through. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups masa harina, 2 tsp baking powder and 2 tsp salt; whisk to evenly distribute.

Using an electric mixer or vigorous hand mixing, beat the softened lard/shortening until fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).

Add masa mix to the creamed lard in batches, alternating with warm broth (about 3 cups total). Beat until dough is soft, spreadable and holds together. If dough feels dry, add up to 1/4 cup more warm broth. Proper masa will be light and airy; to test, drop a small piece into cold water — if it floats, it’s ready.

Lay one soaked corn husk flat with the narrow end pointing toward you. Using a spreader or spoon, spread 2–3 tbs (about 2–3 tbs worth) of masa in a strip down the center, leaving a 1-inch border on each side and 2 inches at the top and bottom.

Place 1–2 tbs of the shredded chicken filling in the center of the masa strip. Do not overfill—tales should close easily.

Fold the long sides of the husk toward the center to enclose the filling, then fold the bottom up. If desired, tie with a thin strip of husk to secure. Place assembled tamales standing upright with the open end up in a tray or steamer basket.

Set up a steamer pot with a rack. Add about 2–3 inches (4–6 cups) of water or reserved broth to the bottom, making sure the water does not touch the tamales when the rack is in place.

Arrange tamales upright (open end up) in the steamer, packing them snugly but not squashed. Cover the top with a damp kitchen towel and place the lid on the pot.

Bring water to a simmer and steam gently for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Check water level every 20–25 minutes and add more hot water as needed. After about 1 hour, test a tamal: if the masa separates cleanly from the husk, they are done.

When cooked, remove tamales from steamer and let rest 10 minutes before unwrapping to set the masa.

Serve tamales warm with optional cilantro, crema/sour cream and lime wedges. Leftover tamales can be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months; reheat by steaming or microwaving covered until warmed through.