Tamales (red Chile Pork, Chicken Mole, Green Chile Chicken, Vegetarian) Recipe

Soak dried corn husks in warm water for at least 30 minutes (preferably 1 hour) until pliable; keep under water. Drain and pat dry before using.

Measure masa harina, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and set aside. Warm broths and keep ready for fillings and masa.

Cook pork

Place pork shoulder in a pot with 4 cups of broth, 1 whole onion (halved), 2 garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 1.5–2 hours until very tender. Alternatively, cook in a pressure cooker/Instant Pot on high pressure for 45 minutes then natural release. Reserve 1 cup of cooking broth and shred pork when cool enough.

Prepare chile sauce

Remove stems and seeds from guajillo and ancho chiles. Toast chiles lightly in a dry skillet 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Soak toasted chiles in hot water for 20 minutes until softened. Drain, reserving a little soaking liquid. In a blender combine soaked chiles, 4 garlic cloves, 1/2 of the cooked onion (reserved from pork cooking), 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 cup reserved pork broth (or water) and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet, cook blended sauce 6–8 minutes to deepen flavor, adjust salt to taste.

Combine filling

Add shredded pork to the sauce and simmer together 10 minutes so pork absorbs sauce. Adjust seasoning. Cool filling before assembling tamales.

Cook chicken

Place chicken thighs in a pot with 3 cups chicken broth, half the onion (from earlier), and 2 garlic cloves. Simmer 20–25 minutes until cooked through. Shred chicken and reserve 1/2 cup cooking broth.

Prepare mole

Remove stems and seeds from ancho and pasilla/mulato chiles. Toast chiles lightly in a dry skillet 20–30 seconds each side, then soak in hot water 20 minutes. Toast sesame seeds and almonds in a skillet until fragrant; set aside. In a skillet, char the tomato and the remaining onion until blackened spots appear, then peel. In a blender add soaked chiles (with a little soaking liquid), toasted seeds and almonds, raisins, charred tomato, charred onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon clove, and 1 ounce Mexican or dark chocolate. Blend with about 1/2 cup chicken broth to a smooth paste. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a saucepan, cook mole paste 8–10 minutes, thinning with reserved chicken broth to reach a saucy consistency. Taste and season with salt. If mole is too bitter, add a teaspoon of sugar or more raisins next time.

Combine filling

Stir shredded chicken into the mole, simmer 5–8 minutes until flavors meld. Cool before filling tamales.

In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Sauté diced onion 3–4 minutes until translucent. Add 2 garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon cumin, cook 30 seconds. Add shredded chicken and roasted green chiles, stir and cook 2–3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and salt to taste. Remove from heat and cool before assembling.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add roasted corn, diced roasted poblano/green chiles and cooked black beans. Cook 3–4 minutes to warm. Stir in crumbled cheese (if using), chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon lime juice and salt to taste. Mash slightly with the back of a spoon to bind. Cool before assembling.

In a large bowl beat 1.5 cups lard or shortening with an electric mixer (or by hand) until fluffy, about 3–5 minutes. In a separate bowl combine 6 cups masa harina, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt. Gradually add the dry mix to the lard, alternating with warm broth (about 4 cups), mixing until a soft, spreadable dough forms. To test readiness, drop a small piece of masa in cold water; if it floats, the masa is properly aerated. If too dense, beat in a little more warm broth (2–4 tablespoons) until a light texture is achieved.

Set up an assembly area with soaked corn husks, masa bowl, three small bowls with each cooled filling (red pork, chicken mole, green chile chicken, vegetarian), and a tray for finished tamales.

Spread about 3 tablespoons (adjust for size) of masa onto the smooth side of a corn husk, leaving a 1-inch border at the top. Make a thin rectangle of masa about 3–4 inches wide and 5–6 inches long.

Place 1–2 tablespoons of the chosen filling in the center of the masa. Fold the sides of the husk inward over the filling, then fold the bottom up. Do not fold the open top. Repeat until all masa and fillings are used. You should get approximately 40 tamales with these quantities (mix of types will vary).

Arrange tamales upright (open end up) in a large steamer or tamalera, packing them snugly. Add water to the steamer reservoir (about 4–6 cups) but make sure water does not touch tamales. Cover the top of tamales with a layer of dampened corn husks or a clean damp kitchen towel and a lid.

Steam over medium heat for 1.5 to 2 hours. Check water level periodically and add more hot water as needed. Tamales are done when masa pulls away from the husk easily and feels set. Test one by cooling briefly and attempting to peel — masa should be cooked through and not gummy.

Remove tamales from steamer and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with extra red chile sauce, mole sauce, salsa verde, crema, or chopped cilantro and lime as desired.