Tamales
intro
Fluffy corn masa parcels stuffed with savory slow-cooked pork and rich red chile, wrapped in corn husks and steamed to warm, fragrant perfection.
Ingredients
Steps
Soak the Corn Husks
Place 60 grams of dried corn husks in a large heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over them to fully submerge, weigh down with a small plate to keep them under water, and soak for 45 minutes at room temperature until soft and pliable. Drain fully and pat dry with paper towels before use; set aside 10 of the narrowest husks to tear into 1cm-wide strips for tying tamales later.
Cook the Pork Shoulder
Place 450 grams of pork shoulder chunks, quartered onion, 3 garlic cloves (10g), and 1 teaspoon (6g) of salt in a medium stockpot, cover with 720ml (3 cups) of chicken broth, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 60 minutes until pork is fork-tender and pulls apart easily. Remove pork from broth, strain the broth to discard onion and garlic, reserve 600ml of the warm pork-infused broth for the sauce and masa; let pork cool 10 minutes, then shred into fine pieces with two forks.
Make the Red Chile Sauce
While pork simmers, toast 8 seeded guajillo chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side until fragrant (do not burn, as this makes sauce bitter). Place toasted chiles, remaining 3 garlic cloves (10g), cumin, oregano, and 120ml (1/2 cup) of warm reserved pork broth in a blender, blend on high for 1 minute until completely smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove tough skins. Pour strained sauce over shredded pork, stir to coat evenly, and set aside.
Prepare the Masa Dough
In a large mixing bowl, beat 170 grams of softened lard with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add 360 grams masa harina, baking powder, remaining 1 teaspoon (6g) salt, and 480ml (2 cups) of reserved warm pork broth, mix on low speed for 2 minutes until a soft, spreadable dough forms (it should hold its shape when a small spoonful is dropped into a cup of cold water). If dough is too dry, add 2 tablespoons of extra reserved broth at a time until correct consistency.
Assemble the Tamales
Lay one soaked, dried corn husk flat on a work surface with the pointed end facing away from you. Spread 2 tablespoons (30g) of masa dough in a thin 10cm x 7cm rectangle across the center of the wider end of the husk, leaving a 2cm border on all sides. Place 1 tablespoon (15g) of sauced shredded pork in the center of the masa rectangle. Fold the two long sides of the husk in toward the center to enclose the filling, then fold the pointed empty end of the husk up over the folded parcel, and tie securely with a thin strip of torn corn husk around the middle to hold it closed. Repeat with remaining husks, masa, and filling to make approximately 20 tamales.
Steam the Tamales
Set a large steamer pot with a fitted lid over medium heat, add 5cm of water to the bottom (making sure water does not touch the steamer basket), and bring to a gentle simmer. Stand tamales upright in the steamer basket with the open folded end facing up, do not pack them too tightly to allow steam to circulate. Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and steam for 90 minutes, checking the water level every 30 minutes and adding more boiling water as needed to prevent the pot from boiling dry. Tamales are done when the masa pulls away easily from the husk and is firm to the touch.
Tips
2.Never let boiling water come into direct contact with the tamales while steaming, as this will turn the masa soggy; always keep water levels below the steamer basket, and add boiling water when refilling to avoid dropping the pot’s internal temperature and extending cook time.
3.Cooked tamales freeze exceptionally well for up to 3 months: let them cool completely, seal in airtight freezer bags, and reheat by steaming for 15 minutes straight from frozen for an easy, quick meal.
OMG y’all, I made these for our Sunday family dinner last weekend and they were a total hit! I was so intimidated to make tamales for the first time since I’ve heard they’re super labor intensive, but the step-by-step for the red chile sauce was so easy to follow. My abuela even said they tasted just like the ones my great-aunt used to make when we were kids! My kids loved it, going back for seconds, thirds, and even begging to take leftovers for school lunch this week. SO good, I’m already planning to make a double batch for our neighborhood potluck next month.
Solid tamale recipe, the red chile sauce is a total game changer. I used pork shoulder like it said, but I cooked it in the instant pot for 40 minutes instead of simmering on the stove to save some time, and it was fall-apart tender. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is the cook time listed felt a little off for me—mine took closer to 3 and a half hours total between prepping the masa, stuffing, and steaming, so make sure you block off extra time if you’re a slow cook like me! Great for meal prep too, froze half the batch and they reheated perfectly in the microwave a week later.
I’ve tried so many tamale recipes over the years and none of them got the red chile flavor right until this one! I added a tiny extra pinch of cumin to the sauce because that’s how my mom used to make it, and it transported me straight back to childhood Christmases at my grandma’s house in San Antonio. These are going to be a permanent staple on our holiday menu from now on. 10/10, no notes.
Taste was great, but I messed up the masa consistency the first time around. I think I added too much broth and it was super runny, so my tamales came out a little mushy instead of light and fluffy. Bummed because the flavor of the pork and chile was unreal, I just wish there was a more specific note on what the masa should feel like before you spread it on the husks. Will definitely try again though, not gonna let one bad batch beat me!