Easy Authentic Tamales That Anyone Can Make

lard

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable shortening

Olive oil provides a healthier fat option while maintaining moisture.

masa harina

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: cornmeal

Whole wheat flour adds fiber, while cornmeal can be more economical.

Pat dry 2 pounds of boneless pork shoulder and cut into large 2 and a half inch cubes.

Heat 3 tablespoons of high heat cooking oil in a 7 quart dutch oven over medium high heat until screaming hot.

Sear the pork in batches for 2 minutes on all sides until nicely browned, then set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add more oil if needed, then add 1 sliced yellow onion and 4 cloves of sliced garlic, seasoning with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes until softened.

Add 3 bay leaves and 1 cinnamon stick, stir in, then return the seared pork to the pot with any collected juices.

Top with 2 sprigs of fresh oregano and pour in 5 and 3/4 cups of filtered water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to low and cover, simmering for 1.5 to 2 hours until the meat is tender.

Remove the meat and strain the broth, reserving the liquid. Shred the pork using two forks, leaving in the fat.

De-stem and deseed 3 ancho peppers and 3 guajillo peppers, placing them in a bowl and covering with hot broth. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until soft.

Blend the softened peppers with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin, 6 cloves of fresh garlic, and enough broth to achieve a smooth consistency. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of neutral oil and season with salt.

Add about half a cup of the blended sauce to the shredded pork and mix well. Reserve the remaining sauce for later.

Soak 30 corn husks in boiling water for about 20 minutes until pliable.

In a bowl, combine 3 and 1/4 cups of instant masa flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, whisking together.

In another bowl, whisk 1 and 1/3 cups of room temp lard until creamy. Add the masa mixture and fold together.

Gradually add 2 and 1/2 to 3 cups of reserved pork broth until the mixture reaches the right consistency.

Rip some dry corn husks into threads for tying the tamales later.

On a rehydrated corn husk, mound a third cup of masa mix and press it out into a circle about a quarter of an inch thick.

Place a couple tablespoons of meat in a line down the center, fold the sides over the meat, and then fold the bottom up, tying with a corn husk thread if desired.

Fill a steamer pot with half an inch of water, place a steamer basket inside, and bring the water to a simmer.

Place corn husks in the bottom of the pot and stand the tamales upright in the basket. Cover and steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the tamales easily release from their husks.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

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Dietary