Red Chile Pork Tamales

Method

1. Put the pork, water, onion, half the garlic, the bay leaf and salt in a 20 cm pot. Bring to a boil on high heat, skim off the foam, then lower to medium-low heat, partly cover and simmer for 1 h 15 min, until the pork shreds easily with a fork. Meanwhile, soak the corn husks in very hot water, weighed down with a plate, for at least 30 minutes until soft and pliable.

   Add in this stepPork shoulder, cut into 5 cm chunks 240 gWater (for the pork) 1,000 mlOnion ½Garlic cloves 1Bay leaf 1Salt (for the pork) ¾ tspDried corn husks (with spares) 9

   high heat→medium-low heat

2. Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles and toast them in a dry pan on medium heat for 1 min, pressing them flat and turning once, just until fragrant and slightly puffed; burnt chiles taste bitter. Soak them in hot water for 15 min.

   Add in this stepDried guajillo chiles 3

   medium heat

3. Lift out the cooked pork and shred it with two forks; keep the cooking broth. Blend the soaked chiles, the remaining garlic, cumin, oregano and 120 ml of broth until very smooth, then strain. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat, add the sauce (it will spatter) and stir for 5 min until it darkens, then mix in the pork, season with salt and let it cool.

   Add in this stepGarlic cloves 1Ground cumin 1 pinchDried oregano ½ tspVegetable oil (for the sauce) 1 tbsp

   medium heat

4. Beat the lard with an electric mixer for about 1 minute until white. In another bowl, mix the masa harina, baking powder and salt, add 300 ml of warm broth and knead with your hand. Beat this dough into the lard in three additions, then beat for 4 min more until it is soft and spreadable, like thick hummus. Drop a pea-sized piece into cold water: if it floats, it is ready; if it sinks, beat 1 minute more.

   Add in this stepLard 80 gMasa harina (corn flour for tamales) 220 gBaking powder ½ tspSalt (masa) ¾ tsp

5. Pat a soaked husk dry and lay it smooth side up with the wide end at the top. Spread about 3 tablespoons of masa 5 mm thick over the upper, wider part, leaving 1 cm at the sides and top and 5 cm at the narrow bottom. Put 1 tablespoon of pork down the middle, fold the sides over each other to enclose it, then fold the pointed tail up. Make 6 tamales.

6. Pour water into the bottom of a 20 cm steamer pot below the rack and line the rack with spare husks. Stand the tamales up, folded end down and open end up, leaning on each other; cover them with more husks and a damp cloth, then the lid. Steam on medium heat for 1 h, checking every 20 minutes and topping up with boiling water. They are done when the husk peels away cleanly from the masa.

   medium heat

7. Turn off the heat and leave them covered for 10 min so the masa firms up. Unwrap to eat; the husk is not eaten.