Red Pork Tamales
Mains · Serves 12 · Prep 1 hr 30 min · Cook 4 hr · Total 5 hr 30 min
Fluffy, well-salted masa wrapped around pork stewed in red guajillo chile, steamed in corn husks until the masa pulls cleanly away. Tamales are a project, so make them on a day with helpers, and freeze whatever doesn't get eaten.
Ingredients
Pork in Red Chile
- 3 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut in 3 large pieces
- 1/2 white onion
- 6 clove garlic, divided
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 8 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
Masa
- 1 1/3 cup lard (or vegetable shortening), at room temperature
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 cup masa harina (the tamal grind if you can find it)
- 3 1/2 cup warm pork broth, from cooking the pork
Assemble and Steam
- 30 dried corn husks, plus extras for lining the steamer
Steps
Pork in Red Chile
- Put the pork, onion, 4 garlic cloves, bay leaves and salt in a large pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Simmer, partly covered, until the pork is tender enough to shred, about 2 hours. Save the broth, and shred the pork once it is cool enough to handle.
- Toast the guajillos and anchos in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 30 seconds per side, then soak in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and blend with the remaining 2 garlic cloves, cumin, oregano and 1 cup of the pork broth until smooth. Strain.
- Heat the lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the chile sauce and fry, stirring, until it darkens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pork and simmer until thick and clinging, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
Masa
- Beat the lard, baking powder and salt in a stand mixer on medium-high until white and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. On low speed, add the masa harina and warm broth alternately, then beat 5 minutes more until it is as soft as thick hummus. A 1/2-teaspoon blob dropped in cold water should float. It should taste a little salty on its own.
Assemble and Steam
- Soak the corn husks in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes, until pliable, then shake off the excess water.
- Spread about 1/4 cup masa in a thin layer over the wide, smooth side of a husk, leaving a border at the narrow end. Add 2 tablespoons pork down the center, fold the long sides over each other, and fold the narrow end up.
- Stand the tamales open-end up in a steamer basket lined with husks, cover them with more husks and a damp towel, and put on the lid. Steam over steadily simmering water for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, topping up with boiling water as needed. They are done when the masa peels cleanly away from the husk. Rest 15 minutes before serving.