Description
Traditional Mexican pork tamales made with tender shredded pork shoulder simmered in a rich chile sauce, wrapped in soft masa dough, and steamed in corn husks to perfection. This authentic recipe yields about 40-50 tamales, perfect for festive gatherings or a hearty meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pork and Broth
- 3–4 pounds pork shoulder, bone-in (or 2½–3 pounds boneless)
- 1 large white onion, quartered
- 8 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
For the Chile Sauce
- 6 dried guajillo chiles
- 4 dried ancho chiles
- 1–2 dried pasilla chiles
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
- 2 cups reserved pork broth (or chicken broth)
- Fine sea salt, to taste
For the Masa Dough
- 4 cups (480g) Maseca Para Tamal
- 2 cups lard
- 4½–5 cups warm pork broth
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Other
- 40-50 dried corn husks
- Hot water for soaking corn husks and dried chiles
Instructions
- Soak Corn Husks: Place the dried corn husks in a large bowl and cover with very hot water. Weigh them down with a plate to keep them submerged. Soak for 30–60 minutes until pliable, then drain and pat dry. Reserve the largest husks for wrapping tamales.
- Cook Pork Shoulder: Add pork shoulder, quartered onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves, and 2 teaspoons salt to a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1½–2 hours until the pork is very tender. Remove the pork, let it cool slightly, and shred finely. Reserve at least 6 cups of the cooking broth.
- Prepare Dried Chiles: Remove stems and seeds from guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles. Lightly toast the chiles in a dry skillet for 10–15 seconds per side until fragrant. Transfer them to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 15 minutes.
- Make Chile Sauce: Drain the soaked chiles and add them to a blender along with cumin, oregano, paprika, 1½–2 cups warm pork broth, and optionally the cooked onion and garlic from the pork pot. Blend until very smooth and strain through a fine sieve for a silky texture. Adjust salt generously to taste (approximately 2 teaspoons).
- Simmer Sauce with Pork: Heat 1 tablespoon lard in the empty pot over medium heat. Add the chile sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the shredded pork, and mix until the pork is fully coated with the thick, juicy sauce. Set aside to cool.
- Whip Lard: Place 2 cups lard in a stand mixer and whip on medium-high speed for 4–6 minutes until pale, fluffy, and airy.
- Mix Dry Masa Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 4 cups Maseca Para Tamal, 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder.
- Combine Masa and Broth: With the mixer on low, alternate adding spoonfuls of the dry masa mixture and splashes of warm pork broth (about 4½–5 cups total). Mix until the masa becomes soft, creamy, and spreadable, similar in texture to soft hummus. Increase the mixer speed briefly at the end to lighten the dough.
- Rest Masa: Allow the masa dough to rest for 20–30 minutes to hydrate. If it thickens too much, add a splash of warm broth and whip briefly to loosen the texture.
- Test Masa Float: Drop a small pea-sized ball of masa into cold water. If it floats, the masa is ready. If it sinks, add a bit more lard or broth and mix again.
- Assemble Tamales: Lay a softened corn husk smooth-side up. Spread about 3 tablespoons of masa into a ¼-inch layer in the center, leaving a ¼-inch space at the bottom. Add 2 tablespoons pork filling down the center. Fold the sides so the masa meets, fold up the bottom flap, and leave the top open. Tie with a strip of corn husk if desired. Repeat until all husks and filling are used.
- Prepare Steamer: Line the bottom of a steamer with a few soaked husks and add water just below the steamer insert.
- Steam Tamales: Stand tamales upright with open ends facing up. On the stovetop, steam for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, adding water as needed. Alternatively, steam in an Instant Pot with the vent open for 50–60 minutes (preheating the water on Sauté mode helps).
- Check Doneness: Tamales are done when the husk peels away cleanly, and the masa is fully set and no longer sticky. If needed, continue steaming for an additional 10–15 minutes.
- Rest and Serve: Let tamales rest off the heat for 10–15 minutes to allow the masa to firm up and fluff. Serve warm with extra red chile sauce or your preferred accompaniments.
Notes
- Use large, pliable corn husks for easy wrapping; soak thoroughly to avoid tearing.
- When shredding pork, be as fine as possible for better filling texture.
- Adjust chile sauce saltiness according to taste preferences.
- The masa dough’s texture is crucial—ensure it floats in water before assembling tamales.
- Be careful to keep steaming water replenished to avoid drying out tamales during the long cooking.
- Leftover tamales can be refrigerated and reheated by steaming or microwaving wrapped in a damp paper towel.
- If lard is not available, vegetable shortening can be used, but traditional flavor may vary.
