Tamales

How to make it

1. Put the pork shoulder in a large pot with the onion, the 4 cloves of garlic, the bay leaves, the salt, and the water. Bring it slowly to a boil, skimming off the gray foam as it forms. This takes about 15 minutes, and the broth should end up clear and almost translucent. ⏱ 15 min
2. Turn the heat down to the lowest possible simmer, cover with a lid, and let the meat cook for 90 minutes. It's done when the strands fall apart with a light press of a fork. ⏱ 1 h 30 min · passive
3. Place the dried corn husks in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them. Set a plate on top to keep all the husks submerged, and let them sit for 30 minutes, until they're soft and pliable enough to fold without cracking. ⏱ 30 min · passive
4. Snip the stems off the guajillo and ancho chiles and shake out the seeds. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning them frequently, since scorched chiles will make the whole sauce bitter. They're ready when they smell nutty and turn glossy and pliable without darkening.
   Chef's tip Dry chiles go from fragrant to acrid in seconds. Keep them moving and pull them the moment you smell raisin and cocoa; any wisp of smoke or black patch means bitterness you cannot strain or sweeten out.
5. Put the toasted chiles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them so they're covered. Let them steep for 20 minutes, until they're completely soft and can easily be mashed between your fingers. ⏱ 20 min · passive
6. Blend the soaked chiles with the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and 2 dl of the soaking water into a smooth sauce. Then strain it through a fine sieve, pressing well through so the tough skins are left behind and the sauce is completely smooth.
7. Heat the lard in a pot over medium-high heat and pour in the strained chili sauce all at once, so it sizzles immediately. Let it reduce, stirring regularly, until it's deep red and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. ⏱ 10 min
   Chef's tip The sauce should sizzle loudly as it hits the hot lard — that brief frying cooks off the raw, sharp edge of the chiles and deepens the color. If it doesn't reduce thick enough, the liquid will seep into the masa while it steams.
8. Lift the meat out of the pot with a slotted spoon and strain the broth through a fine sieve into a bowl — it will be used in the masa. Let the meat cool for 10 minutes, until it can be handled with your hands. ⏱ 10 min · passive
9. Shred the cooled meat into thin strands with two forks and discard any large lumps of fat. Toss the strands in the chili sauce until every strand is coated and the filling is juicy without sitting in liquid. ⏱ 10 min
10. Whip the room-temperature lard in a large bowl with a hand mixer, or vigorously with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes. It's the air in the lard that makes the tamale light, so whip until the lard is white and airy like whipped cream.
    Chef's tip Room-temperature lard is essential — straight from the fridge it stays dense and will not take air. Whipped properly it roughly doubles and holds a soft peak, pale and glossy like frosting.
11. Knead the masa harina and salt into the whipped lard a little at a time, alternating with about 6.5 dl of the warm broth. The dough should become soft like thick cake batter and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Drop a small ball of dough into a glass of cold water: if it floats, the masa is airy enough — if it sinks, whip for a few more minutes and test again. ⏱ 10 min
    Chef's tip Warm broth, not hot: it hydrates the masa harina without melting the aerated lard back into liquid fat. Add it in stages and stop while the dough is still soft — masa firms as it stands.
12. Shake the water off a softened corn husk and lay it down with the wide end facing you. Spread about 80 g of masa in an even layer over the upper, wide half, leaving a finger-width border free at the sides. Place about 3 tbsp of the meat filling in a strip down the middle. Fold one long side in over the filling, then fold the other side over again so the masa closes completely around the filling. Finally, fold the narrow tip up against the bottom. Repeat with a total of 16 husks. Each package should feel firm, without masa squeezing out at the ends. ⏱ 40 min
    Chef's tip Leave real headroom — the masa expands as it steams, and an overfilled husk splits at the seam. A finger-width border of bare husk at the sides gives the fold something to seal against.
13. Tear four of the softened corn husks into thin strips lengthwise. Tie a strip around each tamale crosswise so the folded tip stays up and the package doesn't open in the steamer.
14. Pour water into the bottom of the pot up to just below the steamer insert, and line the insert with the remaining corn husks so the tamales don't sit directly against the hot metal. Stand the tamales close together upright, with the folded end down and the open fold up, so they support each other and stay standing. ⏱ 10 min
15. Bring the water to a boil, cover with a lid, and steam the tamales for 75 minutes over steady heat, so there's always steam in the pot. They're done when the husk releases cleanly from the masa, and the masa is firm and no longer sticks to your finger. ⏱ 1 h 15 min · passive
    Chef's tip Check the water level as you go and top up with boiling water if the pot goes quiet — if it boils dry the steam stops, and the masa will never set. If the husk doesn't release cleanly after 75 minutes, steam for another 10-15 minutes.
16. Take the pot off the heat and let the tamales stand uncovered for 10 minutes. The masa sets during this rest, so the husk can afterward be folded away without tearing the edge. ⏱ 10 min · passive
17. Arrange the tamales in their husks on a flat platter and set the platter in the middle of the table so everyone can help themselves. Each diner unfolds their own husk, eats the tamale straight from the husk with their hands, and sets the husk down on the edge of their plate — the husk is not eaten.