Authentic Mexican Tamales with Pork
These Mexican tamales feature a creamy masa infused with red ancho chile peppers and a savory pork filling seasoned with freshly ground spices. The masa has a smooth texture and doesn't overpower the richness of the pork picadillo inside. For smaller batches, make a quarter or half recipe.
Equipment
- blender or food processor
- large stock pot
- foil
Ingredients
- 1 package corn husks
Meat filling
- 7 pounds Boston butt pork roast (cut into large chunks)
- 3 packages Ancho chile peppers (4-ounce per package) (may substitute New Mexico chiles)
- 1 ounce cumin seeds (comino) (or ground cumin)
- 1 head garlic (peeled)
- 1 ounce whole black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons lard or oil
- salt (to taste)
Masa
- 4 pounds Maseca for Tamales (or 10 pounds of pre-made masa)
- ¼ cup salt (to taste)
- 2 pounds pure lard (melted)
- 1 cup rendered beef fat (tallow) (or substitute additional lard, melted)
- 2 cups pork broth (reserved from meat filling)
Instructions
Corn Husks (Prepare Day Before)
- Clean and rinse the corn husks. Then, soak the husks in a large pot with very hot water overnight (or up to 2 hours).
- Rinse the husks again with water, and add fresh hot water to soak them in a pot while preparing the meat filling and masa.
Meat filling (pork)
- Remove stems and seeds from the chiles and rinse well.
- Place pork in a large stockpot and add just enough water to fully cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the pork is very tender (about 1 to 1.5 hours).
- After the meat is cooked, add half of the chiles directly to the pot with the pork and let them soak until softened (about 20-30 minutes). Note: New Mexico chiles may require more time to soften.
- Remove the chiles from the pot and peel off any large pieces of skin. Pulse the chiles in a blender or food processor, adding about 1 ½ cups of pork broth (from the pot) until the mixture forms a smooth puree.
- Separately, blend the peppercorns, cumin seed (or ground cumin), and peeled garlic, adding ¼ cup of water to form a paste. You can use a traditional molcajete or spice grinder for the cumin and peppercorns, or substitute ground spices.
- Remove the cooked pork from the pot, and chop it finely. Reserve the remaining broth to make the masa later.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of lard or oil to a stock pot, and saute the chopped pork over medium heat, gradually adding the spices and blended chiles to taste. Season with additional salt to taste.
- Add pork broth as needed to make a moist, spoonable filling (“picadillo”).
Masa
- Place the remaining chiles in a separate pot and add enough water cover them. Bring the chiles to a boil, uncovered. Then, press them down into the water, cover the pot with a lid, and turn off the heat. Let the chiles soften 20–30 minutes in the covered pot.
- As before, remove any large pieces of peeling from the chiles before blending them in a blender or food processor.
- Prepare the lard and beef fat by melting them together in a pot and cooling until lukewarm. (Note: If beef fat is unavailable, you can substitute additional lard.)
- Prepare the masa by gradually adding very hot water until the dough sticks together and no powder is left. Add the salt, and mix well.
- Gradually work fats into the masa by hand until fully incorporated.
- Add the blended chile sauce a little at a time for color and flavor until fully incorporated.
- Add broth from the cooked pork until the masa is soft, spreadable, and fluffy.
Forming the Tamales
- Remove a few husks from the water, and place them in a bowl to drain slightly.
- Place a corn husk in the palm of your hand with the pointed end facing away. Split the husks if necessary to ensure the width is only slightly larger than your hand.
- Using the back of a tablespoon or icing spatula, place a small amount of masa in the center of the husk, and press the masa from the center to the edges. The masa should cover the husk from the palm of your hand to your fingertips, leaving the upper half of the husk uncovered.
- Place about 1 teaspoon of meat filling in the center of the masa.
- Fold over the left and right edges of the husk before folding the pointed end of the husk down. If desired, you can tear a piece of husk to tie around the tamale to keep it closed or designate a different filling.
Steaming the Tamales
- Line a large stock pot with foil, and place a coffee mug in the center (upside down).
- Arrange the tamales (open side up) around the mug. Then, cover with foil.
- Pour about 1 to 1 ½ cups of boiling water (or reserved pork broth) over the foil so it drains to the bottom of the pot. Cook on medium to medium-high heat for 50-60 minutes.
Notes
Timing and Preparation
You have the option of cooking the meat filling and preparing the masa on different days. When ready to start assembling the tamales, warm the masa and meat filling slightly, adding reserved pork broth if needed to maintain moisture. You can also render beef fat (tallow) and store it in the refrigerator or freezer in advance of making tamales. Most meat markets will offer beef fat or tallow for sale upon request. If unavailable, you can substitute pork lard for beef fat.Small-Batch Tamales
Cut the ingredients by a quarter or half to make fewer batches of tamales. You can also freeze the meat, fat, or blended chiles to use later.Bean Tamales Variation
To make bean tamales, mash cooked beans and refry them with the same spices used for the pork meat filling, softening the ancho chile peppers in water instead of pork broth.Storing Tamales
Store uncooked tamales in an airtight bag in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let them thaw completely before steaming them according to the recipe instructions. After cooling completely, store cooked tamales in food wrap and foil in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. (Cooling is important before storing to prevent the pork filling from spoiling.) Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
