My Grandmother’s Tamales Recipe

The Day Of: 

Prepare the Masa 

Beat 1 lb. lard with a mixer or by hand until light. Add salt and fresh corn masa. Add in the chili mixture little by little until a dark pinkish color, and to taste. Beat with a heavy-duty mixer or knead like bread with a little pork broth, until dough is light. The dough is ready when a small amount floats when dropped in a glass of water. 

Prepare the Pork Filling 

Heat some lard in a heavy saucepan. Add a cup (or more, to your taste) of the blended ancho chili mixture to the lard and simmer until the sauce slightly thickens. Add some salt to taste. Now add shredded meat and broth and cook for about 20 minutes. You may want to add more of the blended chili mixture to your liking. 

Fill the Corn Husks 

Put some of the masa in the center of the corn husk. With the back of a spoon, spread the bottom 2/3 of the corn husk evenly to the edges. Line plenty of pork meat down the center. Fold the sides of the corn husks toward the center, overlapping. Now fold the top (without masa) down and set aside on a platter until ready to cook. Continue these steps until all masa and pork filling is used up. 

Steam the Tamales 

Bring 3-4 cups of reserved pork broth to a boil in a steamer. Place tamales with folded side down in the steamer standing upright. Cover tamales with moist corn husks and a clean moist dish towel. Put the lid on the steamer and steam for 1 ½ hours or until the husk can be easily peeled from the dough. Add more broth as needed to continue steaming, being careful not to pour broth on the tamales. 

Enjoy your tamales! They are perfect for any gathering and a delicious, traditional meal to share.