Tamales Rojos de Puerco (Red Pork Tamales)

Ingredients

• Pork shoulder, boneless 700 g
• White onion 1/2 (70 g)
• Garlic 4 cloves (16 g)
• Dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded 6 (40 g)
• Ground cumin and dried oregano 1/2 tsp each
• Masa harina for tamales 500 g
• Lard 180 g
• Pork cooking broth 1050 ml (from cooking the pork)
• Baking powder 2 tsp (8 g)
• Salt 2.5 tsp (15 g)
• Dried corn husks 20

Instructions

1. 1

   Put the pork in a pot with the onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp of the salt and 2 liters of water; simmer covered for 1.5 hours until tender, then shred the meat and keep 1050 ml of the broth.

2. 2

   Soak the corn husks in hot water for 30 minutes. Toast the chiles lightly in a dry pan, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, then blend them with the onion from the pot, the remaining garlic, the cumin, oregano and 200 ml of the broth and strain.

3. 3

   Simmer the chile sauce for 10 minutes, stir in the shredded pork and cook until the sauce coats the meat thickly.

4. 4

   Beat the lard with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes until fluffy, then beat in the masa harina, baking powder, remaining salt and about 850 ml of warm broth, a little at a time, until a soft, spreadable dough forms that floats when a small piece is dropped in water.

5. 5

   Pat the husks dry, spread about 95 g of dough (a heaped 1/3 cup) on the wide part of each husk, add about 40 g of the pork filling and fold the sides over, then fold up the narrow end.

6. 6

   Stand the tamales upright in a steamer with water below the basket, cover with extra husks and a lid, and steam for 1 hour 15 minutes, topping up with boiling water as needed.

7. 7

   Remove one tamal and let it rest for 5 minutes: it is done when the dough comes away cleanly from the husk. Let the tamales rest 10 minutes before serving and unwrap them at the table.