Red Pork Tamales
Recipe by Isabel Orozco-Moore / Photos by Rachel Maucieri
Ingredients
For wrapping
50 corn husks (about ½-¾ pound bag)
Hot water, as needed
For the filling
3 ounces guajillo chiles, rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
3 ounces ancho chiles, rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
Water, as needed
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into large 4-inch chunks
1 bay leaf
For the dough
8 ¼ cups masa harina (about half of a 4.4 lb bag of Maseca)
1 ¾ tablespoons fine salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ¾ cups canola, avocado, or vegetable oil
7 cups broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable, plus more as needed)
METHOD
Prepare the corn husks. Place the corn husks in a large bowl or pot. Pour hot water over them until they are completely submerged, then cover the bowl with foil or plastic wrap and let them soak for one hour to soften. While the husks are soaking, begin preparing the filling.
Make the filling. Add the guajillo and ancho chiles, along with enough water to completely cover them, to a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the chiles soak for 10 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles to a large blender. Add 1 cup of the chile-soaked water, 1 ½ cups of fresh water, the garlic powder, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, and the cumin. Blend for a few minutes until the mixture is completely smooth. If it’s not smooth, pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any solids. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Season the pork with the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt, then, working in 2 batches, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned.
Add all the seared meat back to the pot. Carefully pour in the blended red chile sauce and stir in the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 ½ hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
Make the dough. In a very large mixing bowl or pot, add the masa harina, salt, and baking powder. Stir together to combine.
Add the oil and mix it together using your hands. Work the dough through your fingers until everything is well combined and incorporated. The dough should feel a little crumbly, almost like wet sand, and should lightly hold its shape when pressed together.
Add the broth and mix for about 3-5 minutes until the dough is fairly wet and well-saturated. The dough should be soft and spreadable like thick hummus. If the dough is too dry, add more broth. If it's too wet, add more masa harina.
Finish prepping the corn husks. Drain the water from the corn husks and pat them dry. Lay them flat onto a baking sheet for easy access.
Assemble. Grab a corn husk and identify which side is smooth and which side has ridges. Place the smooth side face up onto the palm of your hand or on a plate. Grab a heaping spoonful of dough and place it in the middle of the corn husk. Spread it in a thin layer using the back of the spoon to create a large square shape, leaving the top ⅓ of the corn husk empty.
Place a spoonful of the filling in a line down the center of the dough. You only need a little bit, about 1-2 tablespoons. Try not to overstuff it, or the filling will ooze out when you fold it.
Fold together the long edges of the corn husk like a book, and then fold it once more. Fold the pointy edge up so that only one side of the corn husk is open and exposed. Set aside and continue assembling all of the tamales until you’ve used up all the dough.
Steam. Fill the bottom of a large steamer pot (16 quarts or larger) with water. Add a penny or coin to the bottom of the pot, then cover with the steamer insert. Place the tamales in the steamer pot with the open end facing up. Lean them against the side of the pot so they don't fall down.
Cover tightly with the lid and place the steamer over high heat. Bring the water to a boil - you’ll know it’s boiling when you hear the coin rattle in the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 ½ hours or until the masa is fully cooked.
Check for doneness. Remove 1 tamale from the steamer pot and let it sit and cool for 10 minutes. If the husk peels away easily from the masa, then it’s done. If the masa is still gooey or sticks to the husk, steam it for an additional 15 minutes, then check again.
Serve. Remove the tamales from the pot and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving to help them firm up and make them easier to unwrap.
Tips
-The filling and dough can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
-If pork isn’t your thing, you can use the same amount of beef chuck roast instead.