Traditional Mexican Tamales (Pork in Red Chile Sauce and Cheese with Green Chile)
Traditional Mexican Tamales (Pork in Red Chile Sauce and Cheese with Green Chile)
Ingredients
For the Pork Filling
- 4 pounds pork shoulder butt, cut into large chunks
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 white onion, whole
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 head garlic
For the Red Chile Sauce
- 20 dried Guajillo chiles, stems removed
- 20 dried California chiles, stems removed
- 3 dried Pasilla chiles, stems removed
- 1/4 white onion, roughly chopped, for blending
- 5 garlic cloves, for blending
- 5 tablespoons chicken bouillon
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 4 cups water, plus more for soaking chiles
For the Cheese Filling
- 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces canned green chiles, chopped
For the Masa Dough
- 12 cups Maseca Tamal instant corn masa flour
- 1 1/2 pounds lard, softened
- 10 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 8 cups meat broth, from cooking the pork, warmed
- 6 cups warm water
- 2 cups prepared red chile sauce, from the red chile sauce recipe
For Assembly
- 100 dried corn husks
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the corn husks: Place dried corn husks in a very large bowl or pot. Cover with hot water and weigh them down with a plate to keep them submerged. Let them soak for at least 1 hour, or until soft and pliable. Drain before use.
⏱️ 60 min
- 2
Cook the pork: Place the pork chunks in a large stockpot. Add the 1 tablespoon of salt, whole white onion, bay leaves, and whole head of garlic. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork is very tender and easily shredded. Skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface during the first 30 minutes of cooking. Remove pork from broth, reserving the broth for the masa and chile sauce. Let pork cool slightly.
⏱️ 100 min
- 3
Prepare the red chile sauce: While pork cooks, remove stems from all dried chiles. In a dry skillet over medium heat, lightly toast the chiles for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Transfer toasted chiles to a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until very soft. Drain the chiles, reserving 1 cup of the soaking liquid.
⏱️ 20 min
- 4
Blend the chile sauce: In a blender, combine the softened chiles, 1/4 chopped white onion, 5 garlic cloves, 5 tablespoons chicken bouillon, 2 tablespoons ground cumin, 4 cups of the reserved pork broth (or a mix of broth and chile soaking liquid), and 2 cups of the reserved pork broth (or a mix of broth and chile soaking liquid). Blend until completely smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing on the solids to extract all liquid. Discard the solids. Bring the strained sauce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow flavors to meld. Set aside 2 cups of this sauce for the masa dough, and keep the rest warm for the pork filling.
⏱️ 30 min
- 5
Shred the pork: Once cooled, shred the cooked pork into small pieces. Add enough of the warm red chile sauce to the shredded pork to coat it well, creating a moist and flavorful filling. Mix thoroughly.
⏱️ 15 min
- 6
Prepare the cheese filling: In a bowl, combine the shredded Monterey Jack cheese and chopped canned green chiles. Mix well.
⏱️ 10 min
- 7
Prepare the masa dough: In a very large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream the softened lard until fluffy, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Maseca Tamal flour, baking powder, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually add the dry masa mixture to the creamed lard, alternating with the 8 cups of warm meat broth and 6 cups of warm water. Add the 2 cups of reserved red chile sauce. Beat the masa mixture on medium speed for 15-20 minutes, or until it is light, fluffy, and resembles a thick cake batter. To test if the masa is ready, drop a small ball (about 1/2 teaspoon) into a cup of cold water; if it floats, it's ready. If it sinks, continue beating for a few more minutes and retest.
⏱️ 20 min
- 8
Assemble the tamales: Take a softened corn husk and spread about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of masa dough evenly over the wider end, leaving a border of about 1 inch on the sides and 2-3 inches at the narrow end. For pork tamales, place 1-2 tablespoons of the pork filling in the center of the masa. For cheese tamales, place 1-2 tablespoons of the cheese filling in the center. Fold one side of the husk over the filling, then fold the other side over to overlap. Fold the narrow end of the husk up towards the center. Repeat with remaining masa, fillings, and husks.
⏱️ 60 min
- 9
Steam the tamales: Arrange the assembled tamales upright in a large steamer pot, open-end up. If you don't have a steamer rack, you can use crumpled aluminum foil balls at the bottom to elevate them above the water. Add enough water to the bottom of the steamer to come just below the rack, ensuring it doesn't touch the tamales. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover tightly, and steam for 1 1/2 hours. Tamales are done when the masa easily pulls away from the husk. If not, continue steaming for another 15-30 minutes. Let them rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
⏱️ 90 min•🌡️ 212
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Traditional Mexican Tamales (Pork in Red Chile Sauce and Cheese with Green Chile)
Ingredients
For the Pork Filling
- 4 pounds pork shoulder butt, cut into large chunks
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 white onion, whole
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 head garlic
For the Red Chile Sauce
- 20 dried Guajillo chiles, stems removed
- 20 dried California chiles, stems removed
- 3 dried Pasilla chiles, stems removed
- 1/4 white onion, roughly chopped, for blending
- 5 garlic cloves, for blending
- 5 tablespoons chicken bouillon
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 4 cups water, plus more for soaking chiles
For the Cheese Filling
- 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces canned green chiles, chopped
For the Masa Dough
- 12 cups Maseca Tamal instant corn masa flour
- 1 1/2 pounds lard, softened
- 10 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 8 cups meat broth, from cooking the pork, warmed
- 6 cups warm water
- 2 cups prepared red chile sauce, from the red chile sauce recipe
For Assembly
- 100 dried corn husks
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the corn husks: Place dried corn husks in a very large bowl or pot. Cover with hot water and weigh them down with a plate to keep them submerged. Let them soak for at least 1 hour, or until soft and pliable. Drain before use.
⏱️ 60 min - 2
Cook the pork: Place the pork chunks in a large stockpot. Add the 1 tablespoon of salt, whole white onion, bay leaves, and whole head of garlic. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork is very tender and easily shredded. Skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface during the first 30 minutes of cooking. Remove pork from broth, reserving the broth for the masa and chile sauce. Let pork cool slightly.
⏱️ 100 min - 3
Prepare the red chile sauce: While pork cooks, remove stems from all dried chiles. In a dry skillet over medium heat, lightly toast the chiles for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Transfer toasted chiles to a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until very soft. Drain the chiles, reserving 1 cup of the soaking liquid.
⏱️ 20 min - 4
Blend the chile sauce: In a blender, combine the softened chiles, 1/4 chopped white onion, 5 garlic cloves, 5 tablespoons chicken bouillon, 2 tablespoons ground cumin, 4 cups of the reserved pork broth (or a mix of broth and chile soaking liquid), and 2 cups of the reserved pork broth (or a mix of broth and chile soaking liquid). Blend until completely smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing on the solids to extract all liquid. Discard the solids. Bring the strained sauce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow flavors to meld. Set aside 2 cups of this sauce for the masa dough, and keep the rest warm for the pork filling.
⏱️ 30 min - 5
Shred the pork: Once cooled, shred the cooked pork into small pieces. Add enough of the warm red chile sauce to the shredded pork to coat it well, creating a moist and flavorful filling. Mix thoroughly.
⏱️ 15 min - 6
Prepare the cheese filling: In a bowl, combine the shredded Monterey Jack cheese and chopped canned green chiles. Mix well.
⏱️ 10 min - 7
Prepare the masa dough: In a very large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream the softened lard until fluffy, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Maseca Tamal flour, baking powder, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually add the dry masa mixture to the creamed lard, alternating with the 8 cups of warm meat broth and 6 cups of warm water. Add the 2 cups of reserved red chile sauce. Beat the masa mixture on medium speed for 15-20 minutes, or until it is light, fluffy, and resembles a thick cake batter. To test if the masa is ready, drop a small ball (about 1/2 teaspoon) into a cup of cold water; if it floats, it's ready. If it sinks, continue beating for a few more minutes and retest.
⏱️ 20 min - 8
Assemble the tamales: Take a softened corn husk and spread about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of masa dough evenly over the wider end, leaving a border of about 1 inch on the sides and 2-3 inches at the narrow end. For pork tamales, place 1-2 tablespoons of the pork filling in the center of the masa. For cheese tamales, place 1-2 tablespoons of the cheese filling in the center. Fold one side of the husk over the filling, then fold the other side over to overlap. Fold the narrow end of the husk up towards the center. Repeat with remaining masa, fillings, and husks.
⏱️ 60 min - 9
Steam the tamales: Arrange the assembled tamales upright in a large steamer pot, open-end up. If you don't have a steamer rack, you can use crumpled aluminum foil balls at the bottom to elevate them above the water. Add enough water to the bottom of the steamer to come just below the rack, ensuring it doesn't touch the tamales. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover tightly, and steam for 1 1/2 hours. Tamales are done when the masa easily pulls away from the husk. If not, continue steaming for another 15-30 minutes. Let them rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
⏱️ 90 min•🌡️ 212