Pork Tamales

Quick Answers

How to Make Pork Tamales

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1. Simmer the pork with the onion, half the garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt in 2 litres of water for 90 minutes until tender. Reserve the broth and shred the meat.

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2. Toast and soak the dried chillies, then blend with the remaining garlic, cumin, oregano, 300 ml of broth and the remaining salt. Sieve.

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3. Fry the chilli sauce in a little lard for 8 minutes until darkened, then stir in the shredded pork and simmer 15 minutes until thick. Cool completely.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

4. Beat the lard in a mixer for 5 minutes until white and fluffy — this is the most important step in the whole recipe.

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5. Mix the masa harina, baking powder and salt, then add it to the lard alternately with the warm broth, beating continuously, until you have a soft dough the texture of thick buttercream.

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6. Test it: drop a small ball into a glass of cold water. If it floats, the masa is aerated enough. If it sinks, beat for another 3 minutes and test again.

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7. Pat a soaked husk dry. Spread 3 tablespoons of masa over the wide half in a 12 cm square, leaving a border, and spoon 2 tablespoons of filling down the centre.

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8. Fold the long sides over so the masa encloses the filling, then fold the narrow tail up. Stand upright, open end up, in a steamer basket.

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9. Steam over simmering water for 75 to 90 minutes, topping up the water as needed. They are done when the masa pulls cleanly away from the husk.

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10. Rest for 15 minutes before unwrapping — they firm up considerably as they cool.

    Mark done Start 15 min timer

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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A Few Pointers

• Do not pack the steamer too tightly; steam must circulate between the tamales.
• Put a coin in the bottom of the steamer. When it stops rattling, the water has boiled dry.
• Tamales freeze perfectly, which is why everyone makes 60 at a time.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
• Fresh herbs work in place of the dried oregano at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

What to Serve With It

Champurrado or Mexican hot chocolate · Serve with salsa verde and pickled jalapeños · Traditional for Christmas and Candlemas

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: One Pan Mexican Rice, Pan de Muerto, Refried Beans.

Storage

Refrigerate 5 days, freeze 6 months. Re-steam for 15 minutes from chilled or 25 from frozen; microwaving makes them rubbery.

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

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