About this Dish
The ancient Mesoamerican staple — masa (corn dough) filled with meat, cheese or sweet fillings, wrapped in corn husks and steamed. Making tamales is a communal family activity done at Christmas and celebrations. Each region has its own style — Oaxacan tamales in banana leaf, Veracruz tamales with black bean paste.
IngredientsServes 6
🌽Masa harina (corn flour), 4 cups
🥣Warm chicken or pork broth, 2½ cups
🧈Lard or vegetable shortening, 1 cup (softened)
🧂Salt, 1½ teaspoons
🥩Pork shoulder, 500g cooked and shredded
🌶️Red chile sauce (made from 4 dried guajillo and 2 ancho chiles, blended with garlic and cumin)
🫙Dried corn husks, 30–35 soaked in warm water for 1 hour
🧀Oaxacan or mozzarella cheese, 150g sliced into strips (optional)
Method
1
Soak the dried corn husks in a large bowl of warm water for at least 1 hour until soft and pliable, then drain and pat dry. This makes them easy to fold without cracking.2
Beat the lard or shortening in a large bowl with a hand mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the masa harina, warm broth, and salt, mixing until you get a soft, spreadable dough — it should hold its shape but feel like thick peanut butter. Test by dropping a small ball into a glass of water; if it floats, the dough is ready.3
Mix the shredded pork with your red chile sauce until well coated and set aside. To make the chile sauce, toast the dried chiles briefly in a dry pan, soak in hot water for 20 minutes, then blend with 2 garlic cloves, a pinch of cumin, and salt to taste.4
Lay a soaked corn husk flat on your work surface with the wide end facing you. Spread about 3 tablespoons of masa dough into a thin rectangle in the center of the husk, leaving a 2cm border at the sides and a 5cm gap at the pointed end.5
Spoon 2 tablespoons of the chile pork filling (and a strip of cheese if using) down the center of the masa. Fold one long side of the husk over the filling so the masa wraps around it, then fold the other side over, and finally fold the pointed bottom end up to seal — the top stays open.6
Stand the tamales upright, open end up, in a large steamer pot lined with extra corn husks. Pack them snugly so they support each other. Steam over simmering water for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, adding more hot water to the pot as needed — tamales are done when the masa pulls away cleanly from the husk.7
Let the tamales rest for 10 minutes before serving, as they firm up as they cool. Serve with extra red chile sauce, crema, and a sprinkle of fresh coriander. Leftover tamales reheat beautifully by re-steaming for 15 minutes or wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving.User Reviews
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