To make the champurrado: First, dissolve the masa harina in a glass of water and set aside. In a pot, add the water and cinnamon stick (broken into pieces) and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, add the chocolate bars and the dissolved masa, stirring constantly. Add the sugar or piloncillo, and keep stirring to prevent lumps or burning. Serve the champurrado hot or cold—cold is very refreshing.

To make the tamalitos: Cook the pork with the garlic and salt in a pot of water. Meanwhile, mix the masa harina, baking powder, lard, and salt together, kneading until you get a smooth dough. The dough is ready when your hands look shiny from the fat.

Spread the corn husks out, and once the dough is ready, spread a thin layer onto each husk. The goal is to make small, thin tamalitos.

When the pork is cooked, drain and shred it finely, then set aside.

Soak the ancho chiles (with seeds removed) in hot water and set aside.

Blend the soaking liquid from the pork, the soaked ancho chiles, and one garlic clove until smooth, then set aside. In a skillet, add lard and pour in the blended chile mixture and the shredded pork. Season with salt and cumin (the cumin gives the dish its special flavor), and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

Once the pork and chile filling is ready, place a spoonful onto the masa spread on each corn husk and fold into a small tamal shape.

To cook the tamalitos, prepare a steamer and place the tamalitos inside with the folded side down. Cover with leftover corn husks or aluminum foil, put the lid on, and steam for 40 minutes.

If you notice the water in the steamer is running low during cooking, carefully add two cups of water through the center, making sure not to spill water onto the tamales, and lower the heat slightly.

After the time is up, check if the tamalitos are cooked by opening one and making sure the dough is set. That’s it!

There’s a video where Casandra shows step-by-step how to make these delicious Monterrey-style tamalitos.