First, cook the pork with the bay leaves, halved unpeeled garlic cloves, and salt to taste. I cut the pork into 3 pieces so it cooks faster; it took about 2 hours. I ground the masa a day ahead so I wouldn't have to do everything at once, and took it out of the fridge early so it wouldn't be too cold. Once the pork is cooked, clean the guajillo and arbol chiles and garlic, then soak them.

Next, soak the corn husks. When the pork has cooled, transfer it to the skillet you'll use for the filling and shred it there.

Blend the soaked chiles with the garlic, salt, and cumin to taste. Add some of the pork broth, straining it first.

Fill to the level shown in image 1 (if available). Heat the skillet over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of lard to melt before adding the chile mixture. Once you've added the unstrained chile mixture, add a bit more broth—just enough to keep it moist, but not too much, as you'll need more later.

Check the salt, let it simmer, then turn off the heat and set aside. To prepare the masa, add the masa harina and lard.

Add salt and baking powder. The dough should be a little salty, as it loses some salt during cooking (but don't overdo it). Start kneading, gradually adding water until you get the desired consistency. Set aside. Cut the cheese and chiles and set aside.

Prepare your clean steamer by adding water just below the rack. Place the rack and something like a molcajete or similar item to help support the tamales.

Place the corn husks on the steamer lid to drain. Spread the masa on the husks as shown in image 2 (if available), add the cheese, and fold as shown in image 3 (if available).

Repeat the same process for the rajas tamales, keeping them separate so you know which is which. If you have medium-sized husks, you can overlap two to make a larger one. Once you've finished the cheese and rajas tamales, use only the chile broth.

Add the chile broth to the masa until you get the desired color—start with about 5 tablespoons and knead, adding more as needed. Don't worry if the dough is a bit soft; as long as you can spread it, it's fine.

Once the husk is ready, add a spoonful of pork with a little broth, fold, and place in the steamer.

Keep the cheese and rajas tamales separate until you've finished the red ones.

Once the red tamales are done, add the rajas and cheese tamales. Use leftover husk pieces to cover the tamales, cover the steamer, and cook over medium heat. Steam for about 2 1/2 hours.