boil water pour in pan. add dry corn husks, soaking them for 30 -45 minutes after soaking, tear one or two husks lengthwise into 16 strips to be used to tie the tamales together.

set your tamalera or tamale streamer to boil on the stove with water a few inches below the basket

measure masters into a large bowl. add spices, and mix with fork to ensure there are no lumps. add water and oil, stir to combine. once the mixture comes together, mix with hands until a dough forms, add more water if dough seems to dry

separate dough into 4 balls. break each ball into 4 more smaller balls to form total 16

remove one corn husk from water and lay it on your work surface. spread one ball of masa along the length of the husk, leaving about 2 inches on either end and 1 inch on either side. top with 1/4 cup of meat mixture using less for smaller husks. fold in edges and tie in with strips of husks

place tamales vertically in basket and steam for 45 minutes to one hour or until the masa peels easily from the husks