Northern-Style Tamales

Name: Northern-Style Tamales
Ingredients: 2.2 pounds (1 kilo) masa for tamales; 1/2 pound (about 1 cup/225 grams) pork lard; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; As needed, hot meat broth; 2.2 pounds (1 kilo) cooked, shredded pork leg; 8 guajillo chiles; 1 ancho chile; 2 garlic cloves; 2 pinches oregano; 1/2 medium onion; 1 tomato; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup meat broth (about 180 ml); As needed, corn husks for tamales

Carmen Palomino @Carmen

Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico

I really wanted to eat these tamales that we make in Chihuahua—I missed them so much since I hadn’t had them in a long time. I’m far from my family, so I invited a neighbor to make them with me, and she loved them. Now we’re in Chiapas. We made 2.2 pounds (1 kilo) with this filling and another 6.6 pounds (3 kilos) with beef head. We also made barbacoa (see recipe: https://cookpad.wasmer.app/mx/recetas/3901075).

Carmen Palomino @Carmen

Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico

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Ingredients

For the dough:
2.2 pounds(1 kilo) masa for tamales
1/2 pound(about 1 cup/225 grams) pork lard
1 teaspoonbaking powder
1 1/2 teaspoonssalt
As needed, hot meat broth
For the filling:
2.2 pounds(1 kilo) cooked, shredded pork leg
8guajillo chiles
1ancho chile
2garlic cloves
2 pinchesoregano
1/2medium onion
1tomato
1 tablespoonall-purpose flour
3/4 cupmeat broth (about 180 ml)
As needed, corn husks for tamales

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Steps

1

To prepare the dough: In a large bowl, cream the lard with your hand. Add the baking powder and salt, and keep mixing. Add the masa and knead very well for about 10 minutes. Gradually add the hot broth while kneading until you get a soft, slightly loose dough. Kneading well is important for a tasty dough.
2

Blend the chiles with the onion, tomato, garlic, salt, flour, oregano, and broth until very smooth. You don’t need to strain it.
3

Pour the blended chile mixture into a pot over heat, cover, and let it boil for about 10 minutes. Add the shredded pork, mix well, and let it simmer for another 2 minutes.
4

Soak and wash the corn husks.
5

Spread some dough with a spoon onto two corn husks placed with the pointed ends opposite each other. Place plenty of the pork filling in the center, fold the husks, and arrange the tamales in a steamer. Place over heat, and once it starts boiling, steam for 1 hour. They’re ready to enjoy!
6

We made 2.2 pounds (1 kilo) with this filling and another 6.6 pounds (3 kilos) with beef head. We also made barbacoa (see recipe), and from there we took the meat, chopped it, prepared the filling the same way as with the pork, and used it to fill the tamales. They turned out delicious—my neighbors hadn’t tried these before. We didn’t have rosca, but we did get to enjoy the tamales.