Soak the corn husks in warm water to soften them.

Boil the chicken with half an onion and the 2 garlic cloves. Add salt to taste. This will flavor the chicken.

Boil the guajillo chiles and poblano peppers (wash and remove the seeds before boiling).

Once the chicken is cooked, shred it and place it in a skillet with a little oil. Add 3 tomatoes and 1/4 of an onion, both cut into thin strips. This will be the tamale filling. Set aside.

Once the chiles are ready, blend them with 1/4 onion, cumin, oregano, and the bouillon cube. Add a little of the chile cooking water. This sauce is not spicy; it just adds color to the tamale dough. Set aside.

In a small pot, melt half a tablespoon of lard. Once melted and cooled, add the sauce from the blender and bring to a boil. Set aside.

Place the corn flour (Maseca) in a bowl and add the chicken broth (or warm water) until a soft dough forms (not too dry or too wet). Set aside.

If you bought pre-made masa at the tortilleria, you can skip step 7 (just ask for "masa para tamal").

Place the lard in a bowl and mix well with your hands until it becomes fluffy. Then add the masa you prepared earlier and mix well.

Once the masa is well mixed with the lard, add the sauce you set aside earlier to give the dough color. The dough should be slightly soft. Set aside.

Peel the potatoes, carrots, and serrano peppers, and cut them into thin strips. This will be part of the tamale filling. Set aside.

At this point, you should have the chicken or beef, vegetables, and masa ready.

Remove the corn husks from the water. Select the largest ones to start making the tamales.

Pour water into the bottom of a steamer pot and place the steamer rack inside. Lay a few corn husks on top of the rack (this helps with steaming and keeps the tamales from getting too wet).

Spread a little masa onto each corn husk, covering the edges. Add some of the chicken filling, potatoes, peppers, and carrots. Use as much filling as you like. Roll up the tamale and fold one end.

As you roll the tamales, arrange them upright in the steamer pot. If the pot fills up, you can place the rest in a large bowl to cook later.

Once all the tamales are in the steamer, cook over low heat. Check occasionally until the potatoes are tender.

And... they're ready! Enjoy! You can serve them with refried beans and a soda.

If you like olives, you can add them to the filling—it's up to your taste.