Grandma Rita’s Red Pork Tamales

Ingredients

Pork & broth

• 2 lb (907 g) boneless pork shoulder/Boston butt, cut into 2-inch chunks; or about 2½–3 lb bone-in shoulder
• Water to cover the pork by about 1 inch, usually 6–8 cups in a snug pot
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste after cooking
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• ¼ medium white onion
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

Red chile filling

• 4 oz (113 g) dried ancho chiles, weighed before cleaning, for Rita’s original flavor; for a brighter Chihuahua-style variation, use 2 oz ancho and 2 oz guajillo, or all guajillo
• 2 dried chiles de árbol, stems removed, for a spicy batch; omit for mild or use 4 for more heat
• 1½–2 cups reserved pork broth or fresh water for blending, plus a little more if needed
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tablespoon lard or neutral oil, for cooking the sauce
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt to start, only as needed after tasting the broth
• Optional: ¼–½ teaspoon sugar, only if the finished sauce needs its bitter edge softened

Masa & wrapping

• 1 lb (454 g) dry masa harina for tamales; weigh it, since cup weights and bag sizes vary
• 8 oz (227 g) lard, softened at room temperature, not hot or liquid
• Optional: 1½ teaspoons baking powder for a lighter masa; this is a Chihuahua-style addition to Rita’s written recipe
• 3–4 cups warm reserved pork broth, as needed; supplement with unsalted broth if necessary
• ½ cup prepared red chile sauce, reserved before mixing the sauce with the pork
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt to start; reduce or omit if the broth is already salty
• ¼ teaspoon each ground cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder
• About 35–40 dried corn husks, to allow for torn pieces and lining the steamer

Equipment: Stockpot, blender, strainer, mixer with paddle or a large mixing bowl, and a covered steamer with a rack. A cut-open food-storage bag or piece of plastic wrap is useful for spreading masa; remove it before folding or steaming.

Dry flour is not fresh masa. These quantities are for 1 pound of dry masa harina. Do not substitute 1 pound of fresh masa or prepared masa, and do not use the full broth quantity with either. Fresh masa already contains water; prepared masa may already contain fat and salt.

Method

1. Cook the pork and save the broth.

   Put the pork in a pot with enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Add the pork seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cover partially. Cook about 1½–2½ hours, adding water as needed, until the meat shreds easily. Remove the pork, discard any bones and gristle, and shred. Work small pieces of soft fat into the meat if you like; discard large lumps. Strain and reserve the broth for both sauce and masa.

2. Soak the husks.

   Separate the husks and remove silk and debris. Cover with hot water and weight them with a heatproof plate. Soak for at least 30 minutes, or until flexible. Drain and pat off excess water before filling. Save torn husks to line and cover the steamer.

3. Make the red chile sauce.

   Remove the ancho and guajillo stems, seeds, and loose ribs; rinse. Cover all the chiles with water and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, until soft. Drain, let cool enough for your blender, and blend with 1½ cups reserved broth or fresh water. Add up to another ½ cup as needed to blend smoothly. Blend in the sauce garlic and seasonings, holding back the salt until you have tasted the broth. Strain. Heat 1 tablespoon lard or oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Carefully add the sauce—it may spatter—then lower the heat and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, stirring. Taste and adjust salt. Only if needed, add ¼ teaspoon sugar and taste again; the sauce should remain savory.

4. Reserve sauce, then finish the filling.

   Set aside ½ cup sauce for the masa. Stir the remaining sauce into the shredded pork a little at a time, using enough to coat it generously without making it soupy. Simmer 5–10 minutes, stirring so the meat does not scorch. Add a little broth if it dries out. Let cool until comfortable to handle. Save any extra sauce or filling separately.

5. Mix a soft masa.

   Beat the softened lard until light, about 3–5 minutes. In another bowl, combine the weighed dry masa harina with the optional baking powder and masa seasonings. On low speed, alternate additions of the dry mixture and 2½ cups warm broth, then mix in the reserved ½ cup sauce. Beat until smooth, scraping the bowl. Rest 10 minutes so the flour can hydrate. Add more broth a few tablespoons at a time, until the total broth used reaches about 3–4 cups, as needed. Aim for Rita’s very soft peanut-butter consistency: it should spread without cracking and hold a thin layer on the husk. If it runs or pools, let it rest and mix in a little masa harina.

6. Make a test tamale.

   Place a husk smooth-side up, wide end away from you. Spread about ¼ cup masa into a thin rectangle over the broad portion, leaving the narrow lower 2–3 inches bare and a little margin at the top and one side. A piece of plastic pressed with your palm helps spread it evenly; remove the plastic. Put 1–1½ tablespoons filling down the center. Fold the sides around the filling, then fold the narrow end upward; leave the top open. Steam this sample until the masa is set and releases from the husk after a short rest. Begin checking around 45 minutes, but allow longer as needed. Use this cooked sample to check salt and texture before wrapping the whole batch.

7. Fill and fold the batch.

   Repeat with the remaining husks, masa, and filling. Keep the masa layer roughly ⅛ inch thick and avoid overfilling. If a husk is small, overlap it with a second one. Keep filling refrigerated during a long test or pause; return it to the worktable in small portions as needed.

8. Steam with room for circulation.

   Add water below the steamer rack; the tamales must sit above the water. Line the rack with spare husks. Stand tamales folded-end down and open-end up, packed loosely enough for steam to pass between them. Cover with extra husks and the lid. Bring the water to a boil, then maintain steady steam. Start timing once steaming is established. Cook about 75–120 minutes, checking the water level every 20–30 minutes and carefully adding boiling water without soaking the tamales. Never let the pot boil dry.

9. Check the masa, then let it rest.

   After about 75 minutes, remove one tamale and let it rest 5–10 minutes. Open it: the husk should peel away readily, and the masa should be set rather than wet or pasty in the center. If needed, continue steaming in 15-minute intervals. Once done, turn off the heat and rest the batch 15–20 minutes before serving. Remove the husks to eat.