Spicy Pork Tamales

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups cup Pork or chicken stock, 825 ml
• 6 Guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 30 Chiles de árbol, stemmed and seeded
• 3 tbsp tbsp Chile piquín, stemmed and seeded
• 1 lb lb Tomatoes, quartered, 450 g, quartered
• 3 medium Yellow onions, peeled and quartered
• 1 cup cup Distilled white vinegar, 250 ml
• 12 Garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 cup cup Annatto seeds, 60 g
• 1/2 oz oz Epazote, 15 g
• 2 Avocado leaves
• 1 Bay leaf
• as needed Sunflower oil, as needed
• 5 lb lb Pork shoulder, cut into 2–3-inch pieces, 2 kg
• to taste Kosher salt, to taste
• 2.2 lb lb Masa, 1000 g
• approximately 8 cups cup Water for hydrating the masa, 1893 ml — follow package hydration instructions
• 1 cup cup Lard, 200 g
• as reserved Reserved pork braising liquid
• as needed Additional chicken stock or water as needed to bring reserved braising liquid to 4 1/2 cups (1066 ml)
• to taste Kosher salt, to taste
• approximately 38 Corn husks, plus a few extra if available for small/torn husks

Instructions

1. Bring 3 1/2 cups stock to a simmer.
2. Place the guajillo and árbol chiles in a large heatproof bowl and pour the hot stock over them.
3. Allow the chiles to soften for 8–10 minutes.
4. Transfer the softened chiles and soaking liquid to a blender with tomatoes, onions, vinegar, garlic, annatto seeds, epazote, avocado leaves, and bay leaf.
5. Purée until smooth.
6. Heat sunflower oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
7. Season pork shoulder with kosher salt.
8. Working in batches, brown the pork thoroughly on all sides, approximately 20 minutes total.
9. Return all pork to the pot and add the chile-vegetable purée.
10. Bring to a boil.
11. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook approximately 3 hours until the pork is very tender.
12. Season to taste and allow the pork to cool in its cooking liquid.
13. Strain the pork, RESERVING THE BRAISING LIQUID.
14. Add enough chicken stock or water to the reserved liquid to produce 4 1/2 cups (1066 ml) total.
15. Shred the pork with two forks.
16. Place the masa in a large bowl.
17. Slowly add water while mixing by hand. Follow the masa package's hydration instructions — approximately 8 cups may be needed, but use however much the product specifies.
18. Knead until evenly hydrated with no dry powdery areas.
19. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
20. Add lard to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
21. Whip until homogeneous and fluffy.
22. Slowly stream in the reserved pork braising liquid.
23. Add the hydrated masa in three batches.
24. Season to taste with salt.
25. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
26. Soak corn husks in hot water approximately 20 minutes until pliable.
27. Place one husk curved-side up with narrow end facing you.
28. If a husk is too small, overlap two smaller husks.
29. Leave approximately a 1 1/2-inch border along the wide straight end.
30. Add approximately 1/3 cup (90 g) masa and 1/4 cup (45 g) braised pork to the upper center.
31. Use the husk to help form the masa into a rectangle approximately 4 inches across.
32. Fold the sides over the filling.
33. Fold the narrow end upward while leaving one end open.
34. Tie if desired.
35. Repeat.
36. Arrange tamales in a steamer horizontally or open ends facing upward.
37. Steam approximately 50–55 minutes until the masa is firm.
38. Test one tamale by opening the husk. A toothpick inserted into the masa should come out mostly clean.
39. Rest at least 15 minutes before serving.

Chef's Notes

Filled tamales may be refrigerated up to 2 days before steaming or frozen. If steaming from frozen, add approximately 20–25 minutes to the steaming time. Larger batches may require multiple pots/steaming batches.

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