Tamales Recipe

This tamales recipe is a traditional homemade dish made with soft masa dough, tender shredded pork, and a rich red chile sauce, all wrapped in corn husks and steamed to perfection. It is a comforting and flavorful Mexican classic that takes time to prepare but delivers an authentic taste that is worth every step. Discover more flavorful recipes like Tamales Recipe right here.

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ pounds pork loin
• 1 large onion, halved
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 dried chile peppers (guajillo or ancho)
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 (8 ounce) package dried corn husks
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth, divided
• ⅔ cup lard
• 2 cups masa harina
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions

• Place pork, onion, and garlic in a pot, cover with water, and boil. Simmer until pork is tender and fully cooked, about 2 hours.
• Remove stems and seeds from dried chiles, then simmer them in water until softened.
• Blend softened chiles with cooking liquid until smooth, then strain and mix with salt to make red chile sauce.
• Shred cooked pork and mix it with part of the chile sauce. Set aside the remaining sauce for serving.
• Soak corn husks in warm water for about 30 minutes until soft.
• Beat lard with a small amount of broth until fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, mix masa harina, baking powder, and salt, then combine with the lard mixture. Add broth gradually to form a soft dough.
• Spread masa dough onto soaked corn husks, leaving space at the edges.
• Add pork filling in the center of each husk and fold to seal tightly.
• Arrange tamales upright in a steamer and steam for about 1 hour until firm.
• Serve with remaining chile sauce and sour cream.

Preparation Details

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 16
Yield: 16 tamales