Delicate, flavorful Handmade Authentic Tamales filled with red chili pork or poblano jack cheese deliver the taste of Mexico in your kitchen.

This essential step by step guide will make you crave fresh tamales everyday. There are so many filling possibilities from traditional red chili pork to vegetarian poblano jack or even bean and cheese. Get creative.

Looking at the amount of steps in this recipe may seem daunting, but these Handmade Authentic Tamales can be made in steps. I like to make the red chili pork the day before, so all that’s left is the masa and assembly. Plus, this recipe makes quiet a few tamales, so it’s a really great way to meal prep for later. You can store the tamales for up to six months in the freezer.

When you are ready to plate these beautiful tamales, top with your favorite ingredients. My topping of choice is this Salsa Verde, which is super easy to make with your blender. Other suggestions are chopped radish and cilantro, avocado or pico de gallo.

Freshly made Red Chili Tamales are tender and flavorful with diced radish and cilantro

Ingredients

Masa – Instant corn masa found in the Mexican aisle of grocery. I used Maseca brand. The bag will indicate used for tamales.
Lard – Use your rendered lard or purchase at the grocery next to the masa.
Pork – Use either shoulder, picnic or Boston butt, which is intended for slow cooking and shreds easily.
Corn Husks – Sold in packages in the Mexican aisle of the grocery. They are used to wrap and steam the masa and meat, making the tamales.
Guajillo Chili – Dried, sold in package in Mexican aisle of grocery. Has a deep, fruity, smoky flavor with mild heat.
Chiles de Arbol – Known as bird beak chili, adds the heat.
Cumin – A warm, earthy spice that gives depth of flavor.
Chipotle Powder – Smoke dried jalapeno peppers ground into powder.
Garlic – Pick hard, firm to the touch garlic.
Tomato Bouillon – Knorr tomato chicken bouillon cubes.
Onion – Pick firm yellow onions.

Preparation

Prepare the shredded pork first. Combine chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin and salt. Rub mixture over pork roast.
Heat lard in a dutch oven or large heavy pot. Sear pork roast over medium high heat on each side creating a browned crust.
Add water, tomato bouillon cubes, onion and garlic to the pot. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until fork tender about 3 hours.
Remove pork roast from pot, shred, reserve cooking liquid.
Make the sauce by toasting guajillo and arbol chilies in dry pan over medium heat until warmed, being careful not to burn. Remove from pan and soak in 2-3 cups hot water or broth for 10 minutes.
Place soaked chilies, garlic cloves, and cumin in a blender and blend until smooth.
Heat lard in a medium pan over medium heat, add sauce from blender and about 3 cups reserved cooking liquid, cook until darkened (about 10 minutes). Combine shredded pork in a large bowl with sauce.
Start soaking your corn husks in hot water. Either spread out in a large pan or in the sink.
Prepare the masa by hand mixing masa, baking powder, salt, chipotle powder, chili powder and cumin, then add lard and butter. Slowly add cooking liquid until dough forms. Dough should be a thinner, wetter consistency. Using your hand, mix the dough, repeatedly, until very smooth.
Assemble the tamales by taking a soaked corn husk, wide side towards you, and spreading a thin layer of masa, edge to edge, about 3/4 of the way up the corn husk.
Place about 1/4 cup shredded pork in bottom middle portion of the corn husk. Fold sides in and top over. Tie with a strip of corn husk.
Set up your tamale steamer with water to just under steaming rack and place a piece of foil over steaming rack. Set tamales in steamer open side up.
Place tamale steamer over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and steam for about 45 minutes.