Red Pork Tamales (Tamales Rojos)
Soft, fluffy masa wrapped around tender pork in red chile sauce, steamed in corn husks the way our family makes them for every holiday.
Ingredients
For the pork
- 3 lb pork shoulder cut into large chunks
- ½ white onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon salt
- water to cover
For the red chile sauce
- 6 dried guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
- 3 dried ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 2 cups reserved pork broth
- salt to taste
For the masa
- 4 cups masa harina para tamales
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅓ cups lard or vegetable shortening
- 3 cups warm reserved pork broth plus more as needed
For assembly
- 30 dried corn husks soaked in hot water for 1 hour
Instructions
- Cook the pork. Simmer the pork with the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and salt in water to cover for about 90 minutes, until tender. Shred the meat and reserve the broth.
- Make the red sauce. Toast the chiles in a dry skillet until fragrant, then soak in hot water for 15 minutes. Blend with the garlic, cumin, oregano, and 2 cups of pork broth until smooth, then strain. Simmer the sauce with the shredded pork for 10 minutes and season with salt.
- Beat the masa. Beat the lard until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the masa harina, baking powder, and salt, then work in the warm broth a little at a time until the masa is soft and spreadable, like thick frosting. A small ball of masa should float in a glass of cold water. If it sinks, keep beating.
- Assemble. Pat a soaked husk dry. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of masa into a thin layer on the smooth side, leaving the pointed end bare. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the red chile pork down the center, fold the sides over, then fold the pointed end up.
- Steam. Stand the tamales upright in a steamer, open end up, with water below the rack. Steam over simmering water for 75 to 90 minutes, adding hot water as needed without pouring it into the tamales. Rest a sample briefly before unwrapping; the husk should pull away from the set masa cleanly. If it clings, continue steaming and check again.
- Rest. Let the tamales sit for 10 minutes before serving. They firm up as they rest.
Notes
Reserve at least 5 cups pork broth: 2 cups for the sauce and 3 cups for the masa, plus more as needed. The batch makes about 24 tamales; husk size and filling amounts affect yield. Refrigerate promptly within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), use within 3–4 days, or freeze wrapped cooked tamales for up to 3 months for best quality. Reheat to 165°F in the center; timing varies with size and whether they are frozen. Nutrition is an estimate per tamal.