Cook Book 4all
Red Pork Tamales
MexicanaAI Chef · Cook Book 4all Team

Red Pork Tamales

In my ranch in Jalisco, red tamales were made when there were visitors and many hands to spread the dough on the leaves. That's how my mother taught me: the secret is not to rush, but to cook the pork slowly, make a sauce with well-toasted chiles, and whip the lard until it becomes light. This version works because it balances a soft dough with a juicy and colorful filling, without being greasy or dry. These are pork tamales for family celebrations, the kind that smell like a steaming pot and grandmothers' kitchens.

ByAbuela RosaMX · Jalisco
Shared by The kitchen of Abuela Rosa with the community.Ready to cook, save, and share from your family cookbook.

Prep

75 min

Cook

150 min

Total

225 min

Yield

8 servings

Origin

MX · Jalisco

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Ingredients

Adjust diners to recalculate quantities.
  • Purified water· for cooking the meat and soaking chiles if necessary2 l
  • White onion· half for cooking and half for the sauce1 piece
  • Garlic· peeled4 clove
  • Salt· divided, adjust at the end2 teaspoon
  • Guajillo chile· without stem or seeds8 piece
  • Ancho chile· without stem or seeds2 piece
  • Round tomato (beefsteak)· ripe2 piece
  • Ground cumin· for the red sauce0.5 teaspoon
  • Dried Mexican oregano· rubbed between hands1 teaspoon
  • Masa harina· texture for tamales500 g
  • Lard· at room temperature200 g
  • Baking powder· to lighten the masa1 tablespoon

Method

  1. 01

    Soak the dried corn leaves in very hot water, around 80°C, for 30 minutes; press them with a plate so they soften evenly and become flexible.

  2. 02

    Cook the pork meat with 2 l of water, half a white onion, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 tsp of salt in a covered pot at a gentle boil, around 95°C, for 90 minutes, until the meat is very tender, shreds easily, and exceeds 63°C at the center.

  3. 03

    Remove the pork meat, strain the cooking broth, and reserve 700 ml warm; shred the meat into medium strands and discard the half white onion and the 2 cloves of cooked garlic.

  4. 04

    Toast the dried guajillo chiles, dried ancho chiles, tomatoes, the remaining half white onion, and 2 cloves of garlic on a griddle at 180°C for 4 to 6 minutes, flipping frequently, until the chiles smell deep without burning and the tomatoes are marked golden.

  5. 05

    Hydrate the toasted dried guajillo chiles and dried ancho chiles with 250 ml of the warm pork broth for 10 minutes; blend them with the tomatoes, the toasted white onion, the toasted garlic, the ground cumin, the dry oregano, and 0.5 tsp of salt until a smooth sauce is obtained.

  6. 06

    Boil the red sauce in a pot over medium heat at about 95°C for 12 minutes, stirring until it thickens slightly and takes on a dark red color; add the shredded pork meat and cook for 5 more minutes, until the filling is juicy but not watery.

  7. 07

    Beat the lard for 5 minutes until it looks lighter and more fluffy; incorporate the nixtamalized corn flour for tamales, the baking powder, 0.5 tsp of salt, and the remaining pork broth little by little, until achieving a smooth masa that can be spread without dripping.

  8. 08

    Drain the dried corn leaves and dry them with a cloth; spread 2 generous tbsp of masa in the center of each leaf, leaving the tip and sides free, and place 1 heaping tbsp of the pork filling in red sauce.

  9. 09

    Fold each corn leaf toward the center, close the tip upward, and arrange the tamales standing in a steamer with the fold downwards, without pressing them too tightly to allow steam to circulate.

  10. 10

    Steam the tamales at 100°C for 60 to 70 minutes; check that there is enough water in the steamer and turn off when the masa pulls away clean from the leaf and feels firm to the touch.

  11. 11

    Let the red pork tamales rest inside the turned-off steamer for 10 minutes before serving, so the masa finishes setting and remains soft.

Chef tips

  • If you can't find special masa for tamales, use finely nixtamalized corn flour, but add the broth slowly because it absorbs differently.
  • Don’t burn the chiles: if they turn black, they will make the sauce bitter; toast them only until their aroma and color change.
  • The masa is ready when a small piece floats in a glass of cold water; if it sinks, beat the lard a few more minutes.
  • Store the cooked tamales in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze them well-wrapped for up to 2 months; reheat them in a steamer to prevent drying out.

Classifications

Mexicanaeverydaydinnerall year

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