Best Pork Tamales Rojos
Tamales are a classic food that is popular during Christmas from Mexico.
Yield: 50 tamales
Calories: 554kcal
Materials
- 50 corn husks
For The Pork Rojo
- 5 lbs pork shoulder cut into 3 large pieces
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 white onion cut into quarters
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 12 dried guajillo chiles ~ 12 tbsp ground
- 4 dried ancho chiles ~ 4 tbsp ground
- 4 dried pasilla negro chiles ~ 4 tbsp ground
- 6 cups water or chicken stock
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 white onion peeled and quartered
- 1 tbsp chimayo chili powder optional See Note 1
- 4 tsp ground cumin
- 4 tsp Mexican oregano or regular oregano See Note 2
For The Masa
- 2 cups lard room temperature Make sure it's whipped
- 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 8 cups Maseca – Instant corn masa mix 2 pounds
- 1 cup pork rojo sauce reserved from above
- 7 cups water or reserved cooking liquid from meat filling of choice broth water or combination
Instructions
Cooking the Pork
- Fill a large Dutch oven with water (enough to cover the pork) and bring to a boil. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, and salt. Cut the pork into three large chunks and add to the pot. Simmer for 2 hours or until tender.
- Remove the pork chunks and place in a medium sized bowl. Finely shred and set aside.
Making the Chile Sauce
- Remove the stems (and seeds, if you prefer less heat) from the guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles. Place the chiles in the hot pork broth. Let them soak for about 10 minutes, or until softened.
- Combine the soaked chiles, 1 cup of their soaking pork liquid (strained), 1 cup chicken stock, garlic, onion, Chimayo chili powder, cumin, and Mexican oregano in a blender. Blend until smooth. Reserve 1 cup of salsa roja and set aside (for the masa).
- Heat vegetable oil in the pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the rest of the salsa, stirring. Add in the shredded pork. Bring to a simmer, lower heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove and cool.
Preparing the Masa
- Follow a 1:1 ratio of maseca to liquid (use reserved cooking liquid, broth, water, or a mix). For example, 8 cups maseca needs 8 cups liquid.
- In a large bowl or mixer, whip the lard until light and fluffy, resembling cake frosting. Add baking powder and salt.
- Gradually mix in 1 cup of maseca and 1 cup of chile rojo sauce or liquid. Alternate adding 1 cup maseca and 1 cup liquid until all ingredients are combined. Beat the mixture for 5 minutes until it’s light and fluffy.
- Aim for a smooth, spreadable consistency, similar to hummus. Adjust with more liquid if too dry or more maseca if too wet.
- Perform the Float Test: Drop a small spoonful of masa into a glass of cold water. If it floats, the masa is ready. If it sinks, mix it more.
Preparing the Corn Husks
- Place the corn husks in a large roasting pan, bowl, or pot. Cover them completely with hot water and weigh them down with a towel to keep submerged. Soak for 1 hour, then drain and pat them dry.
Assembling the Tamales
- Fill the bottom of a steamer pot with water and add a copper penny (to signal if the water level gets low). Add the basket and line it with several corn husks.
- Lay a corn husk on your palm or a clean surface, smooth side up and wide end closest to you. Spread 3-4 tablespoons of masa into a thin rectangle, leaving the narrow end of the husk uncovered.
- Add 3-4 tablespoons of the cold pork rojo filling to the center. Fold one side of the husk over the filling, then fold the other side. Finally, fold the narrow end upward.
- Stand the tamales upright in the steamer with the open end facing up, leaning them against the sides of the pot to keep them in place. Repeat until all tamales are assembled.
Steaming the Tamales
- Bring the water in the steamer pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and steam for 2 hours.
- Check for doneness by removing a tamale and opening it. The masa should easily pull away from the husk and feel firm.
Serving and Storing
- Serve the tamales warm with your favorite salsa. We like to add shredded lettuce, sour cream, and tomatoes to ours.
- To freeze, let them cool completely, then place in labeled freezer bags, removing excess air. Tamales can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 554kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 31g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 13553mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 103IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 1174mg | Iron: 8mg