Ingredients
- 11 ounces Farmer John Manteca/Lard11 ounces
- 8 ounces Dried corn husks8 ounces
- 3 cups Chicken broth3 cups
- 4 cups Masa harina4 cups
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder2 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon Salt1 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin1 teaspoon
- 17 ounces Poblano chiles, sliced17 ounces
- 10 ounces Manchego cheese, sliced into small strips10 ounces
- Salsa of choice
Instructions
Soak the corn husks in a bowl with hot water for 30 minutes or until softened
Make the tamale dough: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the lard and 2 tablespoons of broth until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Combine the masa flour, baking powder, salt, and cumin in a separate bowl. Stir into the lard mixture and beat well with an electric mixer
Add the broth, little by little to form a very soft dough. Beat on high speed for several minutes. The dough should spread like creamy peanut butter. Put masa in a ziplock bag to keep the dough from drying out
Assemble the tamales: Lay a corn husk, glossy side up, on the counter with the wide end at the top. Scoop about 1⁄4 cup of dough onto the top center of the corn husk. Use silicone spatula to press and spread the masa into a thin layer, about 1⁄4 inch thick. Keep the dough spread along the top half of the corn husk to allow plenty of room to fold the bottom husk up.
Place 1 slice of poblano pepper and cheese on the center of the dough. Do not over fill your tamale
Fold in one long side of the husk over the filling. Fold in the other long side, overlapping the first (like folding a brochure). Fold the bottom of the husk up. Repeat until you’re out of tamale dough
Cook on the stovetop or Instant Pot: Add water to the bottom of your steamer or Instant Pot (don’t fill above the steamer rack). Lay a few extra corn husks on the bottom rack to keep the tamales from falling through and any boiling water from directly touching them
Place tamales standing upright with their open end up, just tightly enough to keep them standing. If using a steamer pot, lay a few soaked corn husks or a wet towel over the top of the tamales while steaming
Bring water to boil, reduce to a simmer and steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour or longer. Check them after 45 minutes. Remove one and try to pull the husk off. If the husk pulls away cleanly from the tamale, they're done. If the dough is still sticky or wet looking, cook them for 5-10 minutes or longer
When tamales are cooked, serve hot with desired salsa. Have guests remove husk, top and enjoy
