Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 6 medium guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 medium ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 chiles de arbol, stemmed and seeded
4 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 white onion, quartered
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
2 Cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or boneless breast, or pork.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Basic Tamale Dough
3 dozen dried corn husks, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
6 ounces dried cornhusks (40 to 45)
1 pound (2 Cups) cold Fresh Lard or 3/4 lb. (1 1/2 cups) hydrogenated lard
5 Cups masa harina, such as Maseca
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 Cups hot chicken broth (reduced-sodium or homemade)
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Directions: |
Directions:Combine all the dried chiles in a large Dutch oven or cast iron skillet and cook over medium-high heat, flipping chiles frequently, until slightly darkened and aromatic, about 3 minutes.
Transfer chiles to a medium saucepan and cover with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer until chiles are very soft, about 20 minutes. Strain chiles through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Transfer chilies and 1 cup of steeping liquid to the jar of a blender.
Add garlic, onion and cumin and puree until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, push sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Discard solids in strainer.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add red chili sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Nestle chicken in sauce, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook about 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and let stand until cool enough to handle, then shred by hand or using two forks.
While chicken is cooling, increase heat to medium-high and let sauce boil until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then season with salt and pepper. Add shredded chicken to sauce and stir to combine, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Set aside.
Soak cornhusks: Submerge in hot water, weighted down with a plate, until pliable, about 30 minutes. You'll have extra, but that's good; invariably some rip or are too ridged to fold properly.
Make dough: Using a mixer with the whisk attachment, whip lard on low speed, then increase to high, until lard is as fluffy as frosting, about 5 minutes.
Put masa harina in a large bowl, sift in baking powder, and whisk in salt. With mixer on low speed, beat one-third of masa mixture into lard until fully incorporated (scrape beater and bowl at least once), then beat in one-third more. With mixer still on low, drizzle in broth so it doesn't splatter, and beat 5 minutes to hydrate masa mixture (it will thicken).
Beat in remaining one-third masa mixture, a spoonful at a time, until incorporated and dough is soft and fluffy without being sticky (you may not need all the masa mixture). Test dough by rolling a small ball of it over the back of your hand; if it rolls easily, without sticking, you've added enough.
Cover dough with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour, or chill up to 2 days.
Meanwhile, drain cornhusks and pat dry with a kitchen towel. If you won't be using them immediately, chill them in resealable plastic bags for up to 2 days.
Put 4 upturned ramekins in a 10- to 12-qt. stockpot equipped with a tight-fitting lid and set a steamer basket on top. Pour in water to a depth of at least 1 1/2 inches but below the steamer basket level. Repeat with a second stockpot. (Or use 1 pot, but cook half the tamales at a time.)
Fill tamales: Set a cornhusk on a work surface, smoother side up (or hold it in your hand), and dollop 2 to 2 1/2 Tablespoons dough onto wide (top) half of husk. Smear with back of a soup spoon or your fingers until about 1/4 in. thick, leaving a 1-in. border along top and sides. Fill by spooning 1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons filling down center of dough. Bring sides of husk to meet over filling, then fold both sides over filling in the same direction.
As you work, set tamales upright (open ends up) in steamer baskets of pots, packing them loosely. Or, if you don't have enough room on your work surface, put them in baking pans or some other container with sides, arranging them upright; then transfer them to pots on stove.
Cover pots with foil (or a thin kitchen towel) and lids, which must fit tightly to keep the steam in. Bring pots to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high to maintain a steady boil. Steam tamales vigorously until easily separated from husks but still somewhat soft (open one to check), 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding hot water to pot every 20 minutes or so. Remove pot from heat, remove lid and foil, and let tamales cool in pot 20 minutes, uncovered, to firm up
Make ahead: Dough, up to 2 days, chilled airtight; soaked cornhusks, up to 2 days, chilled. Cooked tamales keep for 1 week chilled and up to 2 months frozen. To reheat, steam or microwave, covered with a damp kitchen towel. |
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