Authentic Tex-Mex Pork Tamales

Authentic Tex-Mex Pork Tamales

These tamales are a labor of love and a Texas favorite — tender pork slow-cooked in red chile, wrapped in fluffy masa dough, and steamed until perfect. It takes some time, but the payoff is huge. Great for celebrations, family cooking days, or whenever you want something special!

Prep Time

90 minutes

Cook Time

4 hours

Servings

4

Category

Pork

Ingredients

• 2 ½ lbs REP Pork Shoulder (cut into large 4-inch chunks)
• Guajillo Chiles, rinsed, stemmed and seeded (~3oz)
• Ancho Chiles, rinsed, stemmed and seeded (~3oz)
• Water (for soaking the chiles & blending)
• 1 ½ tsp Garlic Powder
• 3 tsp Ground Cumin
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Bay Leaf
• ~8 ¼ cups Masa Harina
• 1 ¾ tbsp Fine Salt
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder
• 1 ¾ cups Neutral Oil - Avocado (or you can use lard for a more traditional taste)
• ~7 cups Broth (chicken, pork or vegetable) plus more if needed
• ~50 Dried Corn Husks, soaked in hot water

Directions

1. Soak corn husks. Soak them in hot water for about 1 hour so they soften and don’t crack when folding.
2. Make the red chile sauce. Soak the guajillo and ancho chiles in hot water until softened. Blend them with some of the soaked water, garlic powder, salt, and cumin. If needed, strain out solids to get a smooth sauce.
3. Cook the pork. Season the pasture-raised pork with salt, then brown (sear) it in batches. Once browned, add red chile sauce and the bay leaf. Cover and simmer for about 2½ hours until the meat falls apart easily.
4. Make the masa. In a large bowl, mix masa harina, salt, baking powder. Add oil (or lard) and mush it together with your hands until it feels kind of like wet sand. Then stir in the broth and keep mixing until the dough is soft and spreadable but holds shape (think thick hummus consistency).
5. Prep husks & assemble. Drain and dry your husks. Lay them smooth-side up. Spread a thin layer of masa on the bottom half of each husk. Add a spoonful (1-2 Tbsp) of pork filling down the center. Fold the long sides in, then fold the pointy end up so only one side is open.
6. Steam them. Arrange the tamales standing up (open side up) in a large steamer. Cover tightly, bring water to boil, then reduce to a simmer. Steam for about 2½ hours (if using oil in masa). If you made masa with lard, steaming time is a bit shorter.
7. Test for doneness. One tamal is done when the husk peels away easily from the masa. If it still sticks or feels doughy, steam a little longer.
8. Rest & serve. Let them rest for 10 minutes after steaming—this helps them set so they don’t fall apart when unwrapped. Then unwrap and enjoy!