Red Chili Tamales

Ingredients

• Tamales
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless pork roast, cut into 1″ cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 4 oz. dried corn husks, separated
• 3 cups masa harina
• 1 1/2 tsp. no sodium baking powder
• 1 cup lard or vegetable shortening
• 1 3/4 cups New Mexican Red Chile Sauce, warm
• New Mexico Red Sauce
• 20-25 dried New Mexico Red Chile Pods (Walmart has this)
• 10-15 dried Chili de Arbol peppers (Walmart has this)
• 1 small onion
• 2 cups reserved water from cooking the peppers
• 8oz can No Sodium added Tomato Sauce
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp salt (omit if you want super loso)

Directions:

Tamales

Put pork, garlic and 8 cups water into a medium pot and simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered, until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, put husks into a large bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak until pliable, about 1 hour.

Transfer meat to a bowl, let cool briefly, then shred, discarding any fat, add ¼ cup Chile sauce, mix well and set aside.

Discard all but 3 cups of the broth.

Combine masa harina, baking powder in a medium bowl.

Add reserved warm broth and stir until a stiff dough begins to form.

Beat lard in the bowl of standing mixer fitted with a paddle on medium speed until fluffy, 1 minute.

Add dough and beat on medium speed until masa is smooth, 2–3 minutes.

Drain husks and set aside 20 of the largest leaves.

Place husks, curved side up, on a clean surface, the wide end nearest you.

Spread 1/4 cup masa across bottom third of husk, leaving a 1/2″ border at the wide end. Spread a scant tbsp.

Chile sauce over masa and spread 1 1/2 tbsp. meat on top.

Gather long sides of husk together and pinch along seam to ensure that masa encases the filling.

Fold husk in half crosswise.

Repeat process to make 20 tamales in all.

Place tamales upright, leaning them against one another, in the top of a steamer.

Place steamer over a pot of simmering water over medium heat, cover with a clean dish towel and cover with a lid. Steam until masa comes away from husk easily, about 1 hour.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes, then unwrap and serve in the husks, moistened with remaining Chile sauce.

Mexican Chili Sauce

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Arrange both chile pods on a cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes.

Flip chiles halfway through the roasting process.

After chiles have cooled to touch, remove stems and seeds by cutting with kitchen scissors. (leave some of the seeds if you want the sauce to be hot and spicy)

Add chiles and onion to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Strain the chiles and reserve 2 cups of water for blending

Carefully remove chiles and onion from pot and add to blender

Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

This sauce is used for just about anything you want. Dip some chips in it, put it on your eggs at breakfast or you can even use it as enchilada sauce.