Angie Delgado likes her tamale filling and corn dough to have a certain amount of toothsomeness. Rather than pulling the tender pork into shreds, as cooks commonly do, she cuts the pork into small cubes so that each bite yields a meatier burst of flavor. For the dough she favors home-ground masa, which has a coarser texture than the commercial variety. Make dough from just-ground fresh or frozen posole corn, which now can be found throughout much of the country. (See buenofoods.com for where to buy.) Dough made from freshly ground posole must be patted into the corn husks rather than smeared, as is done with masa made from dried corn. If you don’t have a home grinder like the one Larry Delgado inherited from his mother, he says the closest substitute is a food processor. However, a cast-iron “corn and wheat grinder” similar to Larry’s decades-old one can be found at sears.com for about $30. The family usually gets their ojas, or corn husks, from El Paisano Mexican market, on Santa Fe’s Cerrillos Road, but they’re found in all New Mexico supermarkets around the holidays, and Mexican markets always stock them.

FILLING

  • 5 to 6 pounds pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of surface fat and bones and cut into chunks to fit your kettle
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon salt, or more to taste
  • 3 cups Red Chile Caribe

MASA DOUGH

  • Two 2-pound bags Bueno fresh or frozen posole corn (do not use dried posole)
  • 2 cups lard, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon salt, or more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 to 1. cups meat broth (from filling)
  • 1-pound package dried corn husks (ojas) for tamales
  • Red Chile Sauce

Makes 6 to 7 dozen, depending on size

FOR THE FILLING

  1. In large stockpot or Dutch oven, sear pork over medium-high heat until it browns, and liquid accumulated from the meat has mostly evaporated. Stir in garlic and heat a couple of minutes. Pour in water to cover pork, and scrape mixture up from bottom to loosen browned bits. Sprinkle in half of salt, reduce heat to low simmer, and cook uncovered about 1¼ hours, or until tender.
  2. Strain broth from pork. Reserve pork and broth. Add water to broth as needed to make 1. cups liquid. When pork is cool enough to handle, cut into ½-inch cubes.
  3. Mix pork with red-chile caribe, adding more salt if you wish. Filling can be made a day ahead of tamale assembly and refrigerated.

FOR THE CORN HUSKS

  1. In deep bowl or baking pan, cover corn husks in hot water and soak 30 minutes; husks should be soft and pliable. Separate husks and, if needed, rinse under running water to wash away any grit or brown silks. Keep covered with water until ready to use.

FOR THE MASA DOUGH

  1. Rinse posole in several changes of cold water, rubbing it with your fingers until water is clear.
  2. Grind posole (OK if still partially frozen) finely in grain grinder, electric mixer with sausage-grinding attachment, or food processor (in batches).
  3. In large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed (or large, sturdy wooden spoon), mix together lard, salt, and baking powder. When creamed lard mixture is light and fluffy, combine with ground posole. Add broth and mix together with spoon or fingers, as needed, to get a soft consistency that holds together like cookie dough. While working, keep dough loosely covered. If it begins to get dry, add a little broth or water.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Use approximately equal amounts of prepared masa dough and filling. The Delgados use about 1 tablespoon of each, to make a rather small tamale.
  2. Form tamales one by one: Blot excess water off corn husk with clean dishtowel. Lay husk flat on work surface, smooth side up. Pat masa dough into ¼-inch–thick layer across husk, but not to edges. Top with filling spread more thickly through dough’s center, stopping short of dough’s edges. Fold long sides of husks into the center, which will wrap dough around filling. Make sure dough’s edges meet to enclose all of filling. Fold up pointed end of husk. Secure tamale by laying it folded side down. Repeat procedure until all filling and dough are used.
  3. If freezing tamales, do so now, then cook them straight from the freezer, as described in the next step.

COOKING THE TAMALES

  1. Place vegetable steamer in bottom of large pot. Pour in water almost up to bottom of steamer. Pack tamales loosely, standing them on their folded bottom ends. Leave enough space between them for steam to rise effectively. Cover pot and cook over simmering water about 45 minutes, or until masa is lightly firm and no longer sticks to corn husks. (If tamales are frozen, add 10 to 15 minutes to cooking time.) Unwrap one tamale to check consistency. If still doughy, rewrap it, return it to pot, and steam a few more minutes.
  2. Tamales should be eaten warm. Corn husks are usually left on when tamales are served unadorned, to be removed by each guest before eating. Then chile sauce can be added as desired. Alternatively, to plate tamales with sauce, remove husks and arrange tamales on plates or platter, then top with sauce.

This recipe originally appeared in "Feliz Navidad, NM Style" by Cheryl Alters Jamison.