• 5 pounds winter squash (e.g. jester, butternut, red kuri) 
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
  • Salt and pepper, to taste 
  • 2 cups desired cheese, shredded or crumbled 
  • 1 cup green chile, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped  
  • 2 cups lard 
  • 6½ cups Maseca Tamal corn masa flour 
  • 2½ teaspoons salt 
  • 1 tablespoon (plus 2 teaspoons) baking powder 
  • 4½ cups warm water 
  • 2 dozen corn husks, plus a few more for steaming 

Makes about 2 dozen

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Halve squash, remove seeds, and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast cut-side down on a foil-lined sheet pan for about 45 minutes. Let cool, then scrape the roasted flesh into a bowl and mash until smooth.

  1. Mix cheese and green chile into squash mash. Season with salt and pepper.

  1. For dough: In a saucepan, melt lard. Set aside. In a big bowl, add tamale flour, salt, and baking powder, mix. Add warm lard slowly to the bowl with dry ingredients, mixing constantly. Add warm water slowly, mixing constantly, until dough is completely integrated, soft, and smooth.

  1. Soak husks in hot water for a few minutes, then drain (this makes them easier to fold).

  1. Spread a spoonful of masa thinly across the top two-thirds of each husk, keeping the bottom skinny side bare for folding.

  1. Add about 2 tablespoons of the filling in a centered strip. Fold the bottom up and fold the sides together and tie with a thin strip of corn husk.

  1. Place a steamer basket in a large pot with 1 inch of water. Layer tamales in a pyramid, cover with extra husks and lid, and steam, refilling water as needed. After 45 minutes, test doneness. The husk should pull away cleanly and the masa firm but spongy.