Real Homemade Tamales

I had been looking for a Tamale recipe for years. One day I went to the international market and stood in the Mexican aisle till a woman with a full cart came by. I just asked her if she knew how to make Tamales. This is her recipe with a few additions from me. The pork can be substituted with either chicken or beef. This is great served with refried beans and a salad.

Step: 1

Place pork into a Dutch oven with onion and garlic, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 2 hours.

Step: 2

Use rubber gloves to remove stems and seeds from the chile pods. Place chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. Transfer the chiles and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture, stir in salt, and set aside. Shred the cooked meat and mix in one cup of the chile sauce.

Step: 3

Soak the corn husks in a bowl of warm water. In a large bowl, beat the lard with a tablespoon of the broth until fluffy. Combine the

Step: 4

, baking powder and salt; stir into the lard mixture, adding more broth as necessary to form a spongy dough.

Step: 5

Spread the dough out over the corn husks to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Place one tablespoon of the meat filling into the center. Fold the sides of the husks in toward the center and place in a steamer. Steam for 1 hour.

Step: 6

Remove tamales from husks and drizzle remaining chile sauce over. Top with sour cream. For a creamy sauce, mix sour cream into the chile sauce.

Per Serving: 236 calories; protein 9.1g; carbohydrates 12.6g; fat 16.6g; cholesterol 36.8mg; sodium 401.4mg.

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Having the right kitchen tools is just as important as having the correct dishes menu . This includes everything from pots, pans, bowls and utensils to those essential items that are easy to forget, such as parchment paper and foil. Items like crunch bottles for adding the perfect drizzle or decoration to your dish and long tweezers to range smaller and thinner foods are a likely for any home chef.