Mexican · Dinner

Red chile pork tamales

Name: Red chile pork tamales
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 6 h 30 min
Yield: 30 tamales
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 30 large dried corn husks, plus extras for lining the steamer; 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3-inch pieces; 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 1/2 white onion; 5 garlic cloves, divided; 8 cups water; 8 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded; 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded; 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 2 tablespoons lard; 4 cups masa harina para tamales; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 1/2 cups room-temperature lard; 3 to 4 cups warm reserved pork broth

Corn-husk tamales with light lard-whipped masa and a juicy pork-shoulder filling bound in strained guajillo-ancho sauce.

About 6 hr 30 minTotal

About 5 hr 30 minActive

$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 30 tamales

Equipment

Any tall covered pot and secure rack work if upright tamales stay above the water.
Best first tamale steamer
IMUSA MEXICANA-420 20-Quart Tamale and Seafood Steamer
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Any tall covered pot and secure rack work if upright tamales stay above the water.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched upright batch capacity and water separation, then verified the 20-quart aluminum pot, removable insert, vented glass lid, MEXICANA-420 model and UPC identity, ownership burden, and exact Amazon destination. Kwilt has not steamed tamales in this pot.
IMUSA MEXICANA-420 20-Quart Tamale and Seafood Steamer: Its tall chamber lets the tamales stand upright above the water, and the removable insert, vented glass lid, and 20-quart capacity suit this recipe without the footprint of a commercial tamalera. Trade-off: The light aluminum body is bulky, is not induction compatible, and can dent or discolor; keep enough water below the insert without letting it touch the masa.
Another workable path: Use another tall stockpot with a secure steamer rack that keeps upright tamales above simmering water; leave room for steam circulation and monitor the water level.
Sources
IMUSA MEXICANA-420 model specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 30 tamales

30 large dried corn husks, plus extras for lining the steamer
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 white onion
5 garlic cloves, divided
8 cups water
8 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons lard
4 cups masa harina para tamales
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups room-temperature lard
3 to 4 cups warm reserved pork broth

Instructions

Cover husks with very hot water and weight them down for 45 minutes. Separately simmer pork with 1 teaspoon salt, onion, 3 garlic cloves, and 8 cups water until it reaches about 195°F and shreds easily, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Rest in broth, shred, and strain the broth.
Toast guajillo and ancho chiles briefly without blackening, soak in hot pork broth 20 minutes, then blend with remaining garlic, oregano, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups broth. Strain. Fry the sauce in 2 tablespoons lard until darkened, 10 minutes; mix 2 cups into the pork and simmer until moist but not runny.
Whisk masa harina, baking powder, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Beat 1 1/2 cups lard until pale and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Beat in dry mixture and 3 cups warm broth alternately, adding more broth until the masa spreads like soft hummus; beat 5 minutes more.
Drain and dry husks. Spread about 1/4 cup masa in a 5-by-4-inch rectangle on each smooth side, leaving the narrow end bare. Add 2 tablespoons filling down the center. Fold both long sides so masa meets around filling, then fold up the narrow end.
Line a and stand tamales open-end up without packing tightly. Steam over steadily simmering water that never touches them, covered, 75 to 90 minutes; add boiling water as needed.
Remove one tamal and rest it 5 minutes: it is done when the husk releases cleanly and the masa is set. Rest the whole batch uncovered 20 to 30 minutes before serving; reheat leftovers to 165°F.

MexicoMexican regional home cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Tamales are ancient Mesoamerican foods with hundreds of regional and household forms; tamal is singular and tamales plural. Red-chile pork is one widely loved branch and naturally suits the collaborative work of a tamalada rather than standing in for every tamal tradition.

Tamales are ancient Mesoamerican foods with hundreds of regional and household forms; tamal is singular and tamales plural. This red-chile pork version is one widely loved branch and works naturally as a communal tamalada project. The husk-release test after a short rest is more useful than relying on the folklore float test for masa. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Use the two strongest visible rating patterns to set the pork-sauce and whipped-masa method, replace ambiguous folklore with texture and release cues, and size the recipe for a manageable household tamalada.

Sources

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