Authentic Mexican Tamales Recipe

There is nothing like authentic Mexican cuisine, and if you're willing to spend some time in the kitchen, it definitely pays off when it comes to recipes from the region. Quicker is not always better when it comes to Mexican food — especially when it comes to these authentic Mexican tamales. So if you're ready to take your time and put some passion into a dish, this is definitely the recipe for you.

From start to finish, expect this recipe to take about six hours, which includes the prep and the cooking time. Your kitchen — if not your whole home — is going to smell absolutely incredible, and your taste buds will be thanking you in no time. This recipe comes from Tommy Leung, recipe developer and founder of frozen food company Gafell. The experienced chef put together this recipe based on classic tamale recipes, a dish that reportedly goes back as far as 7000 B.C.

If Mexican cuisine isn't traditionally in your repertoire, you'll probably need to head out to the grocery store to nab some must-have ingredients for this tasty dish. Just make sure you begin cooking early enough in the day to enjoy these authentic Mexican tamales later in the evening!

Some of what you'll need for this dish can be found in your cupboard, while some might require a trip to the store. For your dry ingredients, you'll need one pack of corn husks (about 40 wrappers), 4 cups of masa, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of cumin, and six large dried ancho chilis.

For the remaining ingredients, the recipe requires 8 ounces of lard, 3 cups vegetable stock, 18 ounces of cubed pork shoulder (pork collar also works here), six cloves of garlic (diced), one large onion (chopped), 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and one lime.

First things first: You need to soak the corn husks in water before you get your hands into anything else. They need to soak for at least an hour in warm water. A large stockpot or the kitchen sink will do just fine — you just might need to place something on top of the husks to make sure they are fully submerged.

Secondly, the ancho chilis also need to take an underwater dive. Soak the chilis in 2 cups of water for approximately 10 minutes, or until soft. When they're nice and soft, put them in a blender with the water they soaked in. Blend the mixture until it makes a smooth paste.

In a large pot on medium heat with the vegetable oil, sear the cubed pork shoulder on all sides, then add in your chopped onion and six cloves of minced garlic, and cook until the onions are golden. Add in the blended chilis, and slow cook the pork on low heat for approximately three hours. You'll know it's done when you're able to pull the meat apart easily with a fork.

When it's finished, remove the pork from the heat, and place it in a large tray. Shred the entire shoulder with a fork, and set off to the side.

Whisk the 8 ounces of lard in a stand mixer until it becomes light and fluffy. Then, add in the 4 cups of masa corn flour, 3 cups of vegetable stock, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of cumin powder until a smooth and wet dough forms.

By this time in your tamale journey, you can take your corn husks out of the water, and squeeze out any excess water. Separate them, and set them off to the side.

Spread a thin layer of your masa dough on the bottom ⅔ of the corn husks. Then, take a spoonful of the pork filling, and lay it on top of the dough, and spread it out. You'll now fold up the corn husks on both sides to seal in the meat filling. Fold up the bottom to close your tamale.

You're almost done! Stack the tamales vertically in a steamer basket, or you can put them in a large pot with a steamer insert. Fill up the pot with water just before it hits the steamer basket, and steam the tamales for about 1½ to 2 hours. They're done when the filling separates easily from the corn husk.

These are going to be quite toasty, so make sure and let them rest for about 20 minutes before serving. They'll still be nice and warm, and we suggest serving them with a wedge of lime. Feel free to add any other side items you might want to enjoy your tamales with, including pico de gallo, Mexican rice, or beans.