Dough:
2 cups instant grits
2 cups masa harina
4 cups canned (and drained) hominy
4 tsp. salt
2 TBS baking powder
2 cups lard or butter, room temperature
2 cups boiling chicken broth
48 dried corn husks, soaked to soften
Sauce:
8 – 12 dried red chili pods
1 TBS lard, bacon fat, or oil
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cloves
1 cup chicken or beef stock
Filling:
2 pounds boneless pork butt, chicken, or beef
5 cups water
1/2 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
salt
16 peppercorns
One and 1/3 cup sauce
Trim fat from meat. Cut meat in chunks and place in a large saucepan. Add water, onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt to taste, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, skimming foam from surface, reduce heat to simmer. Cover and simmer one hour. Drain meat, reserving liquid for dough and sauce. With two forks, shred meat and mix with sauce. Refrigerate meat mixture and reserved broth overnight if possible.
Wash chiles thoroughly. Place in a large saucepan and cover generously with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand 45 minutes or until softened. Drain chiles reserving liquid. Place chiles and 1 cup stock in blender or food processor. Process until puréed. Turn into sieve and rub through sieve in bowl to remove bits of peel (or toast dried chiles lightly in a skillet or in a 250 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Under running cold water, remove their stems and all seeds. Boil and soak as before) Melt the lard in a skillet, stir in the garlic and remaining seasonings, and heat 2 to 3 minutes. Add chili purée and simmer 5 to 10 minutes to blend flavors. Use reserved chile liquid if needed to thin sauce. ( Makes about 2 cups )
Grind the instant grits as finely as possible in a blender or processor and mix them with the masa harina. Process the canned hominy with the salt and baking powder to make a smooth purée and add to the masa. Whip the lard separately until it is light and fluffy. Add to the hominy mixture and beat well. Gradually add the broth until the liquid is all absorbed. Flatten a cornhusk. Spread about 2
TBS of the dough in a square in the middle, leaving about 2 inches at the top and bottom of the husk and an inch at each side. Place a tablespoon of filling on the dough and enclose it by rolling one edge of the husk over the other. Fold the broad end of the husk down over the middle. The top should be open. Stand tamales in a steamer and cover with extra husks. Cover the pan with a lid and steam 2 to 3 hours. Serve hot with the remaining sauce to dip the tamales in once they are unwrapped. You can freeze leftover tamales in their husks and reheat them in a microwave, or even better, but steaming them again until heated through. Makes about 36 tamales.
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