Add the pork, onion, garlic, bay leaves, water and salt to a large stock pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 4-5 hours or until meat is tender and falls apart easily.

Remove meat from pot and transfer to a large bowl and shred with two forks. Or when cool use your hands to shred.

Strain the broth and when cool place in the refrigerator.

Skim the fat off from the broth.

Toast chiles in a skillet over medium heat. (about 25 seconds)

Toast garlic and onion.

Transfer chiles, garlic and onion to a pot with about 6-7 cups of warm water and bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Simmer for about 10 min or until chiles are soft.

Transfer contents to a blender with about 5 cups of the water from the chiles.

Blend for 1 minute (Do this in 2 batches).

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a pot over medium heat and when hot strain the chile sauce into the pot. stir, cover and cook over medium low for about 15 min. Season well with salt.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the sauce for the masa

Add the shredded pork to the chile sauce and stir well.

Soak the corn husks in hot water for 1 hour

In a large bowl add the Maseca, baking powder and salt in a bowl and mix well.

Add the broth and chile sauce to the Maseca and mix well making sure the dough is moist.

In another bowl beat the lard with a mixer until it is fluffy. (a couple minutes)

Add the masa to the lard and continue to beat for 3 min

Spread a heaping tbsp of masa over the corn husks.

Add a heaping tbsp of the pork onto the masa.

Fold each side of the husk and then fold the bottom part of the husk up

Fill the steamer with water then put the steamer insert in and add the tamales standing up.

Bring the water in the steamer to a boil and lower it to medium low.

Cover and cook for 1 hour.