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Pork Tamales without Lard

These delicious pork tamales without lard feature deliciously seasoned masa with tender pork and a homemade red chile sauce.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword pork tamales without lard
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings 45 tamales
Calories 168 kcal
Author Carissa

Ingredients

For the Meat and Chile Sauce

  • 7 lbs boneless pork butt cut into small chunks
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tbs vegetable oil plus more as needed
  • 8 guajillo chilies stems and seeds removed
  • 8 ancho chilies stems and seeds removed
  • 6 morita chilies stems and seeds removed
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 white onion
  • 4 tsp chicken bouillon
  • 1 tsp Mexican oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin

For the Masa

  • 5 cups Maseca for tamales
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 5 tsp chicken bouillon
  • 3 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup reserved red chile sauce
  • 2 cups vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • corn husks

Instructions

For the Meat and Sauce

  1. Heat up a skillet over medium heat. Once hot toast the chilies for about 15 seconds per side. Remove and set aside.

  2. Add the garlic and onion to the skillet and roast on all sides for around 5 to 8 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and the onion has charred a bit. Remove the garlic and onion from the skillet and set aside.

  3. Return the chilies to the skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat, cover and let soak for 20 minutes.

  4. Once cool enough to handle, peel the garlic cloves and add them to a blender along with the piece of onion, chicken bouillon, oregano and ground cumin.

  5. Transfer the soaked chilies to the blender as well as 1 1/2 cups of fresh water. Blend until smooth. Strain into a bowl and reserve 1 cup of chile sauce for the masa.

  6. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Heat up a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil. Once hot brown the pork in batches until golden and crispy, adding more oil as needed.

  7. Return all of the meat to the pot and add the chile sauce. Stir and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 2 hours or until tender. While the pork is cooking go ahead and soak the corn husks in hot water so they can soften.

  8. Uncover and let cook an additional 10 minutes just to reduce the sauce.

  9. Remove the pot from heat and let cool a bit. Shred with 2 forks and set aside.

Masa and Assembly

  1. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the Maseca, baking powder, chicken bouillon, ground cumin, garlic powder, and salt. Mix well.

  2. With the mixer on low, slowly add the water and reserved chile sauce. 

  3. Gradually add the oil and mix on medium speed for about 10 minutes until fluffy.

  4. Shake off the excess water on the corn husks. Working with one corn husk at a time spread a heaping spoonful of the masa onto the corn husk. Then add a heaping spoonful of the shredded pork to the center.

  5. Fold the sides of the husk inward and fold up the bottom to seal. Then repeat with the remaining corn husks and shredded pork.

  6. Stand the tamales upright in a steamer pot with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and steam for 1½ to 2 hours.

  7. To check for doneness, remove one tamal and let it rest for 10 minutes. If the husk peels away cleanly from the masa, they’re ready!