Christmas Tamales — Because the Tradition Goes On

Christmas in Las Cruces. The tamale production started Christmas Eve morning and ran until eleven PM. Gloria had everything ready: the masa, the red chile pork, the green chile chicken, the corn husks that had been soaking since Thursday. Miguel brought his family. Patricia and Gilbert came. Gabby and Ray drove up from Albuquerque. Marisol came with Alejandro, who is two and a half and running everywhere and who spent the afternoon under the table collecting fallen corn husks with the serious focus of a botanist cataloguing specimens.

The tamale production was different this year. Quieter in some places. Louder in others, maybe trying to fill the quiet. Ruben's absence was a specific shape in the room — he had a role in the production, the loud one, the one who spread masa too thick and argued about it, the one who ate two uncooked tamales on a dare at age sixteen because someone said they were good raw. He wasn't there. We made tamales anyway. We have always made tamales anyway. This is the Medina response to loss: we cook the thing we always cook, we sit at the table we always sit at, and the absence is there at the table with us, and we feed it too, and that is how we carry it.

Alejandro helped. He's too young to know what he's doing but my mother put a small ball of masa in his hands and showed him how to pat it flat and he did it with great concentration. Marisol watched from across the table with an expression I don't have words for. I looked at my mother and she was watching Alejandro with the same expression. The boy is two and a half and he was making tamales and Ruben was thirty-two years old when he died and the tradition goes on because that's what traditions do and that is why they exist.

Christmas Day: tamales, posole, calabacitas, my father's brisket (his rub, still secret), three pies. The table was too small and nobody cared. The food was right. The light over the Organ Mountains at sunset was exactly what it always is.

This is the recipe we made that night—the red chile pork, Ruben’s favorite, the one he’d eat too thick and half-raw if you let him. My mother’s hands showed Alejandro how to pat the masa flat and I watched her and thought: this is how it survives, this recipe, this family. You put it in someone’s hands. So here it is, in yours.

Christmas Tamales (Red Chile Pork)

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 5 hours | Servings: approximately 40 tamales

Ingredients

For the Red Chile Pork Filling:

• 3 pounds pork shoulder (bone-in), trimmed of excess fat
• 8 dried New Mexico red chile pods, stems and seeds removed
• 4 dried guajillo chile pods, stems and seeds removed
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 cups reserved pork broth

For the Masa:

• 4 cups masa harina (such as Maseca for tamales)
• 1 cup lard (or a mix of lard and butter), at room temperature
• 2-1/2 to 3 cups warm pork broth (reserved from cooking the pork)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt

For Assembly:

• 1 package dried corn husks (about 40-50), soaked in warm water for at least 2 hours

Instructions

1. Cook the pork. Place pork shoulder in a large pot and cover with water. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the pork is fall-apart tender, about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Remove pork and reserve the broth. Shred the pork into small pieces, discarding fat and bone.
2. Toast and rehydrate the chiles. While the pork cooks, heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the dried chile pods for about 30 seconds per side until fragrant—do not burn them. Place toasted chiles in a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 20 to 30 minutes until soft.
3. Make the red chile sauce. Drain the softened chiles and place them in a blender with the garlic, cumin, oregano, and 1 cup of the reserved pork broth. Blend until very smooth. In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of lard over medium heat. Add the flour and stir for one minute. Pour in the chile sauce through a fine mesh strainer, pressing with a spoon to remove skins. Add another cup of pork broth and salt to taste. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Combine the sauce with the shredded pork and stir well. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Prepare the masa. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the lard on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the lard in batches, alternating with the warm pork broth, mixing on medium speed until a soft, spreadable dough forms. The masa is ready when a small ball of it floats in a glass of water. If it sinks, beat for another minute or two.
5. Assemble the tamales. Drain the corn husks and pat dry. Take a large husk and spread about 2 tablespoons of masa in a thin, even layer over the wide end, leaving a 1-inch border on the sides and the narrow bottom open. Place about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the pork filling down the center. Fold one side of the husk over the filling, then the other side. Fold the narrow bottom up. Place seam-side down or tie with a strip of corn husk.
6. Steam the tamales. Place a steamer basket or rack in a large pot. Add water to just below the basket. Stand the tamales upright in the pot with the open ends facing up, packing them snugly so they support each other. Cover the tops with extra corn husks and a damp towel, then place the lid on tightly. Steam over medium heat for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, checking the water level occasionally and adding more hot water as needed. Tamales are done when the masa pulls away cleanly from the husk.
7. Rest and serve. Turn off the heat and let the tamales rest in the pot for 10 minutes before serving. This helps the masa firm up. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving, 2 tamales)

Calories: 340 | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 480mg