Step 1

Place the clean peppers in a medium size saucepan along with 3 cups of water. Turn the heat to medium high. Once the water comes to a boil, turn the heat off and let the peppers soak in that water for 15 minutes. This will allow the peppers to soften. In case they still don’t look soft after the 15 minutes, leave them in for another 5 minutes.

Step 2

While the peppers are soaking, season the ground beef with salt and pepper and mix well. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet at medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meat and fry it at medium heat. Cook the meat for about 5 minutes, then stir in the chopped onion and minced garlic. Keep cooking for 1 more minute.

Step 3

Cooking ground beef with dried pepper sauce for Authentic Mexican Tamales.

Step 4

Add the diced carrots to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes. After that time, stir in the potatoes and keep cooking for about 8 more minutes

Step 5

At this time, remove the peppers from the soaking water and place them in your blender with ½ cup of the soaking water or clean water. Process the peppers and water until you have a smooth sauce.

Step 6

Using a strainer, pour the sauce into the skillet. The strainer will catch the leftover bits and pieces from the pepper skins. Stir and check the sauce for seasoning, and add salt if needed. Keep cooking for about 5 more minutes, until the vegetables are cooked. Make sure you do not overcook the vegetables, since they will keep cooking when you steam the tamales. Make sure that the potatoes still have some shape to them, otherwise they will disintegrate when you cook the tamales.

Step 7

Take the husks out from their package, separate them, and remove any corn silk that they might have on them. Inspect the husks and discard any that are damaged or have holes in them.

Step 8

Place the husks in a warm bath of hot or warm water to soak for 30 minutes. You can do this in a large pot, a large bowl, or in your kitchen sink. This step will help to soften the husks so that they are pliable when you’re assembling the tamales.

Step 9

In a large bowl, beat the lard until it changes to a lighter color. You can do this step with your mixer or by hand.

Step 10

Slowly add the corn masa harina, and then add the chicken broth. Mix well, taste, and season with salt. Beat until all the ingredients are well combined and the dough is light and spongy.

Step 11

Remove the husks from their warm water, then shake them dry or dry them with a kitchen towel. You want to remove any excess water they might have.

Step 12

Place one cornhusk on your work surface, with the wide end facing towards you. Spread about 2-3 tablespoons of dough in the center, but closer to the bottom of the cornhusk. Use a spoon or plastic spatula to spread the dough out evenly.

Step 13

Top with 2 tablespoons of the ground beef filling in the center of the dough. Fold one side of the husk towards the center, then fold the other side towards the center, too. Finally, fold the narrow end towards the center. Repeat this process with remaining husks, dough, and filling.

Step 14

Place the tamales on a tray while you’re finishing up with the rest of the assembly process.

Step 15

To get your pot ready for steaming, add 3 cups of hot water into the pot and place the steamer rack inside.

Step 16

Place a layer of cornhusks on the steamer rack, then place the tamales on top of that in a standing position. Next, cover the tamales with another layer of the cornhusks and a dish towel. Finally, place the lid on the pot.

Step 17

Steam the tamales over medium heat for about 60 minutes, or until the corn husk easily separates from the dough (you’ll have to pull a tamale out of the pot to test this). During the steaming time, check the steamer to see if it needs more water (be careful when removing the lid). When the tamales are done, wait for 10 minutes so that the dough can firm up. Serve the tamales while still hot.