Ingredients
Masa
- 2.2 lb fresh white nixtamalized masa 1,000 g, plain, with no added salt or fat
- 8.8 oz lard 250 g, softened
- 2.8 oz fresh chipilín leaves 80 g after removing tough stems, washing and draining
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp warm water 200 ml, added gradually
- 1 1/2 tsp double-acting baking powder 6 g
- 1 1/3 tsp fine salt 8 g
Wrapping
- 16 large dried corn husks plus extras for covering the pot
Equipment
- Steamer with rack and lid
- large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Kitchen scale
- Instant-read thermometer
Instructions
Prepare leaves and dough
- Soak the corn husks in hot water for 20–30 minutes, until flexible; drain. Wash food-grade chipilín, remove tough stems and weigh 80 g of drained leaves.
- Beat the softened lard for about 5 minutes until lighter. Add the masa in pieces, the baking powder and salt. Beat in the water gradually until the dough spreads easily but does not run off the husk. Fold in the chipilín evenly.
Wrap and steam
- Divide into sixteen portions. Spread each portion on the broad part of a husk with a margin along the sides. Fold both long sides over the dough, then fold the narrow bottom upward, leaving the top open.
- Stand the tamales open-end up on a rack above the steamer water. Leave space for steam. Cover with spare husks and the lid.
- Once steady steam rises, cook for 60–75 minutes. Check the water level and add hot water carefully at the side as needed. Rest one test tamal for 5 minutes; it should release from its husk and have a cooked center. Continue in 10-minute intervals if necessary.
- Rest the finished batch for 20 minutes. Remove the husks before eating and offer salsa separately if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 tamal (1/16 batch)Calories: 240.2kcalProtein: 2.5gFat: 16.9gFiber: 2.2gCalcium: 85.8mgIron: 1.3mg
Notes
US measures are approximate; the listed gram weights define this formula. Use fresh, plain moist masa, not the same weight of dry flour. Buy identified food-grade chipilín; do not gather unfamiliar plants by resemblance. Dried chipilín and banana-leaf variants require their own adjustments. This lard-based recipe is not vegetarian.
Estimated nutrition is for one of sixteen tamales without salsa, using white moist masa from INCMNSZ 2015 p. 49, cleaned raw chipilín from INCAP record 11068, and USDA SR Legacy lard, salt and double-acting baking powder. Comparable energy, protein, fat, fiber, calcium and iron are reported. Carbohydrate definitions differ between sources, and sodium, sugar, fatty-acid fractions, cholesterol and vitamins lack complete matching data; omitted values do not mean zero. Refrigerate promptly at 40°F or below for 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F.
