Put the dried corn husks into a large bowl.

Dried corn husks · 20 piece

Large bowl

Pour enough hot water over the husks to submerge them completely.

Water · 1,500 ml

Large bowl

Weigh the husks down with a plate or heavy bowl and leave them to soak for at least 30 minutes, until they are pliable and no longer brittle.

Large bowl

Put the dried ancho chillies into a medium saucepan.

Dried ancho chillies · 4 piece

Medium saucepan

Add the dried guajillo chillies to the same pan.

Dried guajillo chillies · 3 piece

Medium saucepan

Pour in enough water to cover the chillies.

Water · 500 ml

Medium saucepan

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then remove from the heat and leave the chillies to steep in the hot water, off the heat, until completely soft and rehydrated.

Medium saucepan

Crush each garlic clove with the flat of the knife, then strip away and discard the skins.

Garlic · 4 clove

Chopping boardChefs knife

Halve the onion through the root, then peel away and discard the papery skin.

White onion · 1 piece

Chopping boardChefs knife

Roughly chop the peeled onion halves into large pieces.

Chopping boardChefs knife

Tip the roughly chopped onion into the blender.

Blender

Add the peeled garlic cloves to the blender.

Blender

Lift the steeped chillies out of the soaking liquid into the blender, reserving the soaking liquid.

Blender

Add the cumin seeds to the blender.

Cumin seeds · 1 tsp

Blender

Add the dried oregano to the blender.

Dried oregano · 1 tsp

Blender

Add the salt to the blender.

Salt · 0.5 tsp

Blender

Add a pinch of black pepper to the blender.

Ground black pepper · 1 pinch

Blender

Pour in some of the reserved chilli soaking liquid to help the blender run smoothly.

Water · 150 ml

Blender

Blend everything on high speed until you have a completely smooth, deep red sauce.

Blender

Put the pork shoulder into a large heavy-based saucepan as a whole piece.

Pork shoulder · 400 g

Large heavy based saucepan

Pour all of the chilli sauce over the pork.

Large heavy based saucepan

Add enough water to partially submerge the pork and loosen the sauce.

Water · 250 ml

Large heavy based saucepan

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer gently until the pork is completely tender and pulls apart easily.

Large heavy based saucepanPan lid

Lift the pork out of the sauce onto the chopping board, leaving all the braising sauce in the pan.

Chopping board

Use two forks to shred the pork into coarse, rough strands, discarding any large pieces of fat.

Chopping boardFork

Return the shredded pork to the pan with the braising sauce.

Large heavy based saucepan

Stir the shredded pork through the sauce until every strand is well coated and the filling is thick but still moist.

Large heavy based saucepanWooden spoon

Tip the masa harina into a large mixing bowl.

Masa harina · 400 g

Large mixing bowl

Add the baking powder to the bowl.

Baking powder · 1 tsp

Large mixing bowl

Add the salt to the bowl.

Salt · 0.5 tsp

Large mixing bowl

Stir the masa harina, baking powder and salt together until evenly combined.

Large mixing bowlWooden spoon

Add the lard to the dry masa mixture.

Lard · 120 g

Large mixing bowl

Work the lard into the masa with your fingertips, rubbing and pressing until the mixture resembles coarse, sandy crumbs with no large lumps of fat remaining.

Large mixing bowl

Pour in the warm chicken broth a little at a time, stirring as you go.

Large mixing bowl

Mix and knead the dough by hand until it is smooth, soft and holds together without cracking — it should feel like soft clay; if it cracks at the edges, work in a splash more chicken broth.

Large mixing bowl

Scrape the masa dough into a medium bowl and set it on the counter beside the soaked husks, ready for assembly.

Medium bowl

Spoon the pork filling into a small bowl and set it beside the masa and husks, ready for assembly.

Small bowl

Lift the soaked corn husks out of the water and lay them flat on the counter; pat each one dry with kitchen paper.

Kitchen counterKitchen paper

Working one husk at a time, spread about 40 g (2 heaped tablespoons) of masa dough about 5 mm thick across the wide end of the husk, leaving a 2 cm border at the sides and a 5 cm tail at the narrow end.

Kitchen counterSpatula

Spoon a line of pork filling down the centre of the masa on each spread husk, keeping it away from the borders.

Kitchen counterSpoon

Fold the long sides of each husk inward so the masa wraps snugly around the filling, then fold the narrow tail up to seal, and stand each finished tamale upright as you go.

Kitchen counter

Pour water into the bottom of a large stockpot fitted with a steamer basket, making sure the water sits just below the basket.

Water · 500 ml

Large stockpot

Stand the filled tamales upright in the steamer basket with their open ends facing up, packing them snugly so they support each other.

Steamer basket

Set the steamer basket into the stockpot.

Steamer basketLarge stockpot

Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and steam the tamales over a steady medium heat, checking the water level every 30 minutes and topping it up as needed, until the masa has set firm and pulls cleanly away from the husk.

Steamer basketPan lid

Using oven gloves, carefully lift the steamer basket out of the stockpot.

Steamer basketLarge stockpotOven glove

Leave the tamales to rest in the basket for 5 minutes so the masa firms up fully and they are easy to unwrap.

Steamer basket