Corn husks, for rolling the tamales
1¼ cups lard (duck fat, pork fat, chicken fat)
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons baking powder
3½ cups masa harina mixed with 2 cups warm chicken stock
1½ cups more chicken stock
1 cooked chicken (poached or rotisserie will work)
1 recipe SoFlo Salsa Verde
Aluminum foil
Soak corn husks in water for 24 hours prior to using.
In an electric mixer, whip the lard, salt and baking powder; add the masa little by little; whip for a couple minutes adding the chicken stock very little by little. Whip for an additional 10 minutes; test the mixture in a glass of water; if it floats you’re ready.
Remove the chicken meat from the bones, discard the bones and shred the meat into medium pieces. Mix into salsa verde a little at a time until the meat is barely juicy but well-coated.
To make the tamales. Remove two corn husks and blot dry. Lay them down slightly overlapping. Place 2-3 tablespoons of masa into the center of the husks and press down to flatten it to a 1/3 inch thick. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture into the center of the masa. Fold in the edges of the corn husks towards the center completely wrapping the masa and filling. Wrap the tamale in a square of aluminum foil, completely sealing the tamale. Continue until you’ve formed all of the masa into tamales.
Recommended Videos
To cook, place the tamales in a single layer in a steamer basket and steam covered, for 45 minutes until the masa is set and cooked through. Serve with the remaining Salsa Verde.