Casa M Ultimate Pork Tamales.
Slow-cooked pork shreds wrapped in hand-rolled corn husks, salsa verde built from scratch, nothing shortcuts
Slow-cooked pork shreds wrapped in hand-rolled corn husks, salsa verde built from scratch, nothing shortcuts
Method
-
01
Season and slow-cook pork for 4-6 hours
300 minCook until falling apart; can be done up to 2 days ahead.
-
02
Pull pork and reserve 1 cup liquid
10 minCan refrigerate after this step.
-
03
Prepare Casa M Salsa Verde with chicken base
20 minCan be made ahead and refrigerated.
-
04
Mix masa with lard and pork liquid until smooth
8 minAdjust consistency and salt to taste.
-
05
Assemble all tamales with masa and pork
45 min48 tamales from 5 lbs masa and 4 lbs pork.
-
06
Fill steamer halfway and bring to rolling boil
10 minYou want a vigorous, rolling boil — not a gentle simmer — so the steam chamber stays hot and consistent throughout the cook time.
-
07
Steam tamales at medium heat for 45-60 min
50 minCheck at 30 min; masa should be fully set.
-
08
Cool tamales on baking sheet before serving
10 minRefrigerate or freeze leftovers.
From Mike's Notebook
The pork liquid in your masa isn't just moisture—it carries collagen and salt that make the tamale tender and flavorful.
Corn husks need to soak while your pork cooks; wet ones won't stick to themselves when you fold.
Steam at medium heat, not high—rolling boil only; high heat dries out the tamales before the masa sets.