Recipes You'd Kill For...Part 1.

This recipe is for a large quantity (8-10 dozen) of tamales. If you don't want to make such a large quantity, you can figure out the numbers to make a smaller batch.

Tamales:

Pork Butt:
3-4 pounds boneless pork butt, trimmed of fat
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt

Masa:
5 pounds masa, also known as "cornmeal flour"
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 cup salt
4 cups vegetable shortening, softened
3-4 cups stock (eyeball it)

Chile Sauce:
10 dried red new Mexico chiles
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried cumin
1-2 cups stock (eyeball it)

2 packages dried Corn Husks, Place in a large bowl of hot water (1 hour) to soften. ----->
Black olives

Cook your pork butt in a large dutch oven or stock pot. Add peppercorns and salt. Add enough water to pot to cover pork butt by at least 2-3 inches. Let cook for about 2 hours. Remove from pot & let cool to room temp. DO NOT toss out the water (stock) from pot. You will need this for your masa & chile sauce. Once cooled, you can shred it by hand or in your blender or food processor, then set aside. To make your chile sauce, remove stems from chiles, and then toss out the seeds. Boil your chiles on the stove until softened, then place in a blender or food processor. Add your salt, cumin and 1 cup of your stock. Keep adding your stock a bit at a time until it looks like sauce. Set Aside. In a large pan, add your masa. Mix 1/4 cup water with your baking powder in a cup until it starts to fizz, then pour it evenly over masa. Add your salt, and then work the masa with your hands to mix it evenly. Melt 4 cups vegetable shortening, and 1/2 of your chile sauce, then pour over masa and knead masa with hands again. When it starts to feel thick like fudge, you know it's ready. Spread it flat in your pan, and set aside.

Grab your pan of pork that you just shredded. Add the rest of your chile sauce to it and make sure you mix it well. 

If you haven't already, make sure your corn husks are soft, but not soggy.

Make your assembly line, in this order, if possible: husks, masa, meat, olives, then to stove --->

Take one of your corn husks and using a spoon, spread a thin layer of the masa on it, but only on the widest part of the husk. Add a spoonful of meat, going down in a straight line. Add 1 black olive. Starting at a corner, roll your husk up and then fold the bottom up, and then tie with a piece of a smaller corn husk---->

To make your steamer for cooking your tamales, you can use just about anything. I took a large square pan, placed a smaller square baking pan inside, upside down, then put a cooling rack on top of it. Place your tamales on the rack, standing up in rows, until your pan is full. Either place a lid on it, or cover with foil wrap. Steam cook them for 1-1 1/2 hours. When eating, just unroll the husk and eat what's inside. DO NOT eat the husk! I have seen many people try to eat the husk.

And that's it! I hope you understand this recipe, as it's in my head and not on paper. Let me know how yours turns out!