This Is The Secret To The Most Flavorful Pork Tamales

When it comes to tamales, there are seemingly endless options for filling ingredients. Beans, shredded chicken, ground beef, veggies, and cheese all make great masa mix-ins. You can even make sweet dessert tamales by sweetening your masa dough and adding things like cream cheese and fruit. But if it's your first time making them, you may just want to go the traditional route and opt for simple but flavor-packed ingredients commonly used in Mexican cuisine. Pork tamales are a Mexican staple; the ingredient list is short, letting the meat and corn shine through with a few complementary aromatics and spices. Marc Marrone, Executive Chef at Arriba Abajo in Austin, Texas, shared some tips on how to make the best homemade pork tamales. "Using pork butt braised in salsa Roja for tamales makes a great flavor," he shared.

Salsa roja is a simple red Mexican salsa made primarily with ripe tomatoes, chilis, onion, garlic, and cilantro. Pork butt is a fatty cut of meat from the pig's shoulder; braising it gets it browned on all sides and then cooked in the salsa, making for tender and shreddable meat filled with flavor. It incorporates well into masa dough and is satisfying to eat in a tamale mixture.

Tamales are one of the world's oldest recipes, so it goes without saying that these steamed corn husks are well-loved by many. While you may think homemade tamales are difficult to prepare, they were invented in very basic home kitchens and have been made for centuries by home cooks, so there's no reason that you can't perfect them with practice. It helps to do some research beforehand, of course! Take Rick Martinez's tamale masa tips, for starters: Use warm water and always follow your corn flour packaging's water ratio rather than a specific recipe, as all flours are going to absorb liquid differently.

If you want to go above and beyond, you can dry out your own corn husks to use in tamales. Or, if you're in a pinch, you can even just cook your tamales in parchment paper rather than husks. Regardless of the option you choose, make sure you know the ideal way to eat a tamale: You can't eat the wrapper, and you most definitely should top the filling with things like salsa, guacamole, cilantro, some lime, and even Mexican crema.