Ingredients:

For the Batter:
10 ounces pork lard or vegetable shortening, slightly softened but not runny
2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 pounds masa harina mixed with 2 ¼ cups hot water
1 ½ cups chicken broth

For the Filling:
1 pound Mexican melting cheese (quesillo or asadero), grated,  OR 1 lb. Chevre Goat Cheese
6 ounces dried wild mushrooms or 1 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon dried epazote
salt and pepper

Method:

Preparing the corn husks:
1. Cover the husks with very hot water, keeping them submerged for about a couple of hours, until they are pliable.
2. For forming the tamales, it’s a good idea to choose the largest and most pliable husks – ones that are at least 6” across and 7” long. If you can’t find enough this size, overlap to give you a broad enough space for smearing the tamal batter.  Pat them dry.

Preparing the filling:
1. Slice the cheese thinly and set aside.
2. Slice the fresh mushrooms or soak the dried mushrooms in water until soft.�
3. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and chopped epazote. Stir and cover. Continue to stir every few minutes, replacing the cover each time, until the mushrooms have released their juices. Uncover and simmer until all the liquid has evaporated.  Taste and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Preparing the batter:
1. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the lard or shortening with the salt baking powder until light in texture, about 1 minute.  Continue beating as you add the masa harina in three additions.  Reduce the speed to medium-low and add 1 cup chicken broth.  Continue beating for another minute and add another ½ cup of broth to give the mixture the consistency of soft batter.  It should not be runny as it should hold its shape.  Taste the batter and season with additional salt if needed.

Making the tamales:
Smear a thin coating of the tamal dough over the broadest part of the husk, allowing for turning down about 1 ½ inches at the bottom broad part of the leaf and about 3 inches at the pointed top. For a good-sized tamal spread the dough over an area approximately 3 inches wide and 3 1/2 inches long.  Spread the filling down the middle of the dough. Fold the sides of the husk together firmly. Turn up the pointed end of the leaf and fold the broader end over it. Tear some of the husks lengthwise into narrow strips, and use one for tying each tamal across the top flap.The husks are water repellent, and since the dough is to be steamed, the idea is to form a water-tight package so that when the dough is cooked through it will be light and spongy. If moisture gets in it will be soggy.

Cooking the tamales:
1. The most convenient way to cook tamales is a conventional steamer.  Fill the bottom of the steamer with water up to the level indicated and bring to a boil.  Line the top of the steamer with corn husks, covering the bottom and sides well.  Stack the tamales upright, with the tied-down flaps upwards. For the best results, they should be packed firmly but not too tightly, because the husks swell out as the dough cooks.  Cover the tamales with more corn husks. Cover the top of the steamer with a thick cloth to absorb the condensation from the lid of the steamer. Cover the steamer with a tightly fitting lid.�
2. Let the tamales cook for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours over a medium flame. Keep the water bubbling, but not boiling violently. Keep a kettle of water simmering so that you can refill the steamer when necessary. To test the tamales for doneness, remove one from the center, and one from the side of the steamer. As you open the husks, the dough should come away easily from the husks and be completely smooth.

Serving and storing the tamales:
Once cooked, tamales are wonderful eaten right away, straight out of the husks, but they are also goof reheated by placing on an ungreased pan or griddle in their husks. They freeze beautifully and can be reheated by placing them in a 350° F oven still frozen, and heated through for about 30 minutes.

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