From Bobbie's original dinner cards
A recipe keepsake from Bobbie's Kitchen
Authentic Mexican Pork Tamales
Bold flavour, tender and juicy — a labour of love, and a tradition that fills more than plates.
Bobbie's tips: use pork broth instead of plain water for deeper flavour; adjust the chile de árbol for more or less heat; the flour and broth mixture helps create a rich, smooth sauce; taste and adjust the seasoning as you go; if it's hard to shred, the meat needs more time; for the best flavour, let the tamales rest after steaming — they're even better the next day. This recipe makes about 56 tamales using 9 lbs of masa.
Ingredients
Meat (pork)
- 4 lbs pork leg (trozo de pierna de puerco)
Meat boil
- 1 large onion, whole
- 1 whole head of garlic
- 2 tbsp salt
- Water (enough to cover the meat)
Marinade for 9 lbs of masa
- 20 chile puya
- 2 whole heads of garlic
- 2 tbsp oil
- 30 peppercorns
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 cup water (or 1 cup of the pork broth)
- If using more or less than 9 lbs of masa, adjust the recipe: double for more, or cut in half for less.
Chile sauce for the filling
- 8 guajillo chiles
- 5 California chiles
- 10 puya chiles
- 4–5 chile de árbol (adjust for spice)
- 7–8 garlic cloves
- 1½ cups pork broth
- Thick slice of onion
- 1 tsp cumin (add more if needed)
- Salt (start with 1 tbsp, add more if needed)
- Bouillon (start with 1 tsp, add more if needed)
- 1 tbsp oil
To thicken the sauce
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups pork broth
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Method
- 1
Cook the pork: in a large pot, add 4 lbs of pork, 1 whole onion, 1 head of garlic and 2 tbsp salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the meat is falling apart and easily shredded.
- 2
Shred the meat: remove the meat from the broth, let it cool slightly, and shred. Set aside and keep the broth.
- 3
Prepare the marinade (for 9 lbs masa): in a blender, combine 20 puya chiles, 2 heads of garlic, 2 tbsp oil, 30 peppercorns, 2 tbsp salt and 1 cup of water (or pork broth). Blend until smooth.
- 4
Hydrate the chiles for the sauce: wash and dry 8 guajillo, 5 California, 10 puya and 4–5 chile de árbol chiles. Remove the stems and seeds. Place in hot pork broth and let them soak for 10–15 minutes until soft.
- 5
Blend the chile sauce: in a blender, add the hydrated chiles, 7–8 garlic cloves, 1½ cups pork broth, a thick slice of onion, 1 tsp cumin, salt and bouillon. Blend until smooth.
- 6
Cook the sauce: in a pot, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add the blended chile sauce and let it simmer. In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp flour with 2 cups pork broth until smooth (milky consistency). Slowly add to the sauce while stirring. Simmer until lightly boiling and thickened. Adjust the salt, cumin and bouillon to taste.
- 7
Combine: add the shredded pork to the sauce. Stir well and let the meat absorb the flavour. Simmer a few minutes.
- 8
Assemble the tamales: spread prepared masa on a corn husk, add the pork filling, fold, and steam until cooked (about 1–1½ hours).
Get this in a pack
Authentic Mexican Pork Tamales is printed in A Month of Family Dinners
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From Bobbie's “Bobbie's Dinner Recipes”. Written up by Bobbie's Kitchen · Updated 26 October 2026