Tamales de Rajas con Queso

• 20 dried corn husks, large
• 500 g fresh masa para tamales
• 150 g lard, room temperature
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 120 ml chicken broth, warm
• 4 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips
• 250 g Oaxaca cheese, pulled into thin strips
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• 3 roma tomatoes, charred on the comal
• 2 cloves garlic, roasted and mashed
• 2 guajillo chiles, toasted, stemmed, and seeded
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• sea salt, to taste

1. 1

   Soak the corn husks in hot water for at least 30 minutes, weighing them down with a plate so they stay submerged. They need to be fully pliable before you spread masa on them, or they'll crack when you fold.

2. 2

   Toast the guajillo chiles on a hot, dry comal for about 15 seconds per side — just until they darken and release their scent. If they start to smoke you've gone too far; burnt guajillos turn bitter and ruin the whole salsa.

3. 3

   Char the poblanos directly over the flame or on the comal until the skin is blistered and mostly black on all sides. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate, and let them sweat for 10 minutes. Peel off the skin, pull out the stems and seeds, and cut the flesh into thin strips — the rajas.

4. 4

   Char the roma tomatoes and the unpeeled garlic on the comal until the tomatoes are soft and blackened in patches. Peel the garlic and mash it. Blend the tomatoes, garlic, and toasted guajillos with a pinch of salt until smooth.

5. 5

   Heat the oil in a pan and add the blended salsa. Let it cook at a steady bubble for about 8 minutes until it thickens and darkens slightly. Stir in the rajas and the sliced onion, cook for 3 more minutes, then taste for salt and set aside to cool. This rajas mixture should be moist but not watery.

6. 6

   Beat the lard in a large bowl with the baking powder and salt until it's pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes by hand or 2 with a mixer. Add the fresh masa and work it in thoroughly, then pour in the warm broth a little at a time, beating until the dough is soft and spreadable. The classic test: drop a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water — if it floats, it's ready. If it sinks, keep beating.

7. 7

   Take a soaked husk, pat it dry, and spread about 2 tablespoons of masa in a rectangle on the wider end, leaving borders around the edges. Lay a few strips of Oaxaca cheese down the center, then spoon a line of the cooled rajas mixture over the cheese. Fold one long side over the filling, then the other, and fold the narrow end up. The husk should enclose the tamal loosely — the masa needs room to expand as it steams.

8. 8

   Arrange the tamales standing upright in a steamer pot, open ends up, packed snugly enough that they hold each other but not so tight that steam can't circulate. Cover them with a layer of leftover soaked husks and a lid. Steam over steady medium heat for 75 to 90 minutes. Keep water in the bottom of the pot — if it runs dry you'll scorch the tamales and they'll taste burnt, so check every 30 minutes and add hot water as needed.

9. 9

   To know they're done, peel one husk back slightly: the masa should pull away cleanly from the husk and feel firm and tender, not raw or doughy in the center. Let them rest in the covered steamer off the heat for 10 minutes before serving — this sets the texture.

10. 10

    Serve hot, straight in the husk, with any leftover rajas salsa spooned on top. The salsa makes the dish.

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