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1
Place corn husks in a large bowl or baking dish, cover completely with hot water, and weigh down with a plate or bowl to fully submerge.
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2
Soak until husks are very pliable, at least 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
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3
Drain, squeeze out excess water, and wipe dry.
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4
Heat lard or shortening in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted, about 2 minutes.
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5
Add onion, garlic, and salt and cook until vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes.
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6
Add beans and mash with the back of a spoon, leaving about half of the beans intact.
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7
Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to keep the beans from sticking, until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.
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8
Remove from heat, fold in cheese, and let cool slightly.
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9
Place a steamer basket in a large pot and fill the pot with enough water to reach the bottom of the steamer.
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10
Cover and bring the water to a simmer over low heat.
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11
Lay a corn husk on a clean work surface with the wide edge toward you (this is the bottom).
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12
Measure 1/4 cup masa dough and spread it 1/4 inch thick on the husk, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the bottom.
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13
Spread 1 tablespoon of the reserved filling down the center of the dough.
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14
Bring the two sides of the husk together until the dough meets over the filling.
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15
Wrap the husk over the dough, making sure you dont get any of the husk in between the dough and the filling.
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16
Fold the top of the husk (the empty, tapered edge) back over the filled husk to close.
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17
(If your husks are particularly small or they dont want to stay closed, use a bit of butchers twine to tie them closed.)
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18
Repeat to make 35 tamales.
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19
Arrange the tamales upright in the steamer with the open ends facing up.
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20
If your steamer is too big to hold all of the tamales snugly together, place a small heatproof bowl upside down in the center to stabilize the tamales.
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21
Cover and steam until the dough is set and no longer raw-tasting and the tamales pull away easily from the husks when unwrapped, about 1 1/2 hours.
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22
Turn the heat off and let the tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.
