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1
Preheat the oven to 350.
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2
In a 6-quart pot, cover the pork with the water.
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3
Add the garlic, bay leaves, onion, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming the surface once or twice.
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4
Cover and simmer the pork over low heat until cooked through, about 30 minutes.
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5
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a bowl and let cool, then finely chop.
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6
Reserve the broth; you should have about 7 1/2 cups.
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7
In a large bowl, combine the masa harina with the vegetable shortening, baking powder and the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt.
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8
Add 4 cups of the reserved broth and knead the masa with your hands until a soft, sticky dough forms.
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9
In a very large skillet, bring 3 cups of the reserved broth to a simmer over moderately low heat.
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10
Whisk in the mole until the sauce is smooth; whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of broth if the sauce seems too thick.
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11
Add the pork and simmer over moderately low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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12
With wet hands, spread a little less than half of the masa dough on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
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13
Spoon the pork mole on top.
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14
Cover with the remaining masa dough, spreading it to completely enclose the filling.
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15
Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour, or until the crust is puffed and set and the filling is bubbling.
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16
Remove the foil and bake the tamale for 15 minutes longer, or until golden.
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17
Let stand for 10 minutes, then serve with sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges and sliced scallions.
