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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
Bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat.
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5
Add chard and cook until just wilted, about 30 seconds.
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6
Drain (reserving 3 tablespoons of cooking liquid in a separate bowl) and squeeze out any excess liquid.
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7
Finely chop the chard; set aside.
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8
Place cilantro, onion, garlic, chiles, 1 tablespoon of the salt, and the reserved cooking liquid in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade and blend until smooth, stopping frequently to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula; set aside.
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9
Combine masa harina and water in a large bowl and mix with your hands until ingredients are evenly incorporated and dough is moist throughout; set aside.
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10
Combine lard or shortening and remaining 1 tablespoon salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on high speed until shiny and white in color, about 2 minutes.
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11
Reduce speed to medium high and add reserved dough in handfuls, letting it mix in before adding more, until all the dough has been added, about 2 minutes.
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12
Continue beating until ingredients are well combined and a smooth, soft dough has formed, about 1 minute more.
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13
Transfer dough to a large bowl, add reserved chard, cilantro mixture, and queso fresco and mix with your hands until all ingredients are just incorporated.
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14
Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
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15
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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16
Cover and bring the water to a simmer over low heat.
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17
Lay a corn husk on a clean work surface with the wide edge toward you (this is the bottom).
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18
Measure 1/3 cup dough and shape into a cylinder about 3 inches long and 1 inch in diameter.
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19
Lay dough lengthwise in the center of the husk, leaving about a 1/2-inch border at the bottom.
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20
Tightly close the left side of the husk over the filling and roll to the right as if rolling a cigar.
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21
Fold the top of the husk (the empty, tapered edge) back over the filled husk to close.
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22
(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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23
Repeat to make about 30 tamales.
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24
Arrange tamales upright in the steamer with the open ends facing up.
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25
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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26
Cover and steam until the dough is set, no longer raw-tasting, and pulls away easily from the husks when unwrapped, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
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27
Turn the heat off and let the tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.
