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1
Make the sauce and the filling: Preheat the oven to 400F.
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2
Place the tomatillos and chiles on a baking sheet and roast until they are soft and charred in spots, about 20 minutes.
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3
Once they are cool enough to handle, pick off or rub off the patches of charred skin as best you can.
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4
Trim the tomatillos and the peppers of their firmer stem ends.
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5
For less heat, core and seed the chiles.
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6
Pulse the onion, garlic, and roasted tomatillos and chiles in a food processor until the mixture is light and pulpy.
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7
Add the cilantro and salt and pulse once or twice to combine.
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8
There will be about 1 1/2 cups of sauce.
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9
Melt the lard in a small pot over high heat.
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10
Carefully and quickly pour in the tomatillo sauce.
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11
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and darkens in color, about 8 minutes.
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12
(You can also make the sauce in advance and keep it refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.)
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13
Pour half of the cooked tomatillo sauce into a small bowl and set aside to cool.
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14
Mix the chicken into the sauce that remains simmering in the pot and cook for 3 minutes longer.
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15
Remove from the heat, scoop into a medium bowl, and set aside to cool.
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16
Assemble the Tamales: Before assembling the tamales, review the Single-Husk Tamale Fold (see Notes).
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17
Line a tray with a kitchen towel and have ready the batter, the cooked chicken, the tomatillo sauce, the husks, and the ties.
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18
Loosen up the batter by whisking it for 2 to 3 minutes.
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19
The consistency should be something similar to a grainy and dense mousse.
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20
If the batter is too stiff to whisk easily, mix in some cold water, a little at a time, until it is softer and fluffier.
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21
Pick out the best 16 husks.
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22
Lay flat 1 husk, smooth side up.
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23
Center 2 rounded tablespoons of the batter on top of the husk and spread it to the right until it forms a rectangle about 4 x 2 1/2 inches.
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24
Arrange a generous forkful of the chicken mixture and then a spoonful of the sauce on top of the left half of the rectangle only.
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25
Fold the right side of the husk over, sandwiching the filling between the batter.
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26
Fold the left side of the husk over the top.
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27
Fold the ends of the husk over as firmly as you can to create a neat rectangular package.
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28
Tie the package in a crisscross pattern to prevent the husk from unfolding and place on the lined tray.
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29
Repeat until you have 16 tamales.
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30
Set aside the number of tamales that you would like to cook and keep the rest frozen for up to 6 months.
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31
Steam the Tamales: Remove the basket from the steamer pot, add 2 inches of water to the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat.
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32
Meanwhile, arrange the packages upright, leaning, or wedged loosely against each other in the basket.
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33
Ball up and stick in any extra husks or parchment paper to keep the tamales propped up if needed.
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34
Blanket them with any remaining husks.
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35
Place the basket in the pot, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and steam for 1 1/2 hours.
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36
Check the water level every 30 minutes and replenish with boiling water as needed.
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37
(If steaming frozen tamales, place them directly in the basket and cook them in the steamer pot for 2 hours.
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38
Do not allow the tamales to thaw before cooking.)
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39
Remove the pot from the heat.
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40
Carefully remove the basket and place it on a folded kitchen towel.
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41
Let the tamales cool slightly, cut off the strings, and serve.
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42
Its best not to open the tamales too soon and to peel back the husks just before eating so that they stay moist and warm.
