TAMALES DE RAJAS CON QUESO RECIPES

Steps:

• Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel.
• Line a heavy cast iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Arrange poblano peppers in a single layer on top. Grill until chiles are blackened, turning as necessary, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer into a resealable plastic bag and let them steam, 10 to 15 minutes. Peel off skin, seed, and cut them into strips.
• Place tomatillos in a pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and cook until they change color, about 5 minutes. Drain and place in a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Heat 1 tablespoon lard in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add blended tomatillos and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until flavors are well combined, about 5 minutes. Add poblano peppers and cilantro and boil for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Beat remaining lard in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add salt and continue beating for a few minutes. Add masa harina and baking powder and beat well until combined. Add chicken broth, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough has a smooth and workable consistency that is not too wet, similar to cookie dough. Test if the masa is ready by dropping a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water; if it floats, it's ready, if not, keep working the dough a little longer.
• Select 1 wide corn husk or 2 small ones. Spread about 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of the tomatillo sauce and a piece of Monterey Jack cheese in the center of the masa mixture. Fold sides of husk together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the husk over the seam of the 2 folded sides. Repeat with remaining husks.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Soak The Corn Husks For The Tamales: Bring a medium pot or a teakettle filled with water to a boil and add corn husks to a large bowl or baking dish. Cover the husks with hot water and top with a teakettle or pan to help the husks stay submerged. Soak the husks for at least 30 minutes or until they bend easily without breaking. Tear one or two husks lengthwise to create 1/4-inch wide strips to use for tying the tamales.
• Make The Tamale Dough: Bring 3 cups of the water or broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Place the 3 cups of masa harina in a bowl, then pour in the water and stir to combine. Set the masa aside to hydrate, about 15 minutes. Once the masa is hydrated, combine the 8 ounces of shortening, butter, or oil with the baking powder and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. (If you use oil, it will not get fluffy, FYI). Turn off the mixer, scrape down the inside of the bowl with a spatula. Restart the mixer and add the hydrated masa one handful at a time until it's all added, about 3 to 5 minutes more. (It will look like whipped hummus when you're finished.) Set the dough aside for 30 minutes to rest before using.  Meanwhile, make the Poblano Chile Rajas if you haven't already. 
• Assemble The Tamales: To start making the tamales, wipe each corn husk dry with a towel. Working with one husk at a time, place it lengthwise with the wider end toward you and the tapered end pointing away from you.  Place 3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of the masa dough in the middle of the husk. Using a large spoon, a pastry scraper, or a masa spreader, spread the mixture into a thin rectangle about 3 inches wide and 4 inches long. Add one strip of the cheese to the middle of the masa rectangle, then place a small spoonful of the rajas filling (maximum 1 tablespoon) just on top of the cheese.  Fold the husk so that the two long edges of masa touch and then close it (similar to the way you would for rolling sushi), pulling the clean side over the other clean side and roll tightly to secure. Fold the long tail of corn husk that is empty up over the filled corn husk, then tie ends of tamale shut with husk strips. Repeat process to make 24 tamales. 
• Cook The Tamales: Use a tamale steamer or a steamer insert set inside a large stockpot and add water to just below the bottom of the steamer insert (make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the insert). Cover and bring water to a boil.  Arrange tamales in the pot upright, leaning against one another. Cover and steam until dough is slightly firm to touch and separates easily from the husk, adding more water to the pot as necessary about 50 to 60 minutes. Turn off the heat then let the tamales steam for at least 10 minutes more before serving. Serve unwrapped tamales garnished with salsa verde, crema, crumbled cheese, or even pickled onions.