Bean and Cheese Tamales

Instructions

1. 1Place 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. Soak until husks are very pliable, at least 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Drain, squeeze out excess water, and wipe dry.
2. 2Heat lard or shortening in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and salt and cook until vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes.
3. 3Add beans and mash with the back of a spoon, leaving about half of the beans intact. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to keep the beans from sticking, until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, fold in cheese, and let cool slightly.
4. 4Place a steamer basket in a large pot and fill the pot with enough water to reach the bottom of the steamer. Cover and bring the water to a simmer over low heat.
5. 5Lay a corn husk on a clean work surface with the wide edge toward you (this is the bottom). 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. Spread 1 tablespoon of the reserved filling down the center of the dough. Bring the two sides of the husk together until the dough meets over the filling. Wrap the husk over the dough, making sure you don’t get any of the husk in between the dough and the filling.
6. 6Fold the top of the husk (the empty, tapered edge) back over the filled husk to close. (If your husks are particularly small or they don’t want to stay closed, use a bit of butcher’s twine to tie them closed.) Repeat to make 35 tamales.
7. 7Arrange the tamales upright in the steamer with the open ends facing up. 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. 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. Turn the heat off and let the tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.