Tamales

Separate the corn husks and soak them in room temperature water at least three hours, if not overnight, in a large pot.

Blitz dried guajillo and pasilla chilies with a few cloves of garlic, a few quartered tomatillos, a good squeeze each of lime and orange juice, a couple of heaping teaspoons of cumin, a good pinch of Mexican oregano, salt and pepper into a smooth paste; cool completely.

Clean the pork shoulder from the bone, cut off the skin and cut into about two inch cubes.

Cover the pork in the marinade in a foil lined casserole, cover and fridge at least three hours or overnight.

Weigh out 560 grams of masa harina and add 700 millilitres of very hot water, mixing with a wooden spoon until a crumbly dough forms; rest 15 minutes.

Whip 375 grams of lard in a stand mixer for two minutes until light and fluffy, then add half a teaspoon of kosher salt and a teaspoon and a half of baking powder.

Add the soaked masa about a third at a time, beating and scraping down, then stream in one cup of warm chicken stock and beat again; a piece dropped in cold water should float.

Braise the pork for three hours at 275 degrees Fahrenheit, shred it and add back a little of the marinade.

Roast the poblanos straight over the flame, wrap in foil, let them steam and soften, then peel off the carbonized exterior and cut into strips.

Tear the Oaxaca cheese into similarly sized pieces.

Spread a relatively thin even layer of tamale dough over the top half of a corn husk, leaving a two-inch border on each side.

Stuff with the filling and roll so the two sides of dough meet in the middle, fold up the tapered end and tie with two strips of corn husk knotted in the center.

Stand them up in the steam basket of a large pot, cover the tops with stray corn husks, fill with an inch or two of water, cover and steam about 90 minutes.

If the interiors stick to the husks, steam another 15 minutes; rest 30 minutes before eating so they firm up.