Tamales de chile verde

Put seven pounds of bone-in pork shoulder in an instant pot with a whole onion, a head of garlic, four bay leaves and salt, and cover with about 10 cups of water.

Seal and cook on the meat setting for an hour and a half, then let it sit 20 minutes before releasing the remaining steam.

Meanwhile bring fifteen tomatillos and five serranos to the boil, turn off the heat and transfer them to a blender cup.

Remove the meat and let it cool enough to shred. Strain the broth and reserve it.

To the blender cup add four garlic cloves, three whole cloves, half a small white onion, six roasted and peeled anaheim or hatch peppers, a handful of cilantro, chicken bouillon, a teaspoon each of whole black pepper, oregano and cumin seeds, and salt. Blend smooth.

Shred the pork, removing the bone and some of the fat.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium-high, add the sauce, rinse the blender cup with about three quarters of a cup of the broth and add that too.

Reduce to medium-low and bring to a simmer. Taste for salt. Reserve some of the sauce to serve with the finished tamales.

Add the shredded meat, bring back to a simmer, turn off and let cool.

Beat a cup and a half of lard on medium in a stand mixer for five minutes.

Reduce the speed and add five teaspoons of baking powder, then six cups of masa for tamales slowly, alternating with the broth.

Mix on medium 15 to 20 minutes, then test: drop a little masa into a cup of room temperature water. If it does not float, add a little more broth, mix two minutes and test again.

When the masa floats it is ready and the tamales will be moist. Cover and let the masa rest.

Cover the bottom of a steamer pot with water and lay corn husks on the bottom so the tamales do not get wet.

On the soft side of an overnight-soaked corn husk, spread masa with a spatula, spoon or pastry cutter.

Spread a good amount of meat down the centre, fold one end over the filling, fold the other end over, then fold the tail up.

Stand the tamales in the steamer pot, cover with a kitchen towel and the lid, and cook on medium two to three hours.

They are done when the masa peels cleanly away from the husk. Rest 15 minutes so the masa sets.

Serve topped with a little crema mexicana and the reserved salsa.