Directions

• Prepare Peppers

Place peppers onto the grill over moderately high heat. Cook, turning occasionally until most of the skin has blistered and turned dark brown or black. Or do this under your oven broiler.

Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap so they steam. After 15 minutes peel away the blistered skin from each pepper then remove the stems. Scrape away some or all of the seeds and white membrane inside the peppers depending on how spicy you want the tamales. Chop the peppers into small pieces ready for filling.

• Make Batter

In a medium bowl, combine the masa harina and hot water.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the lard or shortening with the salt and baking powder until light in texture, about 1 minute.

Continue beating as you add the masa mixture in three additions. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add 1 cup of the chicken broth. Continue beating for another minute or so, until a 1/2-teaspoon dollop of the batter floats in a cup of cold water (if it floats you can be sure the tamales will be tender and light). Beat in enough additional broth to give the mixture the consistency of soft, but not runny cake batter; it should hold its shape in a spoon.

Taste the batter and season with additional salt if you think necessary. Refrigerate the batter for one hour, then use an electric mixer to beat enough additional broth to bring the mixture to the soft consistency it had before.

• Prepare Banana Leaves

Unfold the banana leaves and cut off the long, hard sides of the leaves (where they were attached to the central vein).

Look for holes or rips then cut the leaves into 20 unbroken 12-inch segments. If necessary, steam the segments for 20 minutes to make them soft, pliable and glossy.

Cut twenty 12-inch pieces of string or thin strips of banana leaf for securing the tamales when filled.

• Prepare Steamer

Set a large steamer or collapsible vegetable steamer into a large, deep saucepan. Line the steamer with leftover scraps of banana leaves to protect the tamales from direct contact with the steam and to add more flavor, but make sure to leave small spaces between leaves so condensing steam can drain away.

• Assemble Tamales

Lay out a square of banana leaf, shiny-side up, then spread 1/3 cup of the batter into an 8×4-inch rectangle over it.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of the cheese and sprinkle some roasted peppers over the left side of the rectangle of batter.

Fold in the right third of the leaf so that the batter folds over the filling. Then do the same with the opposite sides making sure that the batter covers all of the filling.

Fold in an uncovered third of the leaf, and then fold in all the sides, making a square packet. Loosely tie the packet with string or thin strip of banana leaf.

• Steam Tamales

Set the tamales into the steamer. Cover the tamales with a layer of banana leaf scraps or leftovers.

Set the lid in place and steam over a constant medium heat for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Watch carefully that all the water doesn’t boil away, add more water if necessary). The tamales are done when the leaf peels away from the masa easily.

Let tamales stand in the steamer off the heat for a few minutes to firm up.