Title: Shredded meat tamales
 Categories: Misc, Mexican
      Yield: 32 Servings
 
MMMMM----------------------------MASA---------------------------------
     32    Corn shucks
      1 c  Lard
      1 ts Chili powder
      1 ts Salt
      8 c  Masa
      3 c  Water, warm

MMMMM--------------------------FILLING-------------------------------
      1 md Onions, chopped
      1    Garlic cloves, crushed
    1/2 ts Cumin, ground
    1/2 ts Chili powder
    1/2 tb Salt
    1/4 ts Pepper, black
      3 tb Raisins; finely chopped
      2 tb Oil
      1 lb Meat, shredded
    1/4 c  Water

MMMMM-----------------------COOKING WATER----------------------------
    1/2 tb Lard
      1 ts Chili powder
      1 pt Water
 
  Soak corn shucks in warm water 2 hours or overnight before using.
  
  Fry onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and raisins (if
  desired) in hot oil.  Add meat and water and simmer until liquid has
  been absorbed.
  
  Work lard, chili powder, and salt into masa; knead with hands until
  smooth. (Alternately, pour ingredients into breadmaker and start on
  "manual.") Using back of spoon, spread masa mixture thinly and evenly
  on inside of shuck, covering half the length of shuck.
  
  Thinly spread 1 tb filling mixture on masa-covered portion of shuck.
  Lap one side of shuck over the other, folding under portion of shuck
  which does not contain masa.
  
  Stack tamales, pyramid-fashion, on shallow steaming rack in bottom of
  large cooker.  Add lard and chili powder to water and pour over
  tamales. Cover with additional shucks and steam 4-5 hours. Hint: when
  masa is done, it will pull away from shucks when unfolded.
  
  Sylvia's notes: Stokes' Green Chili Sauce with Pork, along with some
  shredded meat, makes a great quick filling. And I steamed a batch in
  my rice cooker/steamer, for 4 hours, although I think they were done
  after 3. It was a bit of a pain because when the timer dinged at the
  end of an hour, I had to remove the steamer and drip pan and refill
  the water base before starting it for another hour, but it was still
  less of a hassle than trying to keep them from burning in a big pot.
  I also had to clean the base pretty well, as something colored from
  the tamales kept working down into the water.  And I think the masa
  needs a lot more chili powder to steam it over plain water instead of
  flavored water; it was pretty bland after being steamed.