Tamales de Rajas con Queso

Those tamales de rajas con queso are super moist, soft, and flavorful. Stuffed with roasted poblano peppers and melty cheese, they are a family favorite and perfect to serve with champurrado or atole!

📝 Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Masa Harina
• 2/3 cup pork lard (or vegetable oil)
• 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water (or chicken stock)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• salt (to taste)
• 12 large dried corn husks (read note 1)
• 2 poblano peppers (read note 2)
• 7 oz Oaxaca cheese (cut into pieces, read note 3.)
• 1 cup molcajete salsa (read note 4)
• Mexican crema
• molcajete salsa

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Place corn husks into a large bowl and cover with warm water. Soak while you continue with the recipe (read note 1).
2. 2Prepare your steamer or a large stock pot with a steamer basket. Fill the pot with water just before it touches the basket.
3. 3--- Roast green peppers ---
4. 4Roast the peppers using your favorite method (on the stove, grill, or oven). Place them in a bowl and cover them with a kitchen towel.
5. 5Let peppers rest for 15 minutes then peel them, discard the stem, open them and discard the seeds.
6. 6Cut peppers into thin strips and set aside.
7. 7--- Make the dough ---
8. 8Melt the lard in a pan and allow it to cool down without solidifying.
9. 9Place corn masa harina in a large bowl. Add salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
10. 10Pour in the water while mixing with your hands little by little until you will have a soft dough (about 3 minutes).
11. 11Add lard to the dough and mix to combine until you'll have a slightly sticky dough. Taste and adjust with salt if needed.
12. 12--- Make the tamales ---
13. 13Drain the corn husks and pat them dry with a kitchen towel.
14. 14Place 2-3 spoonfuls of tamales dough in the middle of a husk and, using the back of a spoon, spread it in the middle.
15. 15Add one tablespoon of molcajete salsa in the middle, then a few strips of roasted peppers.
16. 16Finish with some bites of cheese.
17. 17Fold the right side of the corn husk to the center of the tamal and then repeat with the left side.
18. 18Take the narrow end of the husk and fold it towards the center.
19. 19Place the tamal in the steamer standing up with the open side up. *Use some aluminum foil to fill some gaps and help the tamales to stand up.
20. 20Repeat the steps until all ingredients are gone and the steamer is filled up.
21. 21--- Steam ---
22. 22Bring the water in the steamer to a boil, cover the pot and cook the tamales for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, checking occasionally and adding more water when needed.