Mexican tamales recipe

Found all over Central and South America, tamales are an ancient food that pre-dated the arrival of Europeans by millennia. There's evidence of their existence as far back as 8,000 BC; they were a staple for Aztecs, Mayans, Olmec, Toltecan and even Inca civilisations. Like the taco, this is a truly ancient food. For the filling: 500g (1lb) pork loin 1 large onion, halved 1 garlic clove 4 dried California chillies (similar to poblano chillies) 450ml (16 fl oz) water 1½ tsp salt For the dough: 500g (1lb) dried corn husks 150g (⅔ cup) lard (can use vegetable shortening) 300ml (10 fl oz) beef stock 300g (2 cups) masa harina (maize flour) 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 225ml (1 cup) sour cream Put the pork, onion and garlic in a large cooking pot and cover with water. Bring it to the boil, then reduce to a simmer until the meat is tender and thoroughly cooked. (This should take about two hours.) Deseed the chillies (use rubber gloves to avoid transfer-burn!) and simmer them in a pot with 500ml water for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. When it has cooled, blitz both the chillies and water in a blender until smooth. Strain it, add the salt and set aside. When the pork is done, shred it with two forks and stir in 225ml of the chilli sauce. Soak the corn husks in warm water. With an electric mixer, beat the lard (or shortening) with a tablespoon of beef stock until it whips up and becomes airy. Stir the masa harina, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl and gradually add to the shortening mix, adding more broth as needed until you have a dough with a bouncy texture. Drain the corn husks and pat dry. Spread the dough over the husks (no thicker than 6mm), put a spoonful of the pork in the middle and fold the sides of the husk inwards like you're packaging up a parcel. Place in a steamer and cook for an hour. 7. When they're done, peel away the husks, pour over a little of the chilli sauce and top with a knob of sour cream. • This is an edited extract from The World's Best Street Food (Lonely Planet, £14.99). Order a copy for £11.99 from the Guardian bookshop