Tamales with Green Chili and Pork

Ingredients

• 4 medium poblano peppers
• 1 medium jalapeño
• 1 pound tomatillos, husked, washed, and halved
• 3 mediums cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 1 cup packed roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 cup homemade chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lime
• Kosher salt
• Sugar, to taste
• 4 cups shredded pork carnitas
• 1 recipe basic tamale dough
• 3 dozen dried corn husks, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
• Salsa verde, for serving

Directions

1. Heat the broiler. Char the poblanos and jalapeño over a gas burner, on a grill, or beneath the broiler, turning them now and then, until the skins are blackened all the way around. Put the peppers in a bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and leave them until they are cool enough to work with, 10 to 15 minutes. Rub away the blackened skins with paper towels, then remove the stems and seeds. Put the peppers in a blender jar and leave them there for the moment.
2. While the peppers are cooling, arrange the tomatillos on a baking sheet with the cut sides facing down. Broil them until they are softened and charred, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatillos to the blender with the peppers, scraping in any juices from the pan.
3. Add the garlic, cilantro, chicken stock and lime juice to the blender, then puree until the salsa is smooth. Pour the salsa into a large bowl and season it with salt and sugar to taste. Mix in the shredded pork and set the filling aside.
4. Set a corn husk on your work surface, working with 1 at a time. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of tamale dough onto the wider end of the husk and spread it into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling down the middle of the dough. Fold the sides of the husk over so the dough wraps around the filling, then fold the bottom end up and tie the tamale shut with a thin strip of husk. Continue the same way with the rest of the husks, dough, and filling.
5. Pour 1 inch of water into a large pot and bring it to a boil. Stand the tamales upright in a steamer insert or on a rack set above the water. Cover the pot and steam until the dough is fully cooked and releases easily from the husk, about 1 hour. Take the tamales out of the steamer and let them sit until the dough sets a bit, about 15 minutes.
6. Serve right away with salsa verde, or refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw and warm the tamales in a steamer until heated through, or microwave on high for 2 minutes.