Art in every dish

These tamales with rajas and cheese are made in different parts of Mexico and are also known as tamales de rajas. In Mexico City, they are usually made with a red tomato sauce. Enjoy this recipe for tamales, they are ideal for any season.

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2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for the sauce
1/2 cups onion, finely chopped, for the sauce
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped, for the sauce
5 tomatoes, diced medium, for the sauce
1/2 cups chicken broth, for the sauce
enough salt, for the sauce
enough pepper, for the sauce
1/2 cups green chili, diced
1 1/2 cups lard, for the dough
1 teaspoon salt, for the dough
1 teaspoon baking powder, for the dough
3 cups nixtamalized corn flour, for tamales, for the dough
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, for the dough
enough totomoxtle leaves, hydrated in warm water and drained
enough epazote
1 1/2 cups cuaresmeño chile, without seeds or stems, in medium sticks
1 cup fresh cheese, panela or asadero, in medium sticks

Preparation
For the sauce: Pour the vegetable oil into a saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until they have a bright color, stir constantly to achieve even cooking.
Raise the heat, add the tomato and cook for 5 minutes, you will notice how the tomato loses a little juice. It will be time to add the chicken broth, then season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until you get the consistency of puree or pounded sauce. Finally, add the chiles and remove from heat and let cool.
For the tamale dough: Beat the lard with the salt and baking powder with a hand mixer until you get a spreadable or creamy consistency. Add the nixtamalized corn flour for tamales and gradually pour in the chicken broth. Keep beating until you get a hydrated, fluffy and smooth dough.
Take a corn leaf and fill it with the mixture, then spread the dough with the help of a spoon to form a bowl. Add the red sauce, 1 or 2 epazote leaves, the cuaresmeño chile strips and the cheese. Wrap the tamale leaf, but do not squeeze too much so that the steam enters each of the tamales and they can fluff up, bring the tip towards the center to close. Repeat until you finish the tamale dough.
Cook the tamales with rajas and cheese in a steamer or tamalera, placing them vertically so that the cooking is more uniform and to prevent the filling from coming out. Use any leftover corn leaves to cover the tamales well and prevent the steam from escaping, close and cook over medium-low heat for at least 35 minutes. Remember to keep an eye on the steamer so that all the water doesn’t get consumed.