Easy Beef Tamales

In a crock pot, combine the beef chuck roast, 2 cups of beef broth or water, beef bouillon cube, onion, and bay leaf. Add garlic cloves.

Cover and cook on high for 6 hours, or until the beef is tender. Remove the onion and set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid.

Remove the beef from the crock pot and shred or chop it to your desired texture. Strain the reserved liquid and set aside.

Rinse the dried guajillo, pasilla, and ancho chiles. Place them in a small pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and steep until soft and pliable.

Drain the softened chiles and place them in a blender with 1 2/3 cups of beef broth or water, 2 cloves of garlic, and the reserved onion. Puree until smooth.

Strain the chile puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any unblended bits. Reserve 1/3 cup of the puree for the masa dough.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the strained chile puree and salt to taste. Simmer for 3 minutes.

Add the shredded or chopped beef to the simmering chile puree. Stir to combine and continue to simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the instant corn flour, baking powder, and salt to taste.

Add the lard or shortening and the reserved 1/3 cup of chile puree to the dry ingredients. Mix well.

Gradually add 2 cups of warm beef broth or water, mixing until a dough forms. Add more broth or water, 1 to 1 1/2 cups at a time, until the masa dough has a play-dough-like consistency that can be squeezed easily through your fingers. Keep extra warm water or broth on hand in case the dough dries out.

Soften the presoaked corn husks. Spread about 3 to 4 tablespoons of masa dough onto the wider end of each husk, leaving a one-inch space at the top.

Place a portion of the meat filling onto the masa dough on each corn husk.

Fold the bottom part of the corn husk up to enclose the filling. Continue this process until all the masa and filling are used.

Add 2.25 liters of water to a 16-quart steamer pot and place the steamer plate inside. Place a small heat-proof bowl upside down in the center of the pot.

Arrange the assembled tamales vertically around the central bowl in the steamer pot. Pack them relatively tightly, as this helps them cook evenly. Cover the tamales with extra corn husks, then a cloth, and finally the lid.

Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat. Steam for 1 hour to 1 hour and a half, or until a tamal can be easily removed from its husk.

Carefully remove the tamales from the steamer. Let them rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.