Serves: 12
Total Calories: 394

1/2 cup purchased thick and chunky red salsa
Ranchera Sauce

12 large swiss chard leaves, rinsed and thick stems removed

1. Prepare the pork. Mix the purchased red salsa with the shredded pork. Prepare the ranchera sauce. Prepare the tamale dough. If made ahead and refrigerated, bring the pork, sauce, and dough to room temperature about 1 hour before using.

2. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the chard leaves until pliable, 40 seconds. Drain and cool. With a sharp knife, cut out about 2 inches of the thick center rib from each leaf. Cover leaves with a damp towel to keep moist.

3. Put 1 chard leaf on a flat surface. Put about 2 tablespoons of dough in the center of the leaf and spread into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Put about 2 tablespoons shredded pork on the dough. Put 1 more tablespoon of dough on top of the meat, and spread to cover the meat. Fold the leaves overlapping on all sides to make a package. (The blanched leaves are tender and will cling together.) Repeat with remaining chard leaves.

4. Put about 3 inches of water and a coin in the bottom of a large steamer. (A rattling coin means there's still water in the pot.) Line the steamer rack with foil. Arrange the tamales, folded side down. Cover with foil and tuck a kitchen towel over the top. Put on the lid. Bring to a boil and steam tamales about 1 hour, or until the dough is firm and easily pulls away from the leaf. To serve, heat the sauce and spoon about 1 tablespoon of warm sauce on top of each wrapped tamal. These tamales do not freeze well, but can be refrigerated 2 to 3 days and reheated in the steamer.

From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 12
Total Calories: 394
Calories from Fat: 120

More Recipes from the 1,000 Mexican Recipes Cookbook:
* Enchiladas, Tamales, and Tortilla Casseroles
Baked Aztec Chicken Casserole
Basic Corn Tortilla Dough
Basic Corn Tortillas
Basic Crepes
Basic Tamale Dough
Black Bean Enchiladas
Cheese Enchiladas in Red Sauce
Cheese and Tortilla Casserole
Chicken and Tortilla Casserole with Green Sauce
Corn Crepes
Corn Crepes with Chicken and Corn
Crepes with Corn Mushroom
Folded Tortillas in Bean Sauce
Folded Tortillas in Pasilla Chile Sauce
Folded Tortillas in Tomato Sauce
Fresh Corn Tamales
Masa Dumplings
Meatball and Tortilla Casserole
Mushroom Crepes
Pork and Tortilla Casserole
Potato and Tortilla Casserole
Seafood Enchiladas
Stacked Beef Enchiladas
Swiss Enchiladas
Tamales Wrapped in Swiss Chard
Tamales in Banana Leaves, Oaxaca Style
Tamales with Beef or Pork
Tamales with Chicken
Tamales with Jalapeños, Cheese, and Corn
Tamales with Shrimp
Tamales, Monterrey Style
Tortilla, Bean, and Corn Casserole
Tortilla, Corn, and Zucchini Casserole
Tortillas in Ancho Chile and Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Turkey Enchiladas in Green Sauce
Vegetable Enchiladas
Vegetable Tamales with Black Bean Sauce
White Flour Tortillas
Yucatán Tamale Pie