Ingredients

• 24 dried corn husks
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ⅓ cup dried cherries
• 1 ancho chile, stemmed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 - 1 pound pork tenderloin
• 4 ½ cups basic masa dough
• 2 cups hot water
• 1 ½ cups Mexican hot-style tomato sauce
• Lime wedges

Directions

1. Combine broth, cherries, and ancho chile in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave at HIGH for 2 minutes or until cherries and ancho are tender.
2. Combine broth mixture, onion, and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a blender; process until mixture is smooth. Reserve ½ cup broth mixture; cover and chill.
3. Place remaining broth mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork; seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.
4. Preheat oven to 450°F if cooking pork on a broiler pan, 325°F if cooking in a dutch oven.
5. Remove pork from bag, and discard marinade. Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450°F for 30 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155°. (Alternatively, slow cook pork in a dutch oven over the stove or in the oven in the marinade for 1 hour 30 minutes.)
6. Let pork stand 20 minutes; shred pork with 2 forks. Toss shredded pork with reserved ½ cup broth mixture.
7. While pork is cooking, place corn husks in a large bowl; cover with water. Weight husks down with a can; soak 30 minutes. Drain husks. Use a dishcloth to remove excessive water on husks.
8. Working with one husk at a time, place about 3 tablespoons Basic Masa Dough in the center of husk, about ½ inch from top of husk; press dough into a 4-inch-long by 3-inch-wide rectangle.
9. Spoon about 1-2 heaping tablespoons pork mixture down one side of dough. Using the corn husk as your guide, fold husk over tamale, being sure to cover filling with dough; fold over 1 more time. Fold bottom end of husk under.
10. Place tamale, seam side down, on the rack of a broiler pan lined with a damp towel. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients.
11. Cover filled tamales with another damp towel. Pour 2 cups hot water in the bottom of a broiler pan; top with prepared rack. (Place and cook tamales in a bamboo steamer if you have one.)
12. Steam tamales at 450° for 55 minutes (15-20 in bamboo steamer), adding water as necessary to maintain a depth of about 1/2 inch.
13. Let tamales stand 10 minutes. Serve with sauce and lime wedges, if desired.

Notes