Quick Masa Dough

Homemade masa dough might sound intimidating, but doesn't have to be: prepackaged masa harina, the coarse flour ground from hominy that's already been slaked with lime in the traditional manner, makes its preparation a snap. Enriched with lard and lightened with baking powder, the dough makes a flavor-packed base for a variety of dishes, including Mexican tacos, gorditas, and sopes, as well as Salvadoran pupusas.

Tamal de Cazuela (Mexican Tamale Pie) With Black Bean Filling

Tamales are delicious, but forming them is a small pain in the culo. This baked tamale pie, know as a tamal de cazuela in Mexico, is the solution: all the joys of tamales with not nearly as much work.

Southern Foodways' Mississippi Delta Hot Tamales

Among the more curious dishes in The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook are these Mississippi Delta Hot Tamales. There are many takes on the story, but they all have something to do with Mexican laborers migrating north from Texas to pick cotton.

Tamales With Green Chili and Pork

A green chili made of roasted poblanos, tomatillos, and cilantro provides a bright and fruity base for the rich pork carnitas in these light and tender tamales.

Tamales With Red Chili and Chicken Filling

A combo of guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles gives this red chili sauce its earthy, smoky, and spicy complexity. It's folded into an airy and flavorful tamale dough, then steamed in corn husks until light and tender.

Mexican-Style Flour Tortillas

Flour tortillas are central to the cuisine of Northern Mexico. Rich with lard and whole milk, these flour tortillas are airy, tender, and subtly sweet.

Tamales With Rajas and Oaxacan Cheese

This insanely delicious tamale filling is also one of the easiest—fruity roasted poblano peppers paired with strands of melted mild Oaxacan cheese. It's a minimal combo that delivers a lot of flavor within a light and tender tamale dough.

Brazo de Reina From 'Yucatán'

Brazo de reina is a large tamal filled with hardboiled eggs and served in generous slices. The name translates to "Queen's arm," which does little to describe the delightful complexity of the dish. David Sterling's recipe may be time-consuming, but what emerges at the end of the process is a glorious representation of the flavors of the Yucatán.

Masa Ball Soup (Corn Dumplings in Chicken Soup)

A lot of people will tell you that punning is one of the lowest forms of humor. No matter—this soup, born of a silly pun, is tasty whether you like that kind of wordplay or not. Based on a classic matzo-ball soup recipe, this one uses masa harina for tamales in place of matzo meal for light and moist poached dumplings that have more than a little in common with tamales themselves. We serve them in chicken broth spiked with Mexican flavors, like jalapeño, lime juice, and cilantro.

Easy Nixtamalized Corn Tortillas

Making nixtamalized corn dough for tortillas is incredibly easy. This recipe, designed for home cooks, requires dried corn, slaked lime, and a food processor.