Tamales Cartagueños (Cartago-Style Colombian Tamales)

Marinate the meat under refrigeration In a non-reactive bowl, combine the pork, beef, vinegar, scallions, garlic, cumin, pepper and 8 g salt. Cover and refrigerate for 2–8 hours; four hours gives the seasonings time to penetrate without requiring an overnight marinade. Keep raw meat and its liquid away from ready-to-eat ingredients. Do not marinate on the counter.

Cook a thick hogao Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the tomatoes and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they collapse and the mixture is thick rather than watery. Let it cool. Set aside about two-thirds for layering in the parcels; the rest can be spread lightly over the masa.

Brown the pork belly and mix the masa Cook the diced pork belly in a skillet over medium heat until the fat renders and the edges turn golden, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer it to a clean plate with a slotted spoon. In a large bowl, whisk the masa harina with 10 g salt. Stir in the melted lard and enough warm water to make a soft, thick, spreadable dough. Start with 750 ml and add more gradually, up to 950 ml. Mix in a few spoonfuls of cooled hogao; cover the bowl while you prepare the leaves.

Soften the leaves and assemble Wipe the banana-leaf panels clean and warm them one at a time over a low flame or in a dry skillet until flexible. Do not char them. For each tamal, overlap two panels crosswise. Spread a generous layer of masa over the centre, then add potato slices, portions of marinated pork and beef, browned pork belly and hogao. Cover with another thin layer of masa. Fold the leaves over the filling into a compact parcel and tie securely with twine. Make 10 tamales and keep them covered until the pot is ready.

Boil until the centres are safely cooked Place a heatproof rack or a layer of clean banana-leaf ribs in the base of the stockpot. Arrange the parcels snugly on top and pour in about 5 L boiling water, enough to surround and cover them. Cover the pot and maintain a steady boil for about 90–120 minutes. Check the water level from time to time and top up with boiling water if needed; do not let the pot boil dry.

Check the centre temperature Carefully lift and test several of the thickest parcels with a clean food thermometer. The centre of each checked tamal must reach at least 73.9°C. If one is cooler, return it to the pot and continue cooking, then measure again. The masa should feel set and hold together when opened, while the meat should be tender. Cooking time by itself cannot confirm that the centres are safe.

Rest and serve Lift the tamales out carefully and let them rest for 5–10 minutes. Serve hot in their leaves with ají pique or extra hogao if desired. Ask diners to open each parcel away from their hands because steam can escape suddenly.