Guajolota with Mole Tamal

Instructions

1. 1
   For the filling: Heat the ready-to-use mole sauce in a small saucepan. If it is too dense, thin it slightly with a splash of warm chicken broth to ensure a thick yet smooth texture. Stir in the finely shredded chicken until well-coated, simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, and allow to cool completely.
2. 2
   For the dough: In a large bowl, beat the lard vigorously (by hand or with a mixer) until it becomes pale white, fluffy, and significantly increases in volume.
3. 3
   Gradually add the fresh corn masa to the whipped lard, alternating with small splashes of warm chicken broth to ease the blending process.
4. 4
   Incorporate the baking powder and salt. Keep beating the dough forcefully for about 15 minutes until it reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency. (Float test: drop a tiny ball of dough into a glass of water; if it floats, the dough is light and ready to steam).
5. 5
   For tamal assembly: Thoroughly drain the soaked corn husks and pat them lightly dry.
6. 6
   Hold a husk with the wider end facing you and spread about two tablespoons of corn dough across the center, smoothing it downwards while leaving the borders clean.
7. 7
   Place a generous spoonful of the chicken mole filling right into the center of the spread dough.
8. 8
   Fold the two long sides of the husk towards the middle so the dough encloses the filling. Then, fold the narrow bottom tail of the husk upwards.
9. 9
   For cooking: Position the tamales vertically (open end facing up) inside a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover the top with leftover husks and a damp kitchen towel, close tightly with the lid, and steam over medium heat for 50-60 minutes.
10. 10
    The tamales are fully cooked when the masa easily pulls away clean from the inner corn husk.
11. 11
    For the final build: Slice a fresh, crispy bolillo roll open horizontally using a serrated knife. Unwrap a piping hot mole tamal and place it whole inside the bread cavity. Keep the top bread lid angled back to display the rich shredded filling exactly like your photo, and serve immediately.