Red Pork Chili Tamales

Yield: Makes 4 dozen to 5 dozen tamales

4 1/2 to 5 pounds boneless pork butt

1 large onion, quartered

3 large cloves garlic

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 recipe red pork chili sauce

1 recipe basic fresh masa

48 to 60 dried corn husks, soaked, washed, drained and patted dry

one (14-ounce) can pitted whole black olives (48 to 60)

Place the pork, onion and garlic in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, checking after 1 hour and adding water if necessary to cover the meat.

After 2 hours, add the salt and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour more, until tender.

Carefully remove the meat from the pot and place on a large platter to cool. Skim the fat from the stock and discard. Reserve the stock for use in the sauce and the masa. Cut the pork butt into 1-inch cubes.

Meanwhile, prepare the chili sauce and then prepare the masa.

Combine the cubed pork and the chili sauce in a large bowl.

To assemble the tamales, spread 1/3 to 1/2 cup masa on the smooth side of a corn husk. Spread the filling onto the top third of the husk, leaving 1/2 inch of the husk free of filling; the filling should be 1/4 -inch thick. Spoon about 1/4 cup pork and sauce onto the center of the tamale. Place 1 olive at the end of the large end of the husk so that it will sit on top of the finished tamale.

Fold the long sides of the tamale over the center, forming a bundle, then fold up the bottom to make a packet that is open on top. Repeat with the remaining tamales.

To steam the tamales, fill a large pot that has a steamer basket insert with 4 to 6 inches of water. Leaving out the insert, heat the water to a boil. In the meantime, loosely fill the steamer basket with the tamales, placing them along the sides of the basket with the tamale opening face up. (Steam needs to be able to come up between the tamales for them to cook evenly. Cook the tamales in batches if necessary.) Steam the tamales for 1 hour.

Pull 1 tamale out and unroll. If the masa rolls cleanly off the husk and is set, the tamales are done. Cook an additional few minutes if necessary.

Each: 281 calories; 11 grams protein; 33 grams carbohydrate; 5 grams fiber; 12 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 36 milligrams cholesterol; 554 milligrams sodium