A traditional steamed corn tamal from Chincha, built on ground mote corn and pork lard, colored with achiote and ají panca until deeply orange and rich. The center holds seasoned pork, peanuts, egg, and olive for contrast. Wrapped in banana leaves and steamed until firm, moist, and aromatic.
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Pass the banana leaves over steam or gentle heat for 1 to 2 minutes, just until flexible and no longer brittle. Cut pieces of kitchen string and keep the leaves ready for assembly.
Boil the eggs in the water for 10 minutes, until firm. Cool, peel, and cut them in halves. Cut the black olives and yellow chili into thick strips.
Process the cooked mote corn with most of the pork broth, in batches if needed, until you get a thick paste. Do not aim for a perfectly smooth cream: the tamal needs a slightly grainy texture.
Melt part of the pork lard with the achiote oil and sauté the red onion for 7 minutes, until soft and sweet-smelling. Add the ground garlic, panca chili paste, cumin, part of the salt, and part of the pepper; cook for 4 more minutes, until the base looks deep orange and glossy.
Add the pork in pieces, another part of the salt, the remaining pepper, some of the yellow chili, and the remaining broth. Cook covered for 22 to 25 minutes, until the pork is tender and the juices are flavorful, but not dry.
Remove the pork from the base and keep its juices. Add the mote paste to the pot with the remaining lard and remaining salt. Cook while stirring for 16 to 18 minutes, until the dough looks glossy, heavy, and starts to pull slightly from the bottom.
Place a portion of dough over each banana leaf. In the center, add pork, peanuts, half an egg, black olive, and strips of yellow chili. Fold into firm packets and tie with string, without tightening so much that the dough cannot expand.
Arrange the tamales in the steamer with the water already hot. Steam covered for 60 to 70 minutes, checking that the pot does not run out of steam. They are ready when the leaf releases more easily and the dough feels firm when pressed.
Turn off the heat and let the tamales rest for 10 minutes before opening. Serve them hot or properly warm; the dough should be moist, deep orange, and clearly aromatic from the base.
