Zacahuil

Method

1. 1 Roast dried chilies, soak them for 20 minutes, then grind them with garlic, cumin seeds, and salt to make a thick red sauce.
2. 2 The masa flour is ground coarsely, leaving a slightly grainy texture; this is what distinguishes zacahuil from finely ground tamal.
3. 3 Mix the coarse flour with the lard and half of the chili sauce, and beat for 8 minutes until the dough is thick and elastic.
4. 4 Heat banana leaves until slightly browned, then spread them in several layers. Spread the dough to a thickness of 4 cm, place the pork marinated in the remaining sauce in the middle, and wrap it into a large ball.
5. 5 Bake at 160 degrees for 4 hours; the pastry should be firm on the outside while the center remains moist with sauce – then it's done.

With an appliance

• Air fryer 3 hr 10 min

  Replace step 5: divide the meat dough into two small leaf-wrapped packages, spray the outside of the leaves with oil, then bake in a hot air oven at 175 degrees for 2 hours and 35 minutes, flipping the packages after 75 minutes. This is faster than a conventional oven (about 85 minutes), but the smaller size results in a thicker crust compared to a giant pie.