Pepita, Egg and Chaya Tamales

On a preheated comal, skillet or griddle, set over medium heat, toast the tomatoes, onion, unpeeled garlic cloves and habaneros. Let them cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the skin is completely charred, and the ingredients have completely softened. Alternatively, you can roast under the broiler, flipping them halfway in between. Remove from the heat. Peel the garlic.

Place the peeled garlic in a jar of the blender along with tomatoes (don’t remove anything from them!), onion and salt. Stem the peppers and add half at a time to taste for heat. Pulse with the blender until salsa has a coarse pureed texture.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tomato mixture, cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 7 minutes, until the salsa has darkened in color and thickened a bit.

Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Once boiling, add the chaya leaves and let them cook for 2 minutes. Drain completely. Let them sit as you make the masa. Press with your hands to remove excess liquid as much as you can. Coarsely chop.

In a large bowl, combine the Masarica flour with the broth, using your hands to knead the dough until thoroughly mixed and very smooth, not “grainy.” Add the lard or vegetable shortening, and work it in, kneading, for a few minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt, the chopped chaya and epazote, and mix until fully incorporated.

In a small sauté pan or comal, set over medium-low heat, toast the pumpkin seeds for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are lightly toasted. Don't let them brown or burn. Remove from the heat. Once they cool down, either finely chop or coarsely grind them in a spice mill or food processor along with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Scrape onto a bowl.

To prepare the banana leaves, turn a burner on to medium-low heat. Slowly pass each banana-leaf piece over the flame on both sides, until they change color and become fragrant, and set aside (so they will be resilient, malleable, and will not break).

One by one, set each leaf piece on your counter with the shiny, outer side down. Spoon about 1/3 cup of masa onto the center and spread to form a rectangle of about 5”x 3.” With the spoon, or your finger, make a shallow channel down the middle, creating a stripe in the masa. Add a couple teaspoons ground pepita, a couple pieces of hard-boiled egg, and top with a tablespoon of salsa. Gently close each tamal by folding the longer sides first and then the short sides as if making a flat and tight package but being careful not to press on the tamal too much.

Prepare your tamalera or steamer by adding just enough water to touch the bottom of the steaming basket. Line the steaming basket with a few banana-leaf pieces to gently cover the base. One by one, add the tamales, stacking them as evenly as you can, staggered in the same position as when you made them: laying them flat. Once you are done, cover with a few more pieces of banana leaves. Set the steamer uncovered over high heat, once there is a bit of steam coming out and the water starts boiling a few minutes later, cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for an hour.

The leaves will have changed to a much darker color and will have completely wilted to wrap themselves as a second skin over the tamales, and the tamales should feel firm. Turn off the heat. Let the tamales sit for at least 15 minutes before serving so they will settle. Serve the tamales with the roasted tomato and habanero salsa.