• 1 package of cornmeal.

• 1 and 1/2 full chopped garlic.

• 1/2 kilogram of pork meat.

• 1/2 kilogram of chicken breast.

• One kilogram of rice (ideally precooked).

• 2 cans of green peas.

• 3 red sweet chili peppers.

• 2 cups vegetable oil (the traditional recipe calls for pork fat).

• 2 cans of chopped carrots.

• 2 cups of Lizano sauce (optional).

• 3 chopped white onions.

• 2 teaspoons of pepper.

• 2 teaspoons of cumin.

• 2 tablespoons of annatto powder.

• 1 bundle of banana leaves for making tamales.

• 1 roll of heavy-duty thread for holding tamales.

First, marinate the meat the day before you cook your tamales. Remove the fat from the pork and chicken. Marinate the meat in 1 cup of Lizano sauce, 1 teaspoon each of pepper, cumin, and annatto powder. Fridge the meat for a day.

The next day, put the rice in a rice cooker, along with one chopped onion and one chopped red pepper. Add 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 2 teaspoons of annatto powder, 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic and 1/2 cup oil.

In a large pot, place the marinated meat. Add enough water to cover the meat. Add 1 cup Lizano sauce, the remaining pepper, cumin, annatto, minced garlic, and 1/2 cup oil. Cook for 30 minutes at high heat, or approximately 160 F°. The meat must be well cooked.

Remove the meat and let it cool. Then, cut the meat into squares measuring 4x4 cm.

Keep the beef stock in the pot. Then, strain the broth by pouring it through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel, allowing the liquid to pass through while catching any solid particles like bones and vegetables; you can also use a slotted spoon to remove larger pieces before straining completely.

In the broth, add the cornmeal and 1 cup of oil. Stir over high heat at 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-45 minutes, or until the dough is cooked. If the broth starts to evaporate too rapidly, add more water. The dough's consistency should be akin to modeling clay.

In a bowl, combine one chopped onion, one chopped sweet red pepper, green peas, and carrot. This is our veggie mixture.

Extend two banana leaves across the table. Clean the leaves well with water and a paper napkin.

Heat the leaves to make them softer and smoother. You may accomplish this by passing the leaves over a kitchen hot plate until they become lustrous, darker, and more flexible. This process also produces natural oils, which make the leaves aromatic. Clean the leaves again but just using a paper napkin.

Place a large spoonful of dough on the leaves (a soup serving spoon works great), followed by a tablespoon of rice, a piece of pork, another piece of chicken, and a tablespoon of the veggie mixture.

Close the leaves gently. Cut around 60 centimeters of tamales thread and wrap up the leaves. It's similar to wrapping a gift with a ribbon. Make sure that the tamal is securely closed. Do not forget to tie a double knot at the end.

The recipe is for 14 to 20 tamales. Add extra threads to two already-packed tamales. Make pairs of tamales, also known as "piña de tamal."

Place the paired tamales in a very big pot of boiling water. Cook for one more hour.

Allow the tamales to cool somewhat before eating and enjoy. Betcha can't eat just one!

If you keep your tamales in the fridge, reheat them in boiling water for 20 minutes before serving.

Have a Pura Vida Christmas!