Red chicken tamales

Directions

• Brown chicken/Broth: Season both sides of the thighs generously, with salt and black pepper. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Sear and brown both sides of the thighs. Do this step in batches, to prevent over crowding the pot. Once the last batch looks good, carefully, pour in the water. Place the rest of the chicken back into the pot. Add the garlic, onion, bay leaves, all spice, cilantro, mint, thyme,  and oregano. Bring to a boil, and remove foam from the surface. Then, lower the heat to medium-low. When it reaches a gentle simmer, cover the pot and allow the chicken to fully cook, about 30 minutes. 
• Red sauce: remove the seeds, veins, and stem from the guajillos, puyas and anchos. Wipe them clean with a damped paper towel. Cut into smaller pieces and set aside to dry out. 
• Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the broth and set aside to cool down. Carefully, strain the broth and set aside until needed. 
• Finish sauce: in a medium sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until slightly softened. Stir in the oregano and cumin, cook for a minute. Add in the prepped dried peppers (chiles) and toast for a couple of minutes. Stir continuously and avoid burning them. As soon as they become fragrant, turn off the heat, and pour in 3 cups of the hot chicken broth. Hydrate them for about 10-15 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, remove the skin and bones from the chicken and discard them. Shred the chicken and set aside until needed. 
• In a blender, process the hydrated pepper mix until smooth and the chili skin has completely broken down. Allow the blender to do the best job possible. And, if you still end up with big pieces of chili skin, strain the sauce. Place a medium sauce pan over medium heat, pour in the sauce. Pour the additional 2 cups of chicken broth into the blender, swirl to get the last bit of sauce and pour into the pan. Stir and bring up to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5-10 minutes over medium-low heat, until it slightly thickens and turns a deeper color.  Remove a cup of the sauce and set aside. Stir in the salt and shredded chicken until well combined. Cook for two minutes just until the chicken reheats. Then allow it to cool down. 
• Prep Husks: sort through the leaves. Pick medium-large in size, without holes or dark spots (at least, without many.) Soak in warm water for 15-30 minutes, place a plate on top to keep submerged. Rinse, remove corn silk, and drain.
• Masa-Dough: In a large bowl, mix the corn masa harina, salt and baking powder by hand, until well distributed. In a separate large bowl, beat the lard by hand until smooth, fluffy and turns a whiter color. Will take about 5 minutes. Mix the oil gradually, as you stir continuously. Once fully incorporated, mix in half of the masa mixture. Then, incorporate the other half. By the end it should resemble the texture of wet sand. Knead in the one cup of red sauce reserved. Now, gradually knead in 3 1/4 cups of the still warm broth (could take more or less broth.) And, knead in between additions. When the dough forms a mass, feels very soft, and is fully moistened, knead for 5 minutes. The characteristics we are looking for in our masa dough are: (very soft) softness, keeps a shape, hydration, and very spreadable. Cover with a kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out. 
• How to easily wrap a tamal (click link) : Step by step, picture and written procedure. 
• Cook the tamales: You will need a large steamer pot with its rack on the bottom. Pour a generous amount of water inside the pot and stop right before you reach the rack.Turn the heat to medium-high. Cover the surface of the rack with husks. Then make a base with three tamales in the form of a T, open side towards the center.  Lay the rest of the tamales all around, open side up. Place a few husk leaves on top to cover them. Then, lay a damp clean kitchen towel to enclose the leaves. Once it reaches a boil and you see the steam coming up. Cover the pot, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 50 minutes to 1 hr 10 minutes, or until the dough is fully cooked. 
• Check for doneness : Remove a tamal from the pot and let it cool down for 5-10 minutes. Then, unwrap it. They are done,  if it releases easily from the husk, sets up, and does not taste like raw masa. Turn off the heat, keep the pot covered and ENJOY!