Simple Nicaraguan Nacatamales (Nicaraguan Style Tamale)

1. All ingredients ready? Let's begin!
2. In a large bowl, or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, mix together the corn meal, lard, and 1 tbsp of salt. Mix until the lard is well incorporated and the mixture clumps together.
3. Add the juice of the orange and 3 cups of chicken broth to the dough then mix again. The dough should become soft and moist but also thick and stick together in one solid clump. To achieve that texture, you may need to add the rest of the chicken broth.
4. Continue kneading the dough with an electric mixer or your hands for about 2 minutes, then set aside in a bowl and cover. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
5. Put the rice into a large bowl and cover with warm water. Set aside and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes.
6. Cube the pork butt into small pieces and season liberally with salt and pepper.
7. Peel the potatoes and slice into thin pieces. Peel the onion and chop. Thinly slice the bell peppers and tomatoes. Finely dice the garlic.
8. In a large skillet, heat up the oil. Once it is hot, put the pork in and cook for about 5 minutes or until the pork has browned on all sides.
9. Add the tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, and garlic to the pan. Cover and cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes or until the onion and peppers are tender.
10. After 30 minutes, drain the rice.

To assemble the nacatamales:

1. Lay a banana leaf on a clean surface with the smooth side down. Place a large scoop of dough on the leaf and spread it out across the leaf. Wet your hands if it is too sticky.
2. Down the middle of the dough, add a spoonful of pork. Add on top around 2 tbsp of rice, a layer of potato slices, and a spoonful of onion, pepper, and tomato. Now on top (or to the side) place a prune, some olives, raisins, and capers.
3. Use one edge of the leaf to lift the dough and roll closed. You want the dough to encompass all the fillings, so try getting one edge of dough to meet with the opposite edge.
4. Fold the edges of the banana leaf over like a burrito and tuck both ends up if possible.
5. Wrap the whole thing in a square of tin foil to keep it all together.
6. Repeat until you run out of ingredients.
7. To cook, you will need to steam them. This can be done by filling a large pot halfway with water and placing a metal rack on the inside to hold up the tamales. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and cover.
8. Let the tamales steam for about 4 hours, but keep an eye on the water, always adding more so it doesn’t all evaporate.
9. After 4 hours, use heat-proof tongs to remove the nacatamales from the pot. Allow them to cool so they are safe to handle, but serve hot.
10. Before eating, remove the tin foil and banana leaf. Enjoy!