FOR THE SALSA: – Place the cleaned peppers and tomatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Cook for about 15 minutes over medium heat until they’re soft.
– Place the contents of the saucepan in your blender and process until you have a smooth sauce. Set aside.
FOR THE DOUGH: – Detach the husk from the cobs and place in a large pot with hot water to soften (see notes).
– Remove the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife, then place them in your blender or food processor. Process until they’ve been around, but still have some texture. Pour in a large bowl.
– Stir in the softened lard (or butter) and mix well. Add the masa-harina little by little as needed. Depending on how watery your dough is, you will need to add or reduce the amount of masa-harina. Mix the dough until it looks like a smooth and thick cake batter.
– Season with salt and sugar. The amount of sugar and salt will depend on the corn flavor, and your taste. Sometimes, the corn is too sweet and other times they are just plain in taste. Remember that some of this seasoning gets lost when you are steaming the tamales.