Blend the garlic and start the chicken broth

• Blend 8 garlic cloves with 1 cup of water (skip if you don't mind a strong chicken flavor).
• Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over medium heat and add the garlic mixture.
• Add the chicken thighs, the whole onion, the garlic head, 1 tsp of black pepper, the bay leaves and 1 tbsp of salt.
• Mix, cover and cook for about an hour.

Boil the tomatillos and peppers for the salsa

• In a pot of boiling water over medium heat, add the 12 tomatillos, the 2 serrano peppers and the jalapeño.
• Boil for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to the blender.

Blend the green salsa

• To the blender add the 2 roasted poblano peppers and 3 roasted Anaheim peppers (already cleaned).
• Add the cilantro, 3 garlic cloves and half of a small white onion.
• Add 1/2 tsp each of oregano, black pepper and cumin, 2 1/2 tbsp of chicken bouillon and 1 cup of the tomatillo cooking water.
• Blend until smooth.

Shred the chicken

• Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and let it cool off.
• Shred the chicken.

Fry the filling with the salsa

• In a pan over medium heat, add some oil and fry half of a small white onion for about a minute.
• Add the shredded chicken and some black pepper, mix and fry for about a minute.
• Add the green salsa, let it simmer for about 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and set aside.

Beat the lard for the masa

• In a stand mixer, add 1 1/2 cups of lard.
• Beat at medium speed for about 5 minutes until fluffy.
• Add 2 tsp of salt and 5 tsp of baking powder, mix for about a minute.
• Decrease the speed to the lowest setting.

Mix the masa

• Add the masa and the liquids alternately: 1 cup of masa with 1 cup of broth, then 1 cup of masa with 1 cup of warm water, until you use 6 cups of masa and about 7 cups of liquid in total.
• Make sure all the liquids are warm.
• Increase the speed to medium and mix for 15 minutes.

Test and rest the masa

• Drop a small piece of masa into a cup of water: if it floats, it is well hydrated.
• If it doesn't float, add a little more water, keep mixing and test again.
• Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Assemble the tamales

• Pat the soaked corn husks dry with a paper towel.
• Spread a thin layer of masa on the soft side of each husk.
• Add some of the chicken filling and fold the husk closed.
• Repeat until you run out of masa or filling (about 30 tamales).

Steam the tamales

• Add boiling water to the pot, just below the steamer.
• Add a layer of husks, then stand the tamales upright in the steamer.
• Top with another layer of husks and a wet rag, cover and cook over medium heat for about 2 hours.
• Let them sit for a couple of minutes before serving; they are done when they slide right off the husk.