Masa para TamalesThis basic dough is easy to work with and is used for most of the tamale recipes on this site. Vegetable shortening and butter are used instead of lard, which is more common in Mexico. If you prefer lard for more authentic flavor, substitute H cup Basic Fresh Lard in place of both fats in this recipe.To make preparing tamales easier, make the dough and filling a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Also, if you live near a tortilla factory, ready-to-use fresh masa for tamales can be purchased instead of making this dough.