In the movie

Theatrical

00:03:46 The Rivera family's Día de Muertos dinner — Abuelita asks Miguel if he'd like more tamales, hears "no, gracias," and piles them on anyway

00:10:09 Building the ofrenda, Mamá Elena tells Miguel: "We prepare all this food, formed from the things that they loved in life" — tamales among the dishes set out for the ancestors

The tamale-pushing runs as a running gag through Miguel's family dinner — Abuelita asks if he wants more, hears him decline, and serves him more anyway, because in this house "no, gracias" isn't really an option. It's a small joke about how tightly this family holds on to its rituals, tamales included, which makes it land again once the film reaches the ofrenda: the same tamales that got forced on Miguel at dinner are set out for the family's dead the very next scene, the two moments rhyming on purpose.

Ingredients

For the masa:

4 cups masa harina

1 1/3 cups lard or vegetable shortening

2 1/2 cups warm chicken broth

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

For the filling:

2 pounds pork shoulder, cooked and shredded

2 cups red chile sauce (guajillo and ancho, blended with garlic and cumin)

To assemble:

30 dried corn husks, soaked in warm water until pliable

Method

Soak the corn husks in warm water for at least an hour, until soft and pliable, then pat dry.
Beat the lard until light and fluffy, then beat in the masa harina, baking powder, and salt alternately with the warm broth until the dough is spreadable and a small ball floats in a cup of water.
Simmer the shredded pork in the red chile sauce until it's well coated and slightly thickened.
Spread a thin, even layer of masa onto the smooth side of each husk, leaving a border. Spoon a line of the pork filling down the center.
Fold the long sides of the husk over the filling, then fold up the tapered end, leaving the wide end open.
Stand the tamales upright, open end up, in a steamer basket over simmering water. Steam for about an hour, until the masa pulls cleanly away from the husk.
Let rest 10 minutes before unwrapping — serve a stack of them, and expect someone to ask if you'd like more.

Beyond the recipe

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Abuelita's Tamales