Step 1
Place pork butt onion 5 cloves garlic and 1 tablespoon salt in a large pot; cover with water. Simmer mixture over medium heat until pork is very tender about 3 hours. Discard onion and garlic. Strain and shred meat reserving liquid.
Step 2
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir California chile pods and New Mexico chile pods in the hot skillet until toasted and fragrant 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse chile pods. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add chile pods; boil until chile pods are slightly softened about 3 minutes. Drain and cool chile pods.
Step 3
Blend 1 cup pork broth 1 cup water chile pods 1 tablespoon salt 3 cloves garlic and cumin together in a blender until smooth. Stir pork meat and chile sauce together in a bowl.
Step 4
Melt 1/2 cup lard in a large pot over medium heat. Stir flour into melted lard until browned and fragrant about 5 minutes. Stir pork-chile sauce mixture into flour mixture adding more salt if needed.
Step 5
Remove silk and debris from corn husks and soak in boiling water 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and place on a work surface; cover with a clean damp towel.
Step 6
Mix masa 1 pound lard 1 cup reserved pork broth baking powder and salt in a large pan until mixture is fluffy and holds together.
Step 7
Select 1 wide corn husk or 2 small ones. Spread about 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto corn husk spreading to the sides and about 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons pork mixture down the center of masa mixture. Fold sides of husk together 1 over the other. Fold the bottom of husk over seam of 2 folded sides. Repeat with remaining husks and filling.
Step 8
Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales and cook until filling is heated through and set 1 to 2 hours. Let tamales rest for 30 minutes before serving.