Soak 8 corn husks in a bowl of very warm water.

To make the filling
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon fat/lard or tallow and allow to melt. Add the beef and brown on all sides. Place beef and remaining ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for about 4 hours or until the beef is tender and shreds easily. Add red chile and let simmer for another hour. When beef is done, remove from pot and save the liquid. Allow the beef to cool slightly before shredding with a fork. Add the beef to a bowl and pour just enough of the saved liquid (about 1/2 cup) to make the beef moist but not soggy.

To make the dough
Add all of the dough ingredients to a medium-sized mixing bowl and combine with a fork, making sure to break apart any clumps. Set the dough aside for about 10 minutes.

To assemble the tamales
Place about 1/2 cup of dough in the center of a corn husk and spread around to form a square about 1/2 inch thick. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the dough and gently fold the top and bottoms of the dough around the filling. Fold the sides of the corn husk inward toward the center and then fold the top and bottom inward to form a rectangular shape. Fill a large pot with a few inches of water and place over medium-high heat. Add a steamer basket to the pot (pour out some of the water if the water level is higher than the steamer basket bottom). Add the tamales to the steamer basket. Once the water starts to steam, cover the pot and turn the heat to low. Steam the tamales for 1 hour. Take the tamales out of the pot and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Unwrap the tamales and serve with red chile.