Cook chicken. Combine chicken, onion, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, the 2 tablespoons of salt and black peppercorns in a large stock pot. Cover with water by 3 inches. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until chicken is fall-apart tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Toast chiles and garlic. Meanwhile, heat a comal over medium heat. Char chiles and garlic on a comal, turning until they are darkened, but not black, about 5 minutes for the chiles and 15 minutes for the garlic. Place garlic in a bowl to cool.

Soften the chiles. As chiles are ready, place them in the pot with the chicken and let simmer. Peel garlic and place in the a blender.

Strain stock. Once chicken is cooked, remove with tongs to a baking sheet and let cool. Strain broth into a heat proof container large enough to hold all the liquid. Set the chicken stock aside for making the masa and salsa and reserve the vegetable to make the salsa.

Finish salsa. Place chiles, cinnamon sticks, tomatoes, and onions in the blender along with the oregano, cilantro, the 2 teaspoons of salt, and 2 cups of the reserved chicken stock. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the salsa for serving.

Combine filling. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it removing any skin and bones. Place shredded chicken in a bowl. Add remaining salsa and stir to combine.

For the Tamales

Prepare the banana leaves. With scissors cut off the main rib that runs down each banana leaf. Cut the banana leaves into 12-inch squares. Save any scraps for lining the tamalera (steamer pot). Rinse each square and dry. Run banana leaves over an open flame about 4 inches from the flame until they turn a brighter green.

Start the masa. Add the masa to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved chicken stock. Beat over low speed until the masa starts to come together and is not crumbly. With the mixer running, keep adding the remaining chicken stock in a thin stream until the masa reaches the consistency of hummus. This can take anywhere from 3-5 minutes. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the fat. Return the mixer to medium speed and start adding the fat, a little bit at a time. Keep beating for another 3 minutes or until the masa is the consistency of cake batter and is bright and shiny.

Finish the masa. Beat in the salt and baking powder. Beat 1 minute more.

Start assembling. Line up the banana leaves on a work surface with the matte side of the leaves facing up. Spoon about 1/4 cup of masa in the middle of each leaf. Make a wide indentation in the center of the masa with the back of the spoon.

Fill. Add about 3 tablespoons of chicken filling to each indentation.

Fold. Fold the top third of the banana leaf over the filling. Fold the bottom third over the top. Keep the masa tightly in the middle, holding the non-folded sides down with both hands.

Seal. Flip it over so the seam side is down. Being careful to keep the masa in the middle, fold the two leftover sides into the middle then flip over again so it stays closed and repeat with the remaining tamales.

Prep tamalera. Fill tamalera with water up until it reaches the steam insert. Place the insert in the pot and line the tamalera with the banana leaf scraps. Place tamales in the pot, seam side down in a circle. Place the second layer over the open spaces in a circle instead of directly on top of a tamal.

Steam. Cover the pot and place over high heat. Bring to a boil until it is giving off lots of steam and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Steam the tamales for 1-1 1/2 hours. Check the pot every once in a while to make sure there is still water. Add more boiling water if necessary.

Check for doneness. Check to see if the tamales are ready by removing one and unwrapping it. The masa shouldn't stick to the leaf.

Let rest. When they are ready, remove from the pot to a serving platter and cover with foil or a clean dish cloth. Let sit for 30 minutes to rest. If you try to eat them right away they will still be too doughy in the middle. Don't worry they will stay warm.

Serve. Serve with remaining salsa and enjoy!