CORN TORTILLAS 12 TORTILLAS Corn tortillas are the workhorses of Tex-Mex cooking. Without them you wouldn’t have enchiladas, chalupas, tacos, or tortilla chips. Of course, finding fresh corn tortillas in Texas is not a problem, but I’ve found that in many places outside Texas the corn tortillas on offer have the texture and flavor ofpaper. I make my corn tortillas at home with masa harina and a tortilla press that’s been in my family since I was a little girl. Once you get the hang of it, making corn tortillas takes little time. And heck, anyone who has had a fresh corn tortilla hot off the skillet will agree—there’s no comparison to the machine-pressed ones you buy at the store. They’re so different in texture and taste, you almost onder how the two are related. 2 cups masa harina 1¼ cups war m waterPinch of salt 1. Mix the masa harina, warm water, and salt until a dough is formed. Knead the dough for a minute until smooth. Divide into 12 equal-size balls and cover with a damp cloth. 2. On medium-high, heat a dry skillet, preferably cast-iron, until very hot, which you can test by flicking a bit of water into the pan. If it dances and sizzles, it’s ready. 3. Cut two pieces of parchment paper that cover the width of a tortilla press. Place a piece of the cut parchm ent paper on th e press, put a ball of dou gh on it , and t h en lay th e oth er piec e of parch m ent paper on top. P ress out t h e tortilla. Take t he t ortilla, w hich is now wra pped in parchm ent paper, offthe press, gently peel off the two pieces of paper, and place the tortilla into the hot skillet. 4. Cook for 30 seconds on one side, flip it, and then cook for 1 minute on the other side. It should start to puff a bit. Flip it again and cook for 30 more seconds. Place cooked tortillas in a basket lined with cloth or in a tortilla warmer. Repeat process for remaining balls of dough. Can be stored in the refrigerator for a week. They can also be frozen for 6 months. OTE: If you don’t have a tortilla press, you can pat the balls into flat discs or roll them out with a pin. You can also place the balls (with the parchment paper) between two very heavy books and press them out that way. VARIATION
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u can always tell where you are in Texas by the type of flour tortilla. While it may be a bit
mplistic to divide the state into two flour-tortilla camps, in my experience that’s what I’ve seen
is recipe is for the Houston-style tortilla, which is soft and pliant. These tortillas are a bit swe
d flaky, which makes them excellent for eating warm off the comal (a Mexican cast-iron griddladornment necessary.
A simple combination of lard, water, and flour is what gives these tortillas their signature
ture and taste. You can definitely substitute shortening if you like, but they won’t taste as good
The key to flour tortillas is patience. The glutens in the dough will need time to relax, so do
p the dough-resting step.
These tortillas pair well with Carnitas, Tacos al Carbon, Small-Apartment Style, and other
asted or grilled meats. They’re wonderful rolled and dipped into a bowl of Houston-Style Gre
lsa, as well.
cup lard or shortening
up water
ups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
easpoon kosher salt
Place the lard or shortening and water into a pot on medium heat and cook until it has melted.
In a bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Pour in the melted lard or shortening and water and stil a loose ball is formed. Place dough on a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes until dough
pple and smooth. Cover the dough and let it rest for 1 hour.
After an hour, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Cover again and let it rest for 30 minutes. After
ugh has rested, place each dough ball one at a time on a floured surface, pat it out into a 4-inch
cle, and then roll with a palote or a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin, about 8 inches in
meter. Don’t overwork the dough, or it will be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until re
cook.
In a dry cast-iron skillet heated on high, cook each tortilla for 30 seconds on one side, flip it, a
n cook for 1 minute on the other side. It should start to puff a bit. Flip it again and cook for 30
conds. Place cooked tortillas in a basket lined with cloth or a tortilla warmer. Repeat process