Anyone have any good recipies for making traditional corn tortillas from scratch? Not necessarily grinding the corn by hand and all that, but how to mix corn flour and fry it up in a castiron skillet.

Thanks!

-- Julie Snyder (herbmama@highstream.net), December 18, 2001

Answers

I use masa harina, which is finely ground slaked corn. Most stores sell it; you can also make your own. The bag contains instructions which boils down to mixing a very little water with the masa harina, then pressing it flat between a skillet bottom and a table (with the dough inside two sheets waxed paper). My brother lived in El Paso and got me a comal (tortilla press) which uses a lever and provides a little bit of mechanical advantage. Fry it in a hot, ungreased skillet (cast iron works well here), and store freshly made tortillas on a plate covered by a second, inverted plate until serving (as soon as possible). It's best to have all your other ingredients ready, your cheese shredded, etc., so the tortillas are fresh, hot, and not damp from sitting around.

Here is a link which starts with shelled corn and gives the instructions all the way to a cooked product: Tortillas as needed (how to make masa)

Mark, who now has the hankerin' for a good, homemade tostada.

-- Mark in West Central Ohio (mark@marksykes.net), December 18, 2001.

First of all, for real tortilla taste, you need masa harina, which is a fine corn flour from corn that's been treated with lime. You can get it at many grocery stores and Mexican food stores. The intructions are usually on the side of the bag, but it's reall simple. You simply mix the flour with water and maybe a little salt until it makes a firm, fairly dry, but shapable ball. The package will give amounts specific to that brand of masa, but once you've made them, it's easy to "remember" the correct texture. Then you cover the dough with a damp towel while you tear off little chunks of it and either roll them out (between wax paper sheets, otherwise they stick) or on a tortilla press. Cook on a HOT DRY skillet - First side, about 10 seconds or so. Flip. Second side 20 to 30 seconds. Flip. First side about 10 to 20 seconds more, until they "puff" a little. They should have little dark splotches here and there, but no burnt. Keep an eye on them. The difference between done and ick is about 3 seconds!

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), December 18, 2001.

thanks, i appreciate the info. i have masa harina in the cupboard....

-- js (schlicker54@aol.com), December 18, 2001.

. . . and if you get Countryside magazine, there is a recipe on page 87 for FLOUR tortillas. Also, you might have a little more trouble heating them in a skillet because of the sides; a small cast iron griddle works for my wife. My wife often mixes standard and wheat flour for a different tasting tortilla. I don't care; I like 'em all. Good luck.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), December 19, 2001.