Homemade corn tortillas

[Yooper]

My friend showed me how quick, easy, and good homemade tortillas are, and even gave me a tortilla press last year for my birthday.

These are great, as masa is cheap and with being wheat-free I do enjoy soft corn tortillas. In Texas, we tend to have tacos everyday for lunch- sort of like other people have sandwiches.

I'm going to be making some here in a few minutes, and I'll try to post some photos of how to do it.

 

[hunter_le five]

Homemade tortillas are the best tortillas. Looking forward to the pics.

 

[pointcity-homebrew]

I have been making my own flour tortillas for years. The flour is cheap and you cannot beat a fresh tortilla.

I was confused at first when you said South Texas.

 

[mkyl428]

Mmmm I love fresh tortillas

 

[Black Island Brewer]

I'm looking forward to seeing your pics too, Yooper. We press our masa on an aluminum press, but use a gallon sized ziplock bag, split open on the sides, and sandwich the dough between the plastic sheets to make peeling the tortilla off easier. Interested to see if there is an easier way!

 

[Roadie]

Yum. I've never made them but I do like eating fresh tortillas. I'm more of a flour tortilla person than corn though.

 

[Yooper]

Not great picture quality- but you get the idea!

Gather your supplies:



First, the masa. It's labeled "instant masa". There are several kinds- white corn, yellow corn, etc, but I buy the "nixta" masa- it undergoes nixtamalization via a lye process and it makes it more digestible and nutritious for those who are concerned.


The directions are right on the package:


It's finely ground, almost powdery


Mix with water, just until mixed. You don't want it too wet, or too dry. You can always add a bit more water, to get a dough that is 'play-dough' in quality. Knead for two minutes, to get a smooth dough that is not sticky, nor dry.


Form into balls. I'm only making four tortillas for lunch.


Keep the dough covered, to keep it moist and don't let it dry out.

 

[Yooper]

Like Black Island Brewer said, you need some food-safe plastic on the press. A ziploc bag works great, especially until you get the hang of doing it. Once you get the hang of how wet the dough has to be, thinner plastic is ideal. But you need something to line the press on both sides for sure! Mine is a cheap aluminum coated press, but it's still really heavy! I'd love to find an antique cast iron one someday.

Anyway, line the bottom of the press with one of your sheets of plastic.


Put one of your dough balls in the center of the press and smoosh it just a little. Cover with the top piece of plastic.


Press evenly.


You may have to open it and turn the tortilla to get it thin enough and uniformly so, as I do with this press.

 

[Yooper]

Heat your comal, or other non-stick skillet over medium/high heat until it's hot. Oh, and maybe disable your smoke detector, if you're making more than a couple- they do tend to smoke by the fifth one.



Gently peel the plastic off of one side, then the other, of your tortilla. They are a little fragile, so peel from the side and it should come right off.


Drop on the dry hot skillet or comal:


Cook about one minute, and then flip:


Remove to a tortilla keeper, or a warm towel under and over the stack:


Keep warm while you do the rest!

 

[bobbrews]

Yay for Authentic Mexican cuisine! Yooper is aware!

The real fun begins when you grind your own field corn (they are more starchy than we are used to and have huge kernels) to make your own nixtamal, and your own masa. Use that to make your own Tamales.

I'm just kidding. ^That's not fun. It's laborous as hell But more people should be eating Tamales, dammit.

 

[Yooper]

Bob likes his fried in a little coconut oil. Not enough to be hard, but so that the strong 'corn flavor' comes out and there is a little crunch. If you want a hard shell taco, this is the point where you'd shape and deep fry, but we don't do that.


Today we had fish tacos, so we have out our fixings- fried black drum, dill tarter sauce, hot pico de gallo, guacamole, queso fresco, and some kale.


Assembly:


Finished:


That's about it. It takes just a few minutes, once you have the feel for it and it's sooooo good!

Flour tortillas are a bit different- use a rolling pin instead of a press, and of course you'll use some flour- but still easier than you'd think!

 

[bobbrews]

*Clap Clap*

^ You forgot the Tequila and Cerveza chaser

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Thanks for the write up and photos. I used to use a cast-iron pan that worked great as a comal, but it took too long to make a big batch. Now I use and electric griddle, and can work them like an assembly line. Press one, put it on the griddle, press the next, add it, press the next, add it and flip the first, press the next, add it and flip the second, press the next, add it and remove the first, flip the second, etc etc etc.

You've motivated me to get my dough dry enough to use the thin plastic, or tape the plastic to my press and see if I can get it to peel up more easily.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Yay for Authentic Mexican cuisine! Yooper is aware!

The real fun begins when you grind your own field corn (they are more starchy than we are used to and have huge kernels) to make your own nixtamal, and your own masa. Use that to make your own Tamales.

I'm just kidding. ^That's not fun. It's laborous as hell But more people should be eating Tamales, dammit.

And with LARD, or don't even bother.

 

[ndinh]

That's really the only way I eat tacos at home. It tastes 10x better than store bought tortillas. I use a wooden press and wax paper. Since my press presses unevenly, I just press and then turn it 180deg and lightly press again. With practice, you can get them as thin as store bought ones. I figure, if the ladies at El Torito can do it, I can do it at home also.

 

[hunter_le five]

That's a nifty looking tortilla press. I've been doing it wrong.

I always made them with a rolling pin. What a pain in the @$$. Let's see what Amazon has to offer....

 

[bobbrews]

Mine is a cheap aluminum coated press, but it's still really heavy! I'd love to find an antique cast iron one someday.

That's a nifty looking tortilla press.

Most of them nowadays are in fact cast iron, and powder-coated (non-leaded paint dried at 180° Celcius) to prevent rusting.

They cost anywhere from $15-35 on average before you start wasting money.

Look for the ones that say Hecho en Mexico on them. You don't want one manufactured in the Philippines or some country that doesn't even make tortillas.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I love me some fresh tortillas. I grew up in places where this was normal. And the family Christmas party on new years eve is making tamales!

I busted out the cast iron waffle iron the other day. And old Griswold piece that has been in the family for decades. Time to get off my ass and go make tortillas too. Thanks for the motivation!

 

[Hello]

Man Yooper, this looks great. Now you're onto something...again!
What seems great to me is the fact that you can make as little or as many as you want. I always end up wasting corn tortillas because they come in packs of like 25 and I never get to all of them.

That's really the only way I eat tacos at home. It tastes 10x better than store bought tortillas. I use a wooden press and wax paper. Since my press presses unevenly, I just press and then turn it 180deg and lightly press again. With practice, you can get them as thin as store bought ones. I figure, if the ladies at El Torito can do it, I can do it at home also.

Oh how I miss El Torito Grill and their fresh tortillas and butter at the table. There was something so delicious about them. It was that and drinks for dinner many a times.

 

[Yooper]

Man Yooper, this looks great. Now you're onto something...again!
What seems great to me is the fact that you can make as little or as many as you want. I always end up wasting corn tortillas because they come in packs of like 25 and I never get to all of them.

Oh how I miss El Torito Grill and their fresh tortillas and butter at the table. There was something so delicious about them. It was that and drinks for dinner many a times.

J, I made four today.

It seriously took me about 15 minutes, even with taking pictures. My friend told me yesterday that 1/2 cup of masa is perfect for four, and she was right. The water is adjustable- it's really humid here today, about 85% or higher, so I used less than 1/3 cup of water- a lot less but I didn't measure. At home in the UP, where it's seriously under 20% humidity at this time of year, I use a lot more. But the recipe on the bag is a good starting point, as you can always add more masa or water to get the texture right!

We'll be here in S. Texas about two months, so I have to get the wonderful peppers while I'm here, as well as get my Mexican food groove on.

 

[NickTheGreat]

My mom got my wife one of those electric George Foreman tortilla maker lookin' things for Christmas last year. It does a good job and fresh tortillas are pretty good.

 

[Rockn_M]

Well, now I'm gonna have to make tortillas this weekend.

 

[vanishingpint]

Love to make flour tortillas. So easy and so much better than store bought . Guess I'll have to give masa a try.

 

[Hello]

J, I made four today.

It seriously took me about 15 minutes, even with taking pictures. My friend told me yesterday that 1/2 cup of masa is perfect for four, and she was right. The water is adjustable- it's really humid here today, about 85% or higher, so I used less than 1/3 cup of water- a lot less but I didn't measure. At home in the UP, where it's seriously under 20% humidity at this time of year, I use a lot more. But the recipe on the bag is a good starting point, as you can always add more masa or water to get the texture right!

We'll be here in S. Texas about two months, so I have to get the wonderful peppers while I'm here, as well as get my Mexican food groove on.

That is awesome. In S. Texas you will no doubt find great peppers.
I do love the idea of being able to make a couple at a time or 4 since I can hammer 4 tacos without issue. Maybe I shouldn't be proud of that.

Love to make flour tortillas. So easy and so much better than store bought . Guess I'll have to give masa a try.

Do you use lard? I cannot stand the idea of using lard. Someone said use Crisco instead, I don't know if that is any better.

 

[unionrdr]

I like to use crisco when making fry bread. The flavor is definitely better than oil. Lard would be better the natives say. But crisco gives a good flavor to me. I love fry bread tacos fresh made.

 

[ong]

Another great thing to do with masa is make tamales. I did about a hundred for a party last summer, wrapped in corn husks and steamed up outside in my brew kettle, on top of a few dozen ears of corn and some new potatoes.

 

[vanishingpint]

I have used lard and have used crisco ,truthfully both are good . Lard is traditional but some people prefer Crisco as it's possibly healthier . Either way is much better than store bought

 

[bobbrews]

Lard is traditional but some people prefer Crisco as it's possibly healthier.

Crisco contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are arguably worse for you than any pure animal fat out there.

http://eliteathletic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/CookingOilChart1.jpg

 

[MrNatural]

Crisco contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are arguably worse for you than any pure animal fat out there.

http://eliteathletic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/CookingOilChart1.jpg

+1 for animal fat. Lard rules. Ever eat vegetarian refried beans?
Just like butter vs margarine or bacon vs granola bar.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Crisco contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are arguably worse for you than any pure animal fat out there.

http://eliteathletic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/CookingOilChart1.jpg

+1 for animal fat. Lard rules. Ever eat vegetarian refried beans?
Just like butter vs margarine or bacon vs granola bar.

I also avoid hydrogenated oils all together. The artificially created transfats
appear to be be handled differently than the transfats in animal fats, especially grass fed animals.

 

[BigFloppy]

I love my tortilla press, use it to smush sausage meat flat for the wrapping of home made scotch eggs

 

[Yooper]

I also avoid hydrogenated oils all together. The artificially created transfats
appear to be be handled differently than the transfats in animal fats, especially grass fed animals.

Me too- but the last time I bought lard (ages ago), it was marked 'hydrogenated for preservation' or something like that so I'm not sure lard is so healthy any more.

I am a weirdo, so I render my own tallow from grass fed beef (we buy a side a year) and from deer (for soap, not to eat), and would do it if I had a source for pork for lard.

I use tallow for cooking, and olive oil for salads and things.

You haven't had the world's best fried oysters until you've tasted mine- shucked, and then very lightly coated in corn flour and spices, and fried in tallow. Oh, and then usually served on a corn tortilla..............................

Maybe my next food 'how to' should be 'how to shuck and prepare fresh oysters'!

 

[bobbrews]

Yooper, there will always be hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated oils. Coconut oil is another example. It's all in the fine-print.

Good on you for rendering your own though!

 

[Yooper]

Yooper, there will always be hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated oils. Coconut oil is another example. It's all in the fine-print.

Good on you for rendering your own though!

No, they did something to it, either partially hydrogenated or fully hydrogenated, to make it more shelf stable and it changes the structure of the saturated fats to trans-fats. That's about the same as Crisco and other hardened liquid fats as far as health goes.

When we buy coconut oil (and we do) we buy virgin coconut oil that is pressed, and not chemically extracted or refined. It costs more, but it's worth it to us.

 

[bobbrews]

My point was that you mistakenly picked up the wrong type of lard.... someone could easily make the same mistake for many types of cooking oils other than lard. Coconut oil was another example that comes in both hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated forms. You have to be careful what you select.

Either the store you bought your lard at did not sell the non-hydrogenated variety, or you missed the fine print that stated it was hydrogenated. Real, pure lard has a limited shelf-life. It will be fresh is sold by a butcher or a specialty market (or made at home). Big supermarkets that sell it in the non-refrigerated isles (or even the refrigerated ones sometimes) will be hydrogenated more often than not.

 

[Hello]

So I tried to make flour tortillas, it was easy but my press I got from Amazon came damaged. I still used it real quick to see but the tortillas seemed mighty thick considering. I threw them into a cast iron pan and they cooked up pretty nicely, just too thick. Once I get another press I'll see if that somehow helps. As it stands though, I think a roll under a rolling pin may occur after the pressing.

They were yummy though. Fresh and easy. I also bought cornmeal to try Yooper's way.

 

[ChefRex]

Masa now on the shopping list

 

[Cyclman]

Now I have been talked into doing this. Ordered the equipment on Amazon prime- corn tortillas here I come.

Now gotta get going on mole- nothing like mole chicken tacos. Well, chicken Colorado tacos are not bad, either.

But it is all about the tortillas, just like it's all about the bread!

 

[Scotty_g]

None of that stuff is any good for you, so you may as well have the real thing - especially if you're only going to have a little bit. I don't have that many fried eggs, but you know for damn sure they're going in bacon grease. And margarine? Please...even if I *wasn't* from Wisconsin (where margarine was essentially illegal for a long time), I'd use butter.

Just like drinking beer - the doctor always wants you to drink less, so make 'em count!

+1 for animal fat. Lard rules. Ever eat vegetarian refried beans?
Just like butter vs margarine or bacon vs granola bar.

 

[vanishingpint]

++1