Let's talk tortillas

[Doc Hudson]

Dr. Douglas's post about the trio of Mexian cookware got me to thinking about home made tortillas again. Ya see, I love the things! With me, they rank right up there with biscuits as favorite sopping bread.

My problem is consistency. Seems like mine either turn out too thick and chewy, or paper thin and crumbly. Consistent shape is another problem.

I've managed to break TWO tortilla presses over the years, and usually end up rolling them out with a rolling pin.

Does anyone have a flour tortilla recipe they'd like to share and some tips on making of the same?

[Rob Wright]

Doc, I'll try and get you the recipe from my friends on the reservtion, they are good.

Rob

[Dreadbelly]

First off, flour tortillas usually need lard for moisture. This has been my experience. Not vegetable based shortning, but lard. Whole wheat flour produces much better results than bleached white flour. Not sure why, can't explain it, but it has something to do with the texture.

You get better results with masa. About 2 cups of masa, a couple of pinches of sea salt, and some hot, but not boiling water. About 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups, depending on altitude, but 1 cup to start and keep adding a tea spoon at a time. Dough should not be sticky. If it's to wet, it will feel sticky. Should feel dry to the touch with out being crumbly. Knead for about 10 minutes, moistening hands ever so often. This is important. This is the difference between crackers and tortillas. The more you knead, the more pliable your tortillas will be. Roll or press flat. Toss it on a comal at about medium high heat, cook for 30 seconds, flip, cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook for another 30 seconds. If you did it right and have the magical amount of water, it should puff up like a balloon in those last 30 seconds or so. Leave some soft, fry up the rest in to chips or tostadas.

Quaker makes Masa Harina. Avoid at all costs. That is some pasty, mealy, nasty stuff. Maseca is a much better brand.

[arrogcow]

Flour Tortillas:
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons fat (I agree lard works best - I keep a can of bacon drippings handy)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cups water (appx)

Sift flour and salt, and the fat and work into flour. Slowly stir in cold water (again a little at a time) and form into a ball. Keep adding water until the bowl is cleaned of dough. Knead well in bowl or on a floured board (the dough should not be sticky if it is add a little flour). Form into balls about the size of an egg. Rub a little lard on each ball (I actually usually use olive oil at this point) and then set aside for about 10 min. Pat thin or roll out (presses are silly - I actyally use a glass since that seems to work better than a rolling pin) until they are the size of a dinner plate or larger (be careful not to create holes). Cook in an ungreased skillet or pan, turning when they are just starting to brown on both sides. Unlike Dread's masa ones (gorditas) the will only puff if they are too thick.

Mine are usually irregular, but when I really want round, I use the lid of an old aluminum pot (never cook with aluminum - use cast iron) as a cookie cutter.

Adam

[Dreadbelly]

Flour Tortillas:
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons fat (I agree lard works best - I keep a can of bacon drippings handy)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cups water (appx)

Sift flour and salt, and the fat and work into flour. Slowly stir in cold water (again a little at a time) and form into a ball. Keep adding water until the bowl is cleaned of dough. Knead well in bowl or on a floured board (the dough should not be sticky if it is add a little flour). Form into balls about the size of an egg. Rub a little lard on each ball (I actually usually use olive oil at this point) and then set aside for about 10 min. Pat thin or roll out (presses are silly - I actyally use a glass since that seems to work better than a rolling pin) until they are the size of a dinner plate or larger (be careful not to create holes). Cook in an ungreased skillet or pan, turning when they are just starting to brown on both sides. Unlike Dread's masa ones (gorditas) the will only puff if they are too thick.

Mine are usually irregular, but when I really want round, I use the lid of an old aluminum pot (never cook with aluminum - use cast iron) as a cookie cutter.

Adam

My memory is slighty fuzzy, not nearly enough coffee yet today, but a gordita is a fat chubby prostitute. And I doubt she would like to be squeezed in a tortilla press, even if she was really very kinky and all that :razz:

Masa corn tortillas are thin and flakey. See them @ http://www.mexgrocer.com/mexcocina-oct1.html

[jfellrath]

My memory is slighty fuzzy, not nearly enough coffee yet today, but a gordita is a fat chubby prostitute. And I doubt she would like to be squeezed in a tortilla press, even if she was really very kinky and all that :razz:

At least it's not a Chilito. Oh, to see the look on the faces of the marketing gurus at Taco Bell when that one came out...

[Dreadbelly]

At least it's not a Chilito. Oh, to see the look on the faces of the marketing gurus at Taco Bell when that one came out...

Yeah, that was bad. In school, the girls would go to the counter and say that their chilito had just squirted a load of sour cream on their face when they bit it.

That Taco Bell stopped selling them when they figured out from the local Latino population what a Chilito was.

[Tartanraven]

First off, flour tortillas usually need lard for moisture. This has been my experience. Not vegetable based shortning, but lard. Whole wheat flour produces much better results than bleached white flour. Not sure why, can't explain it, but it has something to do with the texture.

You get better results with masa. About 2 cups of masa, a couple of pinches of sea salt, and some hot, but not boiling water. About 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups, depending on altitude, but 1 cup to start and keep adding a tea spoon at a time. Dough should not be sticky. If it's to wet, it will feel sticky. Should feel dry to the touch with out being crumbly. Knead for about 10 minutes, moistening hands ever so often. This is important. This is the difference between crackers and tortillas. The more you knead, the more pliable your tortillas will be. Roll or press flat. Toss it on a comal at about medium high heat, cook for 30 seconds, flip, cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook for another 30 seconds. If you did it right and have the magical amount of water, it should puff up like a balloon in those last 30 seconds or so. Leave some soft, fry up the rest in to chips or tostadas.

Quaker makes Masa Harina. Avoid at all costs. That is some pasty, mealy, nasty stuff. Maseca is a much better brand.

Why use masa for flour tortillas? And if you DO want corn tortillas, do not use dry masa, the result is rubbish. Find a mexican grocer and get already ground masa that has been mixed with lime water. Better consistency overall.
Also with flour tortillas, you don't need lard, Crisco works fine. The consistency you want is the same as scratch made pasta dough. Press out your rounds between sheets of butcher paper, and grill in a DRY cast iron pan at medium heat until you get pleasant brown bits.

This is trustworthy...I was a Chef for 10 years, and former Head Chef of Flying V Bar And Grill at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Tucson AZ

[Rex_Tremende]

Also with flour tortillas, you don't need lard, Crisco works fine.

Ooh, thanks for prompting me to recover this NY Times 2005 OpEd piece on the properties of lard vs. shortening. I've been looking for it for a while, and today my search was successful.

This is trustworthy...I was a Chef for 10 years, and former Head Chef of Flying V Bar And Grill at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Tucson AZ

And thanks for resurrecting this thread on tortillas - I have saved the recipe - but why did you happen to find it?

Regards,
Rex.

[Rob Wright]

I get all mine from the little old lady who isn't a day under 120. Blows my own homemade out of the water.

Rob