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Homemade Corn Tortillas
PAIR WITH
Pork and Hominy Stew with Roasted Anaheim Chiles
(PAGE 113)
Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup
(PAGE 100)
Soft, warm, and full of corn flavor, homemade tortillas are worth the small amount of effort they require. Though you can easily roll the dough out between sheets of plastic wrap, investing in a tortilla press makes the job a breeze. Look for metal tortilla presses at Latin American grocery stores and kitchenware shops. Serve these tortillas alongside soups with zesty, spicy flavors, such as a
posole
(see page 113)
.
MAKES
12
TORTILLAS
SERVES
4 TO 6
ACTIVE TIME
20
MINUTES
TOTAL TIME
20
MINUTES
1
1
/
2
cups [180 g] masa harina (look for “para hacer tortillas”—“for making tortillas”—on the label)
1
/
4
tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp safflower oil or melted coconut oil
1.
In a large bowl, combine the masa harina and salt.
Add the safflower oil and mix with a fork until crumbly looking.
Gradually add 1 cup [240 ml] warm water and stir until smooth.
Knead and squish with your fingers in the bowl until smooth, about 1 minute.
2.
Heat a large cast-iron frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, pinch off a golf ball–size piece of dough and roll it into a smooth ball.
Place the ball between pieces of plastic wrap and put it in a tortilla press.
Press down firmly, open the press; turn the tortilla, in the plastic wrap, a quarter turn and press again.
Repeat with one more quarter turn to press the tortilla evenly into a 5
1
/
2
- to 6-in [14- to 15-cm] round.
3.
Open the press, and quickly peel off the top piece of plastic.
Pull the bottom piece of plastic wrap, with the tortilla on it, onto your palm, plastic-side down.
(If the first tortilla is fighting you and seems sticky and difficult to release from the plastic, knead a bit of masa harina into the big ball of dough and try again.)
4.
Quickly flip the tortilla into the pan, releasing it from the plastic, and cook until it releases from the pan easily and has browned spots, about 1
1
/
2
minutes.
Flip the tortilla with a spatula and cook, pressing with the spatula from time to time, until the tortilla is browned, 1 minute.
(Adjust the heat as necessary so that the tortillas cook completely without burning around the edges.) You should be able to cook a few tortillas at a time.
Wrap the cooked tortillas in a clean kitchen towel or in aluminum foil to keep them warm as you repeat the process with the remaining dough.
5.
Serve the warm tortillas immediately.
GET AHEAD:
I often make a double batch and bank some of these for later. Let the tortillas cool completely, wrap in foil, and then stuff into a zip-top plastic freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, wrap the frozen tortillas in a double layer of damp paper towels and microwave them on high until hot, about 1 minute. Serve immediately; they will become tough when they completely cool.
Another option for leftover tortillas is to sandwich a sprinkle of grated cheese between two defrosted tortillas and toast them in a buttered skillet over medium heat until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp around the edges, about 2 minutes per side.