I love Tacos. I don’t need to explain this, tacos are tacos. Then I realized that come Taco Tuesday, I get a bunch of fresh veg for the pico and I marinate some steak but I buy Tortillas.
Wait wha? Why? It’s corn and water, they don’t take long to make are way better than most of the store-bought ones. Yes, having a press makes it a lot easier but I don’t have one and neither do most of you. But you do have a rolling pin or a bottle of rum and this works just fine.
Keep in mind that this recipe is for Corn Tortillas, not flour though I will end up publishing a recipe for those as well. To make Corn Tortilla, you need to find to find stuff called Masa Harina which is ground corn and lime (the mineral, not the fruit) but relax, it’s harmless. Corn is soaked in an Alkaline solution for a while that makes it easier to grind and also improves nutrition and taste. People have been doing this for thousands of years
Mise
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Large frying pan
- Plastic Wrap
- Sheet tray
Ingredients
- 2 cups of Masa Harina
- About a cup and a half of water
- A pinch of salt
- Vegetable oil or better yet, bacon grease to fry in
Method of Preparation
- Mix the Masa Harina with the water for about 2-3 minutes until it forms a ball, don’t be afraid to get your hands in it.
- Once it’s a solid ball, cover it in plastic and let it sit for an hour or so
- Lay out some plastic wrap and take a small chunk of the dough and roll it into a ball and then flatten it out on the palm of your hand.
- Place it on the plastic wrap and then cover with another layer of wrap.
- Roll it gently and don’t worry about making them perfectly round, trust me, you won’t.
- Heat up your pan to Med-High and add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom.
- If it’s smoking, it’s too hot, if it doesn’t sizzle, it’s not hot enough
- Place the Tortilla in the pan and let it cook for about a minute or two on each side while you’re rolling out the rest.
- When they’re done, place em on a tray and keep them covered with a cloth so they stay warm.
Notes
- Moisture is key with this and thus you really have to feel the dough. If it’s too dry, it’s a pain in the ass, if it’s too wet, it’s a pain in the ass. You’ll have to make this two or three times (like everything) in order to get it right.
- Getting a press is worth the $20 after you’ve made these and tasted just one. They’re a bit more “Rustic” but they have flavor and are well worth the time to make it.
- While I like mine straight up, traditional, you can always add some cumin or cayenne pepper to spice them up a bit.
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