Homemade Corn Tortillas
Corn tortillas can be made with nothing but masa harina and water, but a couple of tablespoons of fat — lard, butter or oil, whatever is on hand — makes them noticeably more tender and flavorful. A tortilla press and a hot cast-iron skillet are the only equipment you need, and once you find the rhythm you can press the next tortilla while the last one cooks. These are the tortillas for every taco in the class.
- Serves
- 12 (5- to 6-inch) tortillas
- Yield
- 12 tortillas
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Cuisine
- Mexican
- Level
- Easy
Directions
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Put the masa and salt in a bowl and work in the fat thoroughly with your fingers or a whisk. Stream in the hot water while mixing with your hands or a wooden spoon until the dough gathers into a ball. Turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Divide into 12 one-ounce portions, roll each into a smooth ball, set them on a baking sheet, cover with plastic and rest 30 minutes.
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After the rest, heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to medium.
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If the dough has dried a little while resting, wet your hands and roll each ball again. Set a ball between two sheets of plastic wrap in the center of the tortilla press. Press firmly, turn the tortilla 90 degrees and press again, one or two more times, until it is an even ⅛ inch thick.
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If a raw tortilla cracks or tears, just re-roll the dough and press it again. Hold the tortilla flat in your palm, peel away the plastic and lay it in the hot skillet. Cook until brown spots appear underneath, about 1 minute; flip with a thin metal spatula and cook the other side the same way. Move to a baking sheet and cover with a damp towel to hold in the heat and moisture. Reuse the same plastic for the next tortilla — it gets more pliable with each pressing — and, once you have the hang of it, press the next one while the first cooks.
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To serve later, reheat the tortillas wrapped in foil in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. They keep, tightly wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
From Shawnie's taco class handouts
