TORTILLA FACTORY

If a mexican restaurant makes their own tortillas, it does something to people that makes them crazy. You can hear it in their voices..."They make their own tortillas at that place!!" But, if fresh tortillas are so good, why do so few people make them at home?

I first learned how to make tortillas in college, from my mexican roommate. We used maseca, lard, baking soda, and a whole slew of other ingredients. It was a bit of a pain, and you had to know what you were doing to get them to come out right... no wonder noone makes them!

Fortunately, I found a better way. It is a bit of a shortcut, which I am usually against, but these actually come out better than the more difficult version, so I am all for it. The key is instant corn masa, which they sell in the ethnic aisle at most markets:

It's pretty simple, and you can just follow the directions on the bag, but I don't follow the recipe exactly.

First things first, though... if you want this to be easy enough to do regularly, you're going to need a tortilla press. You should be able to buy one at most large mexican markets. The main thing to look for is to make sure that the press is flat and closes evenly. There is nothing worse than a tortilla press that makes your tortillas skinny on one side and fat on the other. Look for strong hinges and overall sturdiness.

Before you mix your masa, cut out a piece of plastic (I like using a trash bag because it is a little thicker, but you can use produce bags, grocery bags, whatever...) to fit the press plates. This helps you get the tortillas out in one piece.

You'll also want to preheat the pan that you're going to cook the tortillas on. It should be dry, and at a medium high heat. I like to use a big, flat, non-stick skillet

Now, you can mix the masa. For two people, I usually use 1 cup of instant masa and throw in a large pinch of salt... it's not real critical. Here's where I deviate from the recipe on the bag. I use fairly warm water, and I usually use more than the recipe calls for. For some reason, the water amount never comes out the same, so this is just something you have to get a feel for. Basically, I make the tortillas as wet as I can while still being able to peel the tortillas out of the press.

Roll your masa into little balls, about the size of a ping pong ball (I get about 6 balls per 1 cup of dry maseca). Place a ball in the center of the press and press it. You can press real hard for thinner tortillas, but I like mine a little bit thicker, so I don't give it my all.

Peel the top layer of plastic back, flip the tortilla (still stuck to the plastic) face down in your right palm, and peel the plastic off its back with your left hand (if you're right handed). If you mess up, don't panic, just re-ball it and do it again. If the masa is too wet, it will dry out after a few tries and be just right. It is also a good idea to cover the waiting masa balls with a wet towel to keep them from drying out while you cook the others.

Flip your pressed tortilla onto the hot pan, and let it sit for about 45 seconds or so. It will stick to the pan at first, but as it cooks, it should be easy to slide around in the pan. Test with your fingertips, but don't force it. A few seconds after it slides easily, flip it over and let it sit on the other side for about 30 seconds to a minute.  Flip it back to the orginal side, and let it sit a bit longer. (The idea here is to form a skin on each side of the tortilla to trap steam trying to escape from the raw middle, so that the tortilla blows up like a balloon) At this point, if you have your heat and moisture right, the tortilla should start to bubble. Keep the tortilla moving with your fingertips... spin it, slide it around, etc.

You also want to press down around the edges to help seal them and trap the steam that is trying to escape. Also gently push and pat the bubbles that form to coax them into spreading and separating the tortilla.

If everything is perfect, you should get a beautiful tortilla balloon. Flip it a couple times until it is browned how you llike it, and place the hot tortilla in a folded towel. keep repeating until you run out of masa.

If the tortillas crack, don't bubble, or are stiff, you need more water and/or your heat is wrong. Just keep adjusting, and you'll get it. Also, the tortillas all steam each other in the towel, so even the dry ones usually come out just fine.

Now, you can eat this plain with butter, with your favorite taco fixuns, or deep fried for the ultimate tortilla chip... Give it a try, and I guarantee store bought tortillas will never be quite as good.....