Chucks Homemade Corn Tortillas Recipes

CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together masa harina and hot water until thoroughly combined. Turn dough onto a clean surface and knead until pliable and smooth. If dough is too sticky, add more masa harina; if it begins to dry out, sprinkle with water. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
• Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium-high.
• Divide dough into 15 equal-size balls. Using a tortilla press, a rolling pin, or your hands, press each ball of dough flat between two sheets of plastic wrap.
• Immediately place tortilla in preheated pan and allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until browned and slightly puffy. Turn tortilla over to brown on second side for approximately 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate. Repeat process with each ball of dough. Keep tortillas covered with a towel to stay warm and moist until ready to serve.

CHEF JOHN'S CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Add masa harina to a large bowl. Sprinkle in salt and add hot tap water. Stir mixture with your fingers until dough starts to pull together.
• Knead for a few minutes to smooth it out until texture resembles modeling clay or putty. Add more water if dough is too dry and more flour if too wet.
• Place a damp towel and over the dough to keep it from drying out. Let rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Cut a zip-top bag into 2 rounds the same size as your tortilla press. Place 1 round on the bottom of the press.
• Place a clean kitchen towel over a pie dish for holding the cooked tortillas later.
• Pull off a little piece of the dough, enough to roll into a 1 1/2-inch or 1-ounce ball. Remove the top round of plastic, place dough ball in the center of the bottom round, and press down lightly. Cover dough with the top piece of plastic.
• Fold the tortilla press over, apply pressure to the lever arm until tortilla flattens to your desired thinness.
• Peel off the top piece of plastic. Line up the index finger of your dominant hand with the edge of the tortilla; flip it over into your other hand. Carefully peel off the plastic.
• Gently slide tortilla, palm-up, into a hot, dry pan over medium- to medium-high heat. Cook first side for 30 to 45 seconds. Turn over and cook second side for 1 minute. Flip and press once or twice with a spatula until tortilla puffs up slightly. Cook for 30 seconds more. Flip one last time and cook for 5 to 10 seconds.
• Quickly transfer tortilla to the pie dish and fold the towel over to wrap it up. Repeat pressing and cooking the rest of the tortilla dough, stacking and wrapping as you go.
• Leave the stack of tortillas wrapped until soft and supple, at least 15 minutes.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the lard. Stir in the water. Mix to incorporate. The dough should be slightly wet. Form the dough into a smooth ball, cover with a towel and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Place a little water on the hands and form the dough into golf ball-size balls. Take 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap from a plastic bag and cut them to the shape of the surface of the tortilla press. Open the tortilla press and lay one piece of waxed paper on the press. Place the masa ball in the center. Place another piece of waxed paper over the masa ball. Gently close the press and press down, until the dough has spread to 6-inches in diameter.
• Heat a cast-iron griddle or a large nonstick skillet on high heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, hold a tortilla in your hand, carefully removing the wax paper on each side. Allow the tortilla to rest half on your hand, and half hanging down, and gently lay the tortilla down on to the hot skillet. Start working on pressing the next tortilla. Cook the tortilla on the hot pan for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side. The tortilla should be lightly toasted and little air pockets forming.
• Heat 2-inches of canola oil in a heavy-bottomed medium skillet until it reaches 370 degrees F. Add the tortillas, 1 at a time and fry, turning once with tongs, until crispy, about 30 seconds. Remove to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and lightly season with salt.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLA CHIPS, EASY CHEAP MEXICAN SNACK FOOD

Steps:

• Cover a cookie sheet in foil, and with a pastry or BBQ brush, brush with olive or corn oil and a small sprinkling of kosher salt. (You have to do this or else it won't come out right.).
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees-- make sure the oven rack is in the center.
• Cut each tortilla into 4 equal wedge pieces.
• Brush the pieces with olive/corn oil and lightly sprinkle with the kosher salt.
• Bake for 6-10 minutes until the edges curl, depending on oven strength. Higher altitudes may need to cook for 15 minutes or longer.
• Let cool for 5-10 minutes prior to eating.
• Voila, you have natural yummy corn chips without unhealthy preservatives, hydrogenated oils, and whatnot. Serve with your favorite Mexican meal or snack food, a good salsa, or just eat plain. For some variation ideas: Soak in guacamole to make guac chips, brush tomatillo sauce or salsa on to have baked-on salsa, make spicy chips with my all-purpose Mexican seasoning, the possibilities are endless.

RICK'S CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• To make the dough: If using fresh masa, knead the dough with a little cold water until soft and easily malleable. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, and stop when dough becomes soft, but not sticky. Cover with plastic wrap. If using masa harina, mix it with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot water, then knead until smooth, adding more water or more masa harina to achieve a very soft (but not sticky) consistency. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes.
• To press and unmold the tortillas: Divide the dough into 15 balls, and cover with plastic wrap.
• Heat 2 ungreased large skillets or an ungreased double-size griddle (one that fits over two burners) so that one end is between medium low and medium and the other is at medium high.
• Cut 2 squares of medium-to-heavy plastic (a garbage bag will work fine) to fit over the plates of the tortilla press. Place 1 square of plastic on the bottom plate. Center a ball of dough on the plastic, flattening it a little with your hand to make it stick, and cover with the other square of plastic. Close the top plate, fold the pressure handle over it, and press down somewhat firmly. Open, turn tortilla 180 degrees, close, and gently press again, to an even 1/16-inch thickness.
• Fold back the pressure handle, open the top plate, and, while the plastic-wrapped tortilla is still lying on the bottom plate, take hold of the top piece of plastic, and quickly pull it off. Now, pick up the tortilla by the plastic with one hand, and flip it over, uncovered side down, onto the slightly separated fingers of your other hand -- it will cover your fingers and half of your palm.
• Starting at one edge, quickly peel the remaining plastic off the tortilla, leaving the raw, flattened disc of masa on your hand. If the dough is too soft, you'll have difficulty peeling off the plastic; to correct the problem, work a little masa harina into the dough, and continue.
• To cook the tortillas: Take a tortilla in your hand, and hold it at a 45-degree angle to the cooler skillet or cooler end of the griddle. Move your hand away from your body, letting the overhanging portion of the tortilla go down first, then quickly roll your hand out from underneath the tortilla, letting it fall flat and smooth.
• The tortilla should begin to bubble after 15 seconds, at which point you should flip it onto the hotter surface.
• Within 30 to 40 seconds, the tortilla should be speckled brown underneath. Remove from griddle, and use immediately.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Cook 1/4 cup of batter on a skillet, 2 minutes on each side.