Ricks Corn Tortillas Recipes

FRESH MASA CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Knead the masa, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/3 cup water in a large bowl with your hands until well incorporated and the masa is soft and pliable but doesn't stick to your hands, about 4 minutes. If the masa is still dry or crumbly, add a tablespoon or two more water and continue to mix.
• Cut and remove the zip top from a gallon freezer bag. Cut the two sides of the bag leaving the bottom intact so that the bag can open and close like a book. If using a tortilla press, trim the cut sides of the bag to fit the flat surface of the tortilla press. (If you don't have a tortilla press, you can use a smooth-bottomed 10-inch skillet to press and flatten the tortillas. Use the plastic in the same way you would use with the press except place it between the countertop or work surface and the bottom of the skillet.)
• Divide the dough into 12 balls about 1/4 cup each (or 54g.). Arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet and keep covered with a damp kitchen towel until ready to use.
• Heat a medium cast-iron skillet or large griddle over medium-high heat.
• Place the prepared plastic bag inside the press so that the folded side of the bag is on the hinged side of the press. Working with one dough ball at a time, open the press and the top side of the bag and place a ball in the center of the press. Fold the bag over the ball and gently press, holding a steady, firm pressure for a few seconds to flatten the ball to a 7-inch round. Open the press and peel the top bag from the dough. Place the dough on your open palm and peel off the remaining plastic.
• Brush the preheated pan with vegetable oil. Working with one at a time (unless using a large griddle), cook the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side, flipping 3 times, until just starting to brown in spots, 90 seconds total. Stack and wrap the tortillas in a clean kitchen towel and keep warm. Repeat pressing and cooking the remaining dough balls.
• Serve the tortillas warm.

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.

REHEATING CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• There are several methods for reheating corn tortillas: dry heat (gas flame), moist heat (steamer and microwave) and oily heat (dry-frying).
• Dry heat:
• This method works only if your tortillas have been made that day. Heat the tortillas directly over the flame (or on a griddle or skillet), flipping them until toasty and pliable.
• Moist heat of a steamer:
• This is easier for larger quantities of corn tortillas, especially if you need to hold them hot for a little while. Pour 1/2 inch water into the bottom of the steamer, then line the steaming basket with a clean, heavy kitchen towel. Lay the tortillas in the basket in stacks of 12 (a small vegetable steamer will accommodate only one stack; a large Asian steamer will hold three or four stacks). Fold the edges of the towel over the tortillas to cover them, set the lid in place, bring the water to a boil and let boil only for 1 minute, then turn off the fire and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. If you wish to keep the tortillas hot for up to an hour, slip the steamer into a low oven or reheat the water periodically.
• Moist heat of a microwave:
• This easy method works best with no more than a dozen tortillas. Drizzle a clean kitchen towel with 3 tablespoons water and wring the towel to even distribute the moisture. Use the towel to line a microwave-safe casserole dish (8 or 9 inches in diameter is best). Lay in a dozen tortillas, cover with the towel and the lid, then microwave at 50 percent power for 4 minutes. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. The tortillas will stay warm for 20 minutes.
• Oily heat:
• Though it's not much a part of home cooking, street vendors of seared-meat tacos reheat fresh tortillas with the heat of a slightly oily griddle - they're not so much frying the tortillas (which would mean completely submerging the tortillas in oil) as griddle-heating them with a tiny bit of oil.
• When just-baked tortillas come off the griddle or when they've been reheated, they're traditionally kept warm in a tightly woven basket (chiquihuite) lined with a cloth; some have lids, others don't. In the Yucatan, they use hollowed-out gourds. And in modern households, they use Styrofoam containers - which are so efficient that they now come in many decorated styles. If you're having a party, hold hot tortillas in an insulated chest (like an ice chest) lined with a towel.

CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt, then add warm water.
• Knead until a soft dough forms, adding more water or flour as needed.
• Tightly wrap dough in plastic wrap and let sit for 10-30 minutes.
• Divide dough into about 16 balls, about 1/2-inch in diameter each.
• Place each ball between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper and roll into 5-inch round using a rolling pin, heavy flat-bottomed pan or tortilla press (available at cooking. com[http://www. cooking. com/products/shprodde. asp? SKU=116136]).
• If the edges of the tortilla are uneven and crumbly, the dough needs a little more water.
• If the dough sticks to the waxed paper and it is very soft, add a few tablespoons of flour.
• Repeat with remaining dough, leaving each tortilla between the sheets of waxed paper.
• Heat an ungreased cast iron griddle or large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Peel off the top sheet of waxed paper and invert the tortilla into the hot pan, quickly and carefully peel off remaining wax paper.
• Cook tortilla until stiffened, about 30 seconds; turn for 1 minute or until it is lightly browned, then turn to the first side for 30 seconds.
• The cooking time for each tortilla should be less than 2 minutes, do not cook until crispy.

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.

RESTAURANT'S CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl and form a dough.
• Take a handful of masa and make tortillas in your tortilla press.
• Cook on a teflon protected skillet or grill on both sides.