Warm Corn Tortillas Recipes

WARM CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the masa harina and water, then knead until smooth, adding more water if necessary to achieve a soft, claylike consistency.
• Prepare 5 pieces of parchment the size of your tortilla press. Place one piece on the bottom of the press. Place a ball of dough about the size of a walnut on the parchment. Cover with a piece of parchment, close the top plate, and press down firmly with the handle. Rotate the tortilla and press again, if necessary, to flatten the tortilla to a 1/16-inch thickness. Open the press, peel the top piece of parchment off the tortilla and reuse for remaining dough. Repeat with the remaining dough. Stack the tortillas on top of one another and cover the stack with a damp kitchen towel.
• Heat a dry cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan until moderately hot. Hold one tortilla in your hand, peel the parchment away, lay the tortilla in the skillet, and cook 30 to 45 seconds per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, stacking them as you go. Serve immediately.

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:

• 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.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix masa, salt, and oil with your fingers, working oil into flour. Slowly add 3 cups water; stir with your hands to combine. Knead dough until it comes together in a smooth ball and no longer sticks to your hands. If it's too dry or wet, add water or masa by the tablespoon.
• Cut two 6- or 8-inch rounds (matching your press size) out of a plastic bag (to keep dough from sticking when you press it). Heat a nonstick griddle or cast-iron pan over medium, 10 minutes.
• Roll a golf-ball-size piece of dough between your palms; gently press flat. Place one plastic round on the bottom of the press and the other on top of dough; press firmly. (Or roll dough between plastic rounds with a rolling pin.) Remove top plastic, slip tortilla into one hand, then flip onto other hand. Peel off bottom plastic and flip dough onto griddle.
• Cook tortillas until golden in spots, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip; cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel; keep covered. Repeat with remaining dough. Tortillas can be refrigerated in a resealable bag. To reheat, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave until warm.