**Fresh Tortillas: A Culinary Journey into Mexican Delights**
In the heart of Mexican cuisine, there lies a culinary treasure that has captivated taste buds for centuries: fresh tortillas. These versatile flatbreads serve as the foundation for a myriad of delectable dishes, from tacos and burritos to enchiladas and quesadillas. Crafted with simple ingredients like masa harina, water, and a pinch of salt, fresh tortillas embody the essence of Mexican culinary heritage. This article presents a comprehensive guide to making fresh tortillas at home, offering three distinct recipes that cater to different preferences and dietary restrictions.
1. **Classic Fresh Tortillas:** This recipe serves as the cornerstone of fresh tortilla making, guiding you through the traditional method of combining masa harina and water to create a pliable dough. With step-by-step instructions and helpful tips, you'll learn the art of kneading, resting, and rolling the dough to achieve perfectly cooked tortillas.
2. **Whole Wheat Fresh Tortillas:** For those seeking a healthier alternative, this recipe introduces whole wheat flour into the tortilla-making process. By incorporating whole wheat flour, you'll create tortillas that are not only delicious but also rich in dietary fiber and essential nutrients.
3. **Corn Flour Fresh Tortillas:** This recipe is dedicated to those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease. Using 100% corn flour, you'll craft corn tortillas that are both authentic and allergy-friendly. Discover how to work with corn flour to achieve the perfect texture and flavor in your tortillas.
With this trio of fresh tortilla recipes, you'll embark on a culinary journey through the heart of Mexican cuisine. From classic to whole wheat and corn flour variations, these recipes cater to every taste and dietary need. Get ready to savor the authentic flavors of Mexico with your homemade fresh tortillas!
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.
SLOW ROASTED PORK WITH COCONUT CURRY SAUCE, CORN TORTILLAS, FRESH TOMATO SALSA OVER BASMATI RICE
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 11h45m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 27
Steps:
- For the pork: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the spices into the pork and roast for about 8 hours. Let cool. Pull apart and discard any fat. Put the pork pieces in a large pot and add the coconut milk.
- Meanwhile, for the curry sauce: Saute the curry paste, ginger, garlic, and black beans in sesame oil until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add this mixture to the pot with the pork and coconut milk. Add the lime leaves. Braise on low heat for 1 to 2 hours.
- For the rice: Blend the cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, and 1 cup of water. Put this mixture in a pot on the stove. Add the basmati rice. Add 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer, covered, until the rice absorbs the liquid, 20 to 25 minutes. When done, add the butter and salt and pepper, to taste.
- For the salsa: Roast the jalapeno and poblano peppers, peel, and remove the seeds. Toast the cumin seeds and then grind. Dice the tomatoes and red onion and mix together in a bowl with the other salsa ingredients.
- Heat the corn tortillas on a griddle. Plate the rice, put the pork with sauce on top, and finish with salsa and tortillas.
GRILLED CARNE ADOVADA: MARINATED PORK MEDALLIONS, TOPPED WITH CHILI CARIBE SERVED WITH BEANS, POSOLE, AND FRESH FLOUR TORTILLAS
Steps:
- Adovada: Place the pork medallions in a shallow pan. Add olive oil (or vegetable oil), red chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.
- Chile Caribe: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- De-seed the chiles and put on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 to 2 minutes until skin starts to blister and they begin to toast. Remove from the oven and put into pot of water with salt, garlic, cumin, bring to a boil and boil for 5 to 10 minutes. When done add the chiles to a blender, using the water you boiled them in, and blend to a smooth consistency. Return to the saucepan and simmer over low heat.
- Beans: Cook the beans in either a pressure cooker or slow cooker until tender, about 1 hour or so in a pressure cooker. When done, add salt, vegetable oil (olive oil), and/or cumin.
- Posole: Boil the posole (hominy) in a pressure cooker until done about 1 1/2 hours. Then add some red chile powder, thinly sliced onion, oregano, and salt. Boil for another 15 to 20 minutes.
- Assembly: Preheat a grill to high.
- Place the marinated pork medallions on the grill. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, this will cook quickly, don't overcook, you want to keep them moist inside.
- Layer 3 pork medallions on a plate, ladle chile caribe over the pork and finish with the beans and posole. Serve with warm flour tortillas.
- Mix all of the ingredients together with your hands into large ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and let stand for 20 minutes. Form into balls that are slightly smaller than golf balls. Flatten each ball with a rolling pin into 6 to 8-inch circles that are 1/8-inch thick. Place on a dry, hot griddle and cook until brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side.
FRESH CORN TORTILLAS
Line the tortilla press with plastic and the dough will peel right off.
Categories Bread Vegetarian Kid-Friendly Low Cal High Fiber Cinco de Mayo Low Cholesterol Party Hominy/Cornmeal/Masa Bon Appétit Small Plates
Yield Makes 24 servings
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Whisk masa and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water; knead in bowl until dough forms. The dough should feel firm and springy and look slightly dry (think Play-Doh). Add more water by tablespoonfuls if too crumbly; add a little more masa if too wet.
- Measure 1 heaping tablespoon dough and roll into a ball. Flatten on a tortilla press lined with a plastic bag. If tortilla crumbles, dough is too dry (add more water); if it sticks to the plastic, dough is too wet (add more masa). Repeat, pressing out 2 more tortillas.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat; lightly brush with oil. Cook 2-3 tortillas until charred in spots and edges start to curl, 1-2 minutes. Turn; cook through, about 15 seconds. Transfer to a kitchen towel; fold over to keep warm. Repeat, in batches, with remaining dough.
FRESH HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS!
Store bought flour tortillas don't begin to compare with these freshly rolled flour tortillas. This recipe will become better and easier with practice. The amount of milk needed for the flour in your climate will vary slightly. I've given the method that works best for me but you will get the hang of what works best for you as you perfect your method of mixing, rolling and cooking these wonderful tortillas. So get to work. Practice truly does make perfect with homemade tortillas!
Provided by P.B.andJayne
Categories Breads
Time 50m
Yield 6 Tortillas
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Mix well.
- Cut in the lard with one hand until incorporated. Thin flakes of lard are ok.
- Pour in the milk leaving back one or two Tablespoons. It will be pretty moist but should make a ball after 10 to 20 seconds of gentle mixing and very little kneading. Use the rest of the milk if necessary. Don't despair if the dough is a sticky tacky mess. Only If necessary, sprinkle in a a little more flour to turn it into a ball, working it as little as possible.
- Divide and roll the ball into six or seven balls. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let set 30 minutes.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Adjust the temperature as you work. I prefer a cast iron skillet.
- Roll out a tortilla using light flour as needed.
- Cook each tortilla on one side and then the other (there should be some brown spots) and place on a plate covering with a dish towel as you go. Each tortilla should be stacked on tot of the last and covered with the towel.
- The towel is very important for keeping the moisture in ensuring that your tortillas will be flexible to fill and fold when the time comes to fill them.
- Leftovers should be stored in a zipper locked bag when sufficiently cooled.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 248.4, Fat 10.1, SaturatedFat 4.1, Cholesterol 12.4, Sodium 239.8, Carbohydrate 33.3, Fiber 1.1, Sugar 0.1, Protein 5.3
FRESH TORTILLAS
I am a firm believer that the tortilla makes the taco. It is a travesty to slow-cook meats and beans, find delicious cheeses and chop fresh herbs only to throw them onto stale, chemical-laden tortillas. For this recipe, I recommend purchasing a tortilla press, though it is not necessary. Tortillas aren't hard to make, but they require a little bit of practice. The most delicious tortillas come from masa made from nixtamalized corn, but you can also make masa from good quality masa harina. Tortilla factories will often sell you prepared masa.
Provided by Jessamyn Rodriguez
Categories breads, appetizer, main course, side dish
Time 30m
Yield 10 6-inch tortillas
Number Of Ingredients 1
Steps:
- If you are making the masa, choose a good masa harina with as few ingredients as possible, preferably just corn and lime, like Bob's Red Mill. Pour a scant cup of water into a large bowl, add 1 1/2 cups masa harina and stir. Knead the dough for 30 seconds until it is firm and supple. It should not stick to your fingers when you touch it and it should not crumble when you press it into a ball. It should feel firm and supple, like fresh Play-Doh. Roll into a large ball, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll the ball into a log about 1 1/2 inches thick. Slice it crosswise into 10 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 ounces. Roll each piece into a small ball. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel to keep the dough from drying out.
- Put a tortilla press on a table at a comfortable height, so that you can use your body weight to assist in the pressing. If you don't have a tortilla press, use a heavy cutting board as the bottom of a press and a heavy metal saucepan with a flat bottom as the top.
- Set a griddle or large cast iron skillet over high heat. Line a basket or a shallow bowl with a clean cloth napkin. Cut a plastic produce bag at the seams to make two pieces of thin plastic. Put one piece on the tortilla press with a dough ball on top. Push down lightly with the heel of your hand, creating a thick disk, and cover the top with the other piece of plastic. Use the press to flatten the tortilla. Open the press, turn the tortilla in the plastic 180 degrees and repeat to make a very thin circular tortilla, 6 inches in diameter. Jiggle the handle a bit when pressing for extra force.
- Hold the flattened tortilla in your hand and peel off the plastic. Gently transfer the tortilla to the hot griddle. The tortilla should lie flat on the pan without any creases. Cook the first side of the tortilla just until the edges begin to dry, about 1 minute.
- Flip and cook the tortilla until you start to see some steam puffing up inside of it and brown spots developing on the underside, about 2 minutes more. You can take your fingertips or a spatula and lightly press down on the tortilla to encourage steam. Flip one more time, and cook for 30 seconds to get some brown spots. Exact cooking time depends on the heat of the cooking surface. Transfer the tortilla to a napkin-lined basket and cover. Repeat until you've used up all of your dough. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 165, UnsaturatedFat 1 gram, Carbohydrate 35 grams, Fat 2 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 2 milligrams
FRESH TUNA TORTILLAS
Another recipe that I have collected in my quest to find healthy recipes. This sounds like it would taste really fresh on a summer's evening or for lunch. The recipe was originally published in the September 2007 copy of BBC Good Food Magazine.
Provided by Sarah_Jayne
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 15m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Rub oil over each steak, then sprinkle with spices.
- Heat a griddle pan until hot, then cook the steaks on one side for 2 minutes. Turn and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Cut into strips.
- Heat the tortillas for 30 seconds in a microwave until soft.
- Pile tuna, avocado and tomatoes on top of each, then squeeze over the line juice and scatter with cilantro.
- Roll up and eat. If you like you can put a dollop of sour cream on the prior to rolling them up.
Tips for Making Fresh Tortillas
- Use the right flour: Masa harina is a specially treated corn flour that is used to make tortillas. It is available in most grocery stores in the Mexican food section.
- Make sure your dough is the right consistency: The dough should be soft and pliable, but not sticky. If it is too dry, add a little more water. If it is too wet, add a little more masa harina.
- Use a tortilla press: A tortilla press makes it easy to get thin, even tortillas. If you don't have a tortilla press, you can use a rolling pin.
- Cook your tortillas on a hot griddle: A hot griddle will help to cook the tortillas evenly and prevent them from sticking.
- Keep your tortillas warm: Tortillas are best served warm. You can keep them warm in a tortilla warmer or wrap them in a clean kitchen towel.
Conclusion
Fresh tortillas are a delicious and versatile food that can be used in a variety of dishes. With a little practice, you can easily make them at home. Just follow these tips and you'll be making perfect tortillas in no time!
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love