Authentic Mexican Tortillas Food

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Either by hand or with a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening till the mixture is crumbly. If the mixture looks more floury than crumbly, be sure to add just one or two more tablespoons of shortening till it is crumbly. Add about 3/4 cup hot water to the mixture, or just enough to make the ingredients look moist.
• With your hand or a large fork, knead the mixture making sure to rub the dough against the sides of the large mixing bowl to gather any clinging dough. If the dough still sticks to the side of the bowl, add a couple more tablespoons of flour until the dough forms a soft round shape. The dough is ready to roll out now, but it is best to let it rest. Cover it with a dish towel, and let it sit for about an hour or so.
• Take the dough, and pull it apart into 10 to 12 balls. Lightly flour your rolling area, and roll each ball with a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thickness.
• Place each tortilla on a medium hot cast iron skillet. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until the tortilla does not look doughy.

TORTILLA

Steps:

• Add the corn and the water into a medium-sized pot, then search and discard any stones left hidden among the kernels. Add the pickling lime and start cooking over a medium flame. Simmer for about 45 minutes, until the corn is tender, but not too soft (break a kernel open to determine the cooking stage: it should be mostly moist but have a small visible spot of starchiness in the center). Add more water if needed to keep the corn submerged.
• When done, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and leave to soak at room temperature overnight. The next day, strain the kernels in a colander, place under running cold water and rub energetically between your hands to remove the majority of the bran. Thoroughly drain then transfer to a food processor.
• Process at high speed for approximately 10 minutes, adding water in small amounts. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary. The finished purée should be chunk-free.
• Scrape the corn blend into a bowl and add masa harina in small amounts, kneading until the dough becomes soft and pliant, but not wet. Test the dough by shaping a small ball and pressing it between your fingers: if it cracks, it's too dry, and if it sticks, it's too wet. Add more water or masa harina, accordingly.
• Cut off the sides and the top of a zip bag and line a tortilla press with it. Trim to fit. Next, preheat a well-seasoned griddle or a cast-iron skillet over a medium-high flame. Take a piece of dough, roll it into a golf ball-sized ball and gently flatten. Place it into the tortilla press lined with plastic and flatten. The tortilla should be about a millimeter thick. For an even thickness, rotate the plastic 180 degrees and press one more time.
• Peel the tortilla from the plastic and place it into the hot skillet. Cook for about half a minute, until the bottom side dries, then flip, and cook for another half a minute. Be careful not to scorch the tortillas.
• Once cooked, stack the tortillas, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or place in a tortilla holder. Serve at once.

AUTHENTIC HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix in the lard/margarine with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a very thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.
• Store in ziplock bag and re-warm in microwave or oven. If using microwave, wrap tortillas in moist (not wet) paper towel to steam them back to life.