Ricks Corn Tortillas Food

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.

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.

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.

SIMPLE PERFECT ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the canola oil and flour. Whisk together and allow to bubble for 1 minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
• While the sauce is simmering, brown the ground beef with the onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the fat, add the salt and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• In a small skillet over medium heat, heat some canola oil. Lightly fry the tortillas just until soft. Do not crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all the tortillas have been fried.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Next, one at a time, dip each tortilla into the sauce. Set the sauce-soaked tortilla on a plate. Place on some of the meat mixture, chilies, green onions and black olives. Top with a generous portion of grated Cheddar. Roll up the tortilla to contain the filling inside.
• Place the tortilla seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and pour the remaining sauce over the top. End with a generous sprinkling of cheese and any other bits of chiles, green onions or olives you have left over from the filling.
• Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and serve.

CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• The dough. If using masa harina, mix it with the 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 and let rest 30 minutes. When you're ready to bake the tortillas, readjust the consistency of the fresh or reconstituted masa, then divide into 15 balls and cover with plastic. Heat a large, ungreased, heavy griddle or 2 heavy skillets: one end of the griddle (or one skillet) over medium-low, the other end (or the other skillet) over medium to medium-high. Cut 2 squares of heavy plastic to fit the plates of your tortillas press. With the press open, place a square of plastic over the bottom plate, set a ball of dough in the center, cover with the second square of plastic, and gently flatten the dough between. Close the top plate and press down gently but firmly with the handle. Open, turn the tortilla 180 degrees, close and gently press again, to an even 1/16-inch thickness. Open the press and peel off the top sheet of plastic. Flip the tortillas onto one hand, dough side down, then starting at one corner, gently peel off the remaining sheet of the plastic. Lay the tortilla onto the cooler end of the griddle (or the cooler skillet). In a about 20 seconds, when the tortilla loosens itself from the griddle (but the edges have not yet dried or curled), flip it over onto the hotter end of the griddle (or onto the hotter skillet). When lightly browned in spots underneath, 20 to 30 seconds more, flip a second time, back onto the side that was originally down. If the fire is properly hot, the tortilla will balloon up like a pita bread, When lightly browned, another 20 or 30 seconds, remove from the griddle (it will completely deflate) and wrap in a towel. Press, unmold and bake the remaining balls of masa, placing each hot tortilla on top of the last and keeping the stack well wrapped. Resting. Let the wrapped stack of tortillas rest for about 15 minutes to finish their cooking, soften and become pliable.