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mskitty

Jul 26, 2008, 4:06 PM

Post #1 of 11 (4928 views)

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HELP! What are your corn tortilla secrets?

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After tasting fresh corn tortillas in Mexico, I decided to try making my own, with the help of prepared masa mix. Bought an aluminum tortilla press at my local kitchen store, rode my bike over to our wonderful local Mexican grocery store this morning, found the Maseca brand [and better presses for less money, alas!]. Just made a trial run following instructions, and mostly found disaster. Tried several ways to keep them from sticking -- oiled press, oiled plastic wrap, finally cut up a small ziplock bag and that worked fairly well, but still stuck. I think the dough was too moist at first -- added more masa to a little dough and it was better, but for the next batch I think I must have added too much more masa, because it was crumbly. And still one edge was sticking badly. I did cook and eat the two that worked best, but....it's a long way from right.

Any secrets anybody's willing to disclose? Hints from experience? Maybe I should just go over to that store weekly and pick up a few from their tortilleria, although that isn't really what I want to do. Sigh.

It's a wonderful store -- supermarket size with huge butcher and produce areas. Authentic. Even had cow heads in the freezer! We're lucky to have it and this was my first visit. I brought home a wonderful pork cut up and marinated with herbs/spices for carne adobada -- THAT was super, although all I did was saute it.

Thanks!
Kitty

julietl

Jul 30, 2008, 6:20 PM

Post #2 of 11 (4881 views)

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Re: [mskitty] HELP! What are your corn tortilla secrets?

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hmm - I just do it by feel. Play around with it and you will begin to know when it is the right consistency.

There is a tianguis by my house on Sunday and they use the old fashioned real ground corn, not the maseca stuff and it is fabulous! So I generally buy a bunch of their masa and make tortillas for the week. If your Mexican grocery store sells fresh tortillas, chances are that they will sell you some already mixed masa if you ask them.

One thing you could try if they are sticking to the press is to use wax paper - that works pretty well.
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mskitty

Jul 31, 2008, 9:09 AM

Post #3 of 11 (4851 views)

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Re: [julietm] HELP! What are your corn tortilla secrets?

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Thanks, Juliet. I expect a lot of practice would help. The store did have bags containing large chunks of tortilla dough right in the produce section, but I wanted to try it myself, stubborn soul that I am. I'm not sold on the masa mix, as the two I did manage to press and cook weren't really tasty. I chalked that up to my ineptness, but so many have said they don't like this stuff so I'm thinking it's just not going to get any better.

This store is not terribly convenient for me [I don't have a car, rode my bike over] so I won't go too often, but I may try to keep working on this. I'd really like to learn to cook authentic Mexican foods, as I really love them.

Kitty

(This post was edited by mskitty on Oct 11, 2008, 9:51 AM)

Delia

Aug 1, 2008, 11:06 AM

Post #4 of 11 (4819 views)

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Re: [mskitty] HELP! What are your corn tortilla secrets?

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Kitty: I made corn tortillas as well as tamales for years when I lived in Saudi Arabia. I used to take masa and corn husks back in a shipment from the states every year. I know that I preferred waxed paper and it seems as though I had better luck with a wooden press than a metal one. But I also remember trying a small wooden rolling pin as well as by hand. The tortillas didn't all turn out nice and round but they tasted just fine - it takes lots of practice. I swore that I'd never make tamales again after moving to Mexico but a bunch of neighbors wanted lessons so we had a tamale party. It certainly was easier buying masa from the tortilleria and adding lard and chicken broth than doing it all from scratch. Keep at it! Maybe I need to make some more...

Carron

Oct 11, 2008, 9:45 AM

Post #5 of 11 (4708 views)

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Re: [mskitty] HELP! What are your corn tortilla secrets?

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Buy them at the store. There are infinite varieties, most of them delicious. Unless you have a Mexican grandmother who has raised you at her comal.

A couple of years ago my youngest daughter fell madly in love with the gorgeous young vaquero we hired to help us out at the ranch. His mother had several sons who worked nearby ranches and she prepared, from scratch, a kilo of tortillas three times a day, every day. This boggles my mind!

But since we provided our guy with lunch, my daughter wanted to impress him with her (our) tortilla-making skills. No matter what the incentive was, no matter what our equipment and supplies, over the course of several weeks we quite frankly bombed. Tortilla-making is in the genes.

Buy them at the store.

Rolly

Oct 11, 2008, 10:25 AM

Post #6 of 11 (4707 views)

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Re: [Carron] HELP! What are your corn tortilla secrets?

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You make tortillas the same way you get to Carnegie Hall -- practice, practice, practice!

Rolly Pirate

Carron

Oct 11, 2008, 11:44 AM

Post #7 of 11 (4700 views)

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Re: [Rolly] HELP! What are your corn tortilla secrets?

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I must admit our chivas and borregos (goats and sheep) loved to eat our mistakes!

julietl

Oct 11, 2008, 1:20 PM

Post #8 of 11 (4692 views)

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Re: [Rolly] HELP! What are your corn tortilla secrets?

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Rolly - you crack me up!!
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mskitty

Oct 11, 2008, 3:20 PM

Post #9 of 11 (4682 views)

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Re: [Carron] HELP! What are your corn tortilla secrets?

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Sadly, Carron, I have for the most part given up on the process and am doing just what you suggest. The taste of Oregon tortillas doesn't compare to what one gets in Mexico, but I have found some that are acceptable. Without a car, getting to the Mexican grocery on any regular basis doesn't work very well. I did see that they are opening a new bakery tomorrow with Tres Leches Cake, which may get me over there again soon!

I did improve the tortilla quality a bit with practice, but never found that the results were worth the effort. They really didn't taste all that good. Maybe if I could start with a fresh corn based dough rather than a milled mix -- but I think you're right and it's simply not in my genes. Now, as a southern girl I can whip up a mean biscuit without a recipe the same way my momma and grandmomma did -- genes, again, and watching from the time I could walk.

Rolly, guess I'll never make the tortilla Carnegie Hall!

esperanza

Oct 11, 2008, 3:31 PM

Post #10 of 11 (4680 views)

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Re: [mskitty] HELP! What are your corn tortilla secrets?

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Making masa for corn tortillas:

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Jetski

Mar 21, 2009, 11:09 PM

Post #11 of 11 (4331 views)

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Re: [esperanza] HELP! What are your corn tortilla secrets?

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The trick according to mi cuñada is about a tablespoon of wheat flour per cup of masa which helps glue everything together.