Harry has wanted to try making his own tortillas ever since we saw them being handmade in San Miguel Mexico last summer. While in Mexico the first week of July this year, I happened upon a press at an organic farm and restaurant just outside of San Jose which I visited with my friends Mary Ellen and Liz. I bought the press for $28 and packed it into my suitcase as a surprise for Harry, who immediately bought some Masa flour and followed a recipe in one of our Rick Bayless (or Rick Bay Leaf as Harry prefers to call him) Mexican cookbooks.
The recipe is simply masa flour, water, and a touch of salt which you can mix up quickly in the food processor. The first time Harry made the tortillas, they were so incredibly good that all I did was eat them warm off the grill with a little butter and a sprinkle of salt. The second time we made them we topped them with some beans and meat, crema, cilantro and salsa.
The press is a humble looking device. I now know they are easily found on Pinterest.
The flour used to make tortillas can be found at Cub Foods and many other grocery stores. There is a recipe on the bag.
The dough is easily made in the food processor. It is divided into little balls that need to be flattened before they are put in the press.
Use plastic wrap to cover the top and bottom of the press.
Harry placed the tortillas on a lightly flowered dish towel.
We cooked them on a stove top griddle -- a little complicated because the grill needs to be at different temperatures. The back burner is on a low heat and the front burner is hot. The last minute, when the tortilla is on the hot burner it will puff up and that means it is ready to eat.
The final result is so worth the effort that you may never buy supermarket tortillas again! 
I gained 5 pounds just reading. Looks like something to try in Woodbury.
ReplyDeleteWe will have you and Lee over for these when we get back in September.
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