12/13/2007
12/12/2007
06/14/2006
Flour tortillas from scratch, redux
(Note, while I've been as frustrated as jessamyn that the Vox edit box literalizes HTML, this problem allowed me to discover through PlasticMind's post that you can cut and paste not only text, but links and images. Thus, I bring you another nugget from the res-publica archives. Ginchy.)
As an expatriated Texan living in the midwest, it is difficult to stay connected to my native heritage (apart from watching the Spurs on television). Enjoying the food of my youth is but one way to stay in touch. And because there is no decent Tex-Mex to be found in the area (and I've looked far and wide, believe me), I have to produce my own. And now, I would like for you to be able to:
Make Your Own Flour Tortillas
Yield: 24, 7 inch tortillas
Ingredients:
6 cups- all purpose flour
1 tbsp.- salt
2.5 tsp.- baking powder
1/2 cup- vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick)- unsalted butter
1.5 cups- hot (from the tap) water
Tools:
cast iron skillet (or any well-conducting skillet)
large mixing bowl
rolling pin
wooden spoon
pastry blender
First, make sure that you have ample clean counter space and about an hour at your disposal. Then, mix your dry ingredients together (making sure that the salt and baking powder are well distributed throughout the flour). Now, add the butter (in slices) and shortening (in dollops) to the mix, and begin cutting the butter and shortening into the flour using the pastry blender (grab the handle, and start chopping into the mix). If you don't have a pastry blender, you can use two knives, held together in one hand, to blend the flour mixture.
Keep blending until the mix is coarse, and there are no large chunks of butter or shortening (pea-sized chunks are optimal). Then, make a hollow in the middle of the bowl, and pour in the hot water. Using swift strokes with the wooden spoon, kneed the dough. Do not overkneed; you want to keep air pockets in the dough. It should look like this when you are done:
Lightly flour the counter and your hands, and pluck an egg-sized lump of dough.
You are going to finish kneeding the dough in your hands. Hold the lump in your hands, and sqeeze with your ring and middle fingers...
rotate the lump, and squeeze again...
again, rotate and squeeze...
until, after a few rotations, you end up with a lump that resembles a red blood cell.
You want the dough to retain air, yet be smooth enough to roll into a nice, round tortilla. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough, until you have about 2 dozen lumps lined up on the counter. When you are almost done making the lumps, pre-heat the skillet at medium heat (so thay a drop of water dances on the skillet).
Take the first lump that you kneeded, mash it flat with the palm of your hand, and begin rolling with a lightly-floured rolling pin until you have a tortilla that is about 1/8th of an inch thick and 7 inches in diameter.
With practice, you will be able to roll out a tortilla using only a few strokes (again, do not overhandle the dough, else you will have a tough tortilla). Toss the tortilla on the skillet until it begins rising and it is lightly browned underneath (you'll have to judge the right time yourself, but it should take about one minute)...
then give it a flip with a spatula, or your fingers (be careful). While one tortilla is cooking, you'll have time to roll out another tortilla.
Cook the other side, then flip it into a clean, folded kitchen towel or a tortilla warmer until ready to serve.
Repeat until finished, or until you produce a tortilla with the image of Jesus upon it .
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