I wanted to get this posted sooner or later because I've had multiple conversations now with you all about making them and you all seem a little daunted. It's really not that bad, the hardest part of it all is the half hour that you have to let them rest. If Judge Judy is on, that's perfect, you won't even notice the lag.
The recipe comes from Rick Bayless. I don't really fuck with anything he does. He knows his stuff, and he knows how to make Mexican food easy for white people's kitchens.
You'll need a non-stick pan or a seasoned skillet to cook these. I also let them cool off a bit before throwing them in the fridge. That's where you store them by the way. In a sealed plastic container or bag in the fridge. If you put them away hot, they form all this condensation and can get mushy. Blech.
This uses that bacon fat you've been keeping in the fridge so diligently. Reap your reward!
Eat these with your beans! i think the best way to warm them up is directly over a gas flame on your stove. Just turn the flame to medium or so and throw the tortilla on there. Flip it before it burns or catches on fire. Toasty, soft goodness. Try them with a little butter and sugar in the morning instead of toast.
Ingredients:
3/4 pounds (2 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for rolling the tortillas
5 tablespoons bacon fat or vegetable shortening
3/4 teaspoon salt
about 3/4 cup very warm tap water
Make the magic happen...
1. Make the dough. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Give it a whir to aerate it. Add the 5 tablespoons of bacon fat or shortening. Distribute them pretty evenly in the flour, it'll mix better. Turn your processor on and add the water in the top in a thin, controlled stream. You'll see the dough start to come together. You can pause every now and then to assess the situation. You might not need all the water, it's one of those "depends on the weather that day" things in baking. What you want if for the dough to come together in one big clump and start whirling around the food processor bowl. Once that happens you're done. Scoop the dough onto your work surface and knead until smooth. It should be medium-stiff consistency -- definitely not firm, but not quite as soft as most bread dough either.
2. Rest the dough. Divide the dough into 12 portions and roll each into a ball. Set them on a plate, cover with a kitchen towel and let rest at least 30 minutes (to make the dough less springy, easier to roll).
3. Roll and griddle-bake the tortillas. Heat an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Not greased is important. Butter is for later, this is what i like to think of as dry roast baking. It's how you get that toasty taste.
Now we roll. these are Rick Bayless's words. "
On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough into an even 7-inch circle: Flatten a ball of dough, flour it, then roll forward and back across it; rotate a sixth of a turn and roll forward and back again; continue rotating and rolling until you reach a 7-inch circle, lightly flouring the tortilla and work surface from time to time."
that's a lot right? My tortillas are never that round. I'm no Mexican grandmother. I'm happy if they are around 7" across and an even thickness. They taste the same. the thickness is the most critical thing, you want them to cook evenly.
Lay the tortilla on the hot griddle (you should hear a faint sizzle and see an almost immediate bubbling across the surface). After 30 to 45 seconds, when there are browned splotches underneath, flip it over. Bake 30 to 45 seconds more, until the other side is browned. If you over-bake it, it will be stiff and crisp. Not as good. Remove and wrap in a cloth kitchen towel. Roll and griddle-bake the remaining tortillas in the same manner and stacking them one on top of the other under the towel. Now, if you do over-bake it, just throw it in the stack anyway and say a little prayer. I find most of those soften up over the time it takes you to cook and cool them.
