Tortillas ??

[gypsy]

Can anyone tell me how to make homemade tortillas? Dou you need to buy an expensive press? Im interested in both the flour and the corn ones.

Also, how do you turn the tortillas into hard shell tacos? Do you fry them?

Yummmm! Mexican food!!!

Thanks

[lush_jokes]

I have made these once or twice- I am certainly not the worlds best cook but they turned out okay . . . I’d roll them thinner next time though

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2007/03/and-end-to-my-quest-flour-tortillas.html

[Kiewiet]

This recipe has tortilla & taco shell instructions

http://www.recipezaar.com/24296

http://www.recipezaar.com/126744

Utube & tortillas

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=p9Yx-auWEdM

This is the recipe I usually use:

3 cups unbleached flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

4-6 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or lard

about 1 1/4 cups warm water

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Add vegetable shortening or lard.

Use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in the shortening or just do it the old fashioned way and use your hands.

Next add warm water a little at a time until your dough is soft and not sticky. You do not need very hot water.

Knead the dough for a few minutes.

Now you will pull off pieces of dough to form about 12 small dough balls. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes, longer if you like.

Roll out the dough with your rolling pin. It is a good idea to dust each ball with a little flour just before you roll them out. Work from the centre of the ball to the outside. It is good to lift the dough and turn it. Again, rolling pin in the center and roll. Roll them out fairly thin.

Lay your tortilla on the hot griddle. It takes just a few seconds to cook. Flip to the other side. When they are done it should have lots of nice brown speckles. Place them in a towel.

They are ready to be served!

[HobbyFarmFun]

I am going to ask a really silly question here :shy: ….Where do you find vegetable shortening? I am origianlly from the US and it came in cans near the baking section in the supermarket and was called Crisco there – I’ve never seen anything like it since I came to Australia. It was just stored in the can it came in (even after opening) in the pantry and didn’t need refridgeration. Is what you are using Copha from the refridgerated section in the supermarket?

[emw314]

Well, there’s copha, which is in the fridges, near the butters and margarines. I don’t know what it’s made out of, but it smells when you melt it, though not when cold. Its the fat that’s traditionally used for chocolate crackles and white christmas.

Huh – Wikipedia says its hydrogenated coconut oil… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copha No wonder I never liked it :rip:

Could you just use a vegetable oil? eg corn or sunflower oil? Or butter, or lard? (Also up with the butters, margarines and copha.)

After a quick search, I came up with http://www.usafoods.com.au/ if you really must have that stuff.

Emma

[gypsyoak]

If you can source the corn masa, then its just a litle bit of salt, a little water, and about a teaspoon of oil. you just add as much water as you need to make a workable dough. (the amount of flour varies according to how many you want to make.) roll them into small balls and then either put in a press, roll with a rolling pin, or bash out over your knee in the traditional way!! Then dry fry. In SA there is a brilliant shop on the parade (chilli mojo) that has a great range of flours for tortillas.

Have fun!

[ejanea]

The australian equivalent (more or less) to crisco is “supafry” and is in the supermarket near the margarine. it is mostly “transfat” so i have never used it. i didn’t use crisco in the US and Canada for the same reason.

Masa is available online if you don’t have it nearby. I can’t buy it in South Australia at all. I don’t add salt to the masa to make tortillas. i cook them on the top of my woodstove without any fat or oil. I cook chapattis the same way… no frying pan or anything, just the top of the stove.

[HobbyFarmFun]

ejanea wrote:

The australian equivalent (more or less) to crisco is “supafry” and is in the supermarket near the margarine. it is mostly “transfat” so i have never used it. i didn’t use crisco in the US and Canada for the same reason.quote]

Thanks for that. So what do you use as a substitute for vegetable shortening then? I’ve tried sustituting oil, butter, or margarine, or combinations thereof, but nothing seems to make as light a pastry as Crisco always did.

[gypsy]

Thanks heaps for all your info guys, I will try kiewiets recipe this weekend and try to source some masa online if its not too expensive. I cant stand paying $5 for a box of tacos – el cheapo mexican on the way!:tup:

[tooleybird]

lard makes the best tortilla’s and refried beans!!!!

rub the flour and lard as you would if you made scones. mix a little warm water at a time to make a dough. leave dough to sit for an hour or so. divide in balls (golf ball size) and roll out really thin. cook them in a hot smoky pan (heavy) they should be really toasty and have ‘burnt’ spots. pop them in a colander lined with a teatowel to keep warm. great not just with mexican, but hot out the pan, dripping with melted butter and goldensyrup ……mmmmmmmmmmm

[tooleybird]

above is using plain flour. have not had sucess using corn. we buy the ol el paso corn tortillas – can only get them now at IGA. they are happy to order them in if not in stock already.

[gypsy]

Thanks tooleybird!!

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