On a previous post the recipe for a great Roasted Tomato, Corn and Ancho Chile Salsa was provided, but what's a great salsa without something to serve it with you ask? Well dear reader, serve it with a char-grilled pork Chili Verde, some guacamole, a little bit of pico de gallo and round that out with homemade fresh corn tortillas.
Homemade Corn Tortillas
First get yourself to a restaurant supply store and buy a tortilla press. I did and it is a lovely thing to own.
Prepare the masa per the instructions on the package. In my part of the world the humidity is low so that using the recipe as directed made for a dry dough so I needed to add 4 more tablespoons of water as I kneaded the dough to get it to a consistency that allowed it to be pressed thinly.
2 cups masa harina (Maseca is a great one to use and is available almost everywhere).
1/2 tsp salt
Add salt to masa in a large bowl. Mix well to incorporate the salt evenly.
Add the water.
Mix the water into the masa and knead for at least 2 minutes (I do it for a few). The dough should be dry enough to not stick to your hands or the countertop but wet enough to be pliable. I use a small ball of dough in the tortilla press to check if it will spread thinly, once satisfied it is good, cut into 16 even pieces and roll into balls.
Place a damp towel over the balls of dough to prevent them from drying out as you fry the tortillas.
Place a piece of heavy plastic on the bottom of the tortilla press, place a ball of dough onto it then cover with a second piece of plastic. (I use Glad freezer bags for this,simply cut along the seams)
Close lid and press firmly and hold for a couple of seconds.
Open tortilla press and remove the tortilla and place on preheated hot non-stick grill (cast iron is best).
Repeat procedure until all tortillas are cooked. Place cooked tortillas on a pie plate or shallow bowl lined with half of a a tea towel. As you add the hot tortillas keep them covered with the other half of the towel. I use a tortilla warmer but a pie plate and tea towel works great.
These are so superior to what you can buy pre-made and if you have the time and inclination give making them a try. They are easy to make and after a couple of batches you will be an expert. If a guy like Lazy Bastard can do it. Well you know the story...
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