One of my annual year-end activities is clearing out the pantry.
(Other year-end activities include burning my current year grievances and unfollowing people and brands on social media that don’t bring me joy.)
I had a nearly-full package of masa in the pantry and wondered what to do with it. I mentioned this during one of our Saturday runs and my running buddy, Rene, who always has good cooking tips said: Make your own tortillas. You’ll never get store-bought again.
Then he added: And always use a fat of some kind – not just water. You won’t regret it.
I followed his advice and boy was he right! The only problem is that I’m now out of masa and have to buy a new package. So much for clearing out the pantry…
Corn Tortillas (with fat)
Recipe and technique found here. Execution approved via text by Rene.
2 c masa
2 T Crisco or lard
1/2 t salt
1.5 c warm water
Put masa, Crisco and salt in a mixing bowl. Add 1 c water and stir until water is absorbed and Crisco is mostly melted. Add the rest of the water incrementally until the mixture becomes dough-like. Use your hands to knead dough into a large cohesive ball. Separate the dough into golf ball sized small balls. Flatten dough ball between two sheets of plastic (or use Rene’s preferred method: a Ziploc bag with the sides cut off!) using a flat bottomed pan or a tortilla press. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Add a tortilla to the skillet and flip it after 10 seconds. Then cook each side for about a minute or until light brown spots are forming on the underside. I had to put a small amount (1 t) of vegetable oil for the first couple of tortillas to keep them from sticking. Continue cooking until all tortillas are done. Once cooked, keep tortillas warm by wrapping them in a tea towel. Serve immediately. These can be stored in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. To reheat, warm in a dry skillet over medium heat until warm and crispy.
