Recently I took part in the first annual North Texas Taco Festival and Taco Throwdown. The weather was perfect, the people were friendly, and the food was awesome – a truly great day to be a chef. A big shout out to all of the organizers, vendors, and sponsors! While I didn’t edge out the competition, I think I earned a bit of respect with my on-the-spot homemade tortillas.
Typically corn tortillas are made without much fat, but this version will give you a very tender tortilla with crisp edges. Be sure to griddle each tortilla again just before filling to make it more flexible. Buen Provecho!
- 7 ounces tortilla masa
- 1.4 ounces lard
- teaspoon white pepper
- teaspoon salt
- teaspoon ground ancho
- zest of one lime
- 4 to 6 ounces water
- juice of two limes
-
Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well.
-
Blend the lard into the mixture until it all resembles sawdust. Set aside.
-
Boil the water, lime juice, and lime remnants together.
-
Add to the dry mixture and stir to create a stiff paste.
-
Continue to work the paste until it becomes doughy.
-
Let rest, covered, for 10 minutes, then portion into desired size and round.
For street-style sized tortillas, use about 1.5 ounces per tortilla. Press the rounds with a tortilla press then griddle over high heat. The tortilla should sizzle a bit as it hits the surface. Gently shake the pan to release the tortilla and turn it 90 degrees. After about 20 seconds, flip the tortilla. Allow to cook until puffed, about 45 seconds. Flip again and allow to fully inflate, about another 45 seconds. Remove from heat and stack tortillas together then wrap in a tea towel and place in a container for use.
