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madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Fresh Tortillas.
1 cup masa harina
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup warm water
Mix together the masa and salt. Add 1/2 cup water and stir until absorbed. Add the remainder incrementally until the flour melds into a dough. Use your hands to knead into a cohesive ball. If the dough is sticking, add a bit of masa to dry it out.
Separate the dough into golf ball-sized chunks (I made 2 oz balls), which will make ~4" tortillas. Flatten the balls using a tortilla press (or flat-bottomed pan). Line each side of the ball with plastic or ziploc pieces.
Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Add a tortilla and flip after 10 seconds. Then cook each side for 1-2 minutes or until light brown spots are forming. Serve immediately.
What worked: We used heirloom corn masa from Lee the pepper lady. The tortillas were delicious fresh and this was very easy.
I've never made tortillas before - it's always been easy to buy decent-quality ones. We currently live one neighborhood over from a Mexican tortilla producer so we can usually buy ones made that day fairly cheaply. However, I was making chile verde (see below) for my dad's birthday; and we inherited a vintage cast tortilla press when he moved last. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to actually use it for the first time. The press worked perfectly and easily; cutting a Ziploc in two made the tortillas not stick at all for the first few. After two or three I needed to flip the bag to get a clean, nonsticking side (and then discard after the next two or three).
What didn't: The tortillas were slightly on the thicker side. I might try reducing the weight to 1.75 oz for the same diameter.
We had some leftover masa, which didn't work as well the second time about a week later. I suspect it had dried out and so it stuck more.
Will I make it again? Now that I know how easy it is, yeah. Most of the time we'll probably still buy tortillas though.
bonus Resolution Recipe which I made for the same meal: Quick Pork Chile Verde.
"This recipe makes twice as much of the base as you need for one meal. Freeze half for future use."
Or, y'know, maybe halve the recipe. (Except, I guess, that you're supposed to use a minimum quantity of liquid in the pot.)
2 Tbsp oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled (Ha! I used... more.)
2 serrano chiles, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 lbs tomatillos, husked and quartered
1 cup water
salt
1 bunch cilantro
2 lbs pork stew meat, cubed
I added: 1 small can hominy, rinsed
tortillas
cilantro
lime
pickled red onion
Heat an Instant Pot on saute mode. Add the onion, garlic, and peppers. Saute for 10 minutes until the onion is softened and browned. Add the tomatillos, water, and salt.
Seal and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Let release for 10 minutes, then release any remaining steam. Open and add the cilantro. Puree the mixture until smooth.
Freeze half the sauce. Add the pork and hominy to the remaining sauce. Seal and cook on stew setting for 25 minutes, high pressure. Let release for 15 minutes then vent any remaining steam.
Ladle chile verde into bowls, and top with garnishes as desired.
What worked: It was good, especially with the fresh tortillas alongside. Adding hominy really makes it more of a posole, but we like the combination. It seemed pretty comparable to a slow-simmered chile verde in much less time.
What didn't: It could have used more chile heat. The recipe suggests an immersion blender in the pot; we don't have one, so I ladled it into the fud processor. That leaked all over the place (it's got a couple cracks, and the steam opened them up) for a sticky mess. I gave up and left it unpureed, which is less attractive than a nice and even, smooth green.
Will I make it again? Sure.
1 cup masa harina
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup warm water
Mix together the masa and salt. Add 1/2 cup water and stir until absorbed. Add the remainder incrementally until the flour melds into a dough. Use your hands to knead into a cohesive ball. If the dough is sticking, add a bit of masa to dry it out.
Separate the dough into golf ball-sized chunks (I made 2 oz balls), which will make ~4" tortillas. Flatten the balls using a tortilla press (or flat-bottomed pan). Line each side of the ball with plastic or ziploc pieces.
Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Add a tortilla and flip after 10 seconds. Then cook each side for 1-2 minutes or until light brown spots are forming. Serve immediately.
What worked: We used heirloom corn masa from Lee the pepper lady. The tortillas were delicious fresh and this was very easy.
I've never made tortillas before - it's always been easy to buy decent-quality ones. We currently live one neighborhood over from a Mexican tortilla producer so we can usually buy ones made that day fairly cheaply. However, I was making chile verde (see below) for my dad's birthday; and we inherited a vintage cast tortilla press when he moved last. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to actually use it for the first time. The press worked perfectly and easily; cutting a Ziploc in two made the tortillas not stick at all for the first few. After two or three I needed to flip the bag to get a clean, nonsticking side (and then discard after the next two or three).
What didn't: The tortillas were slightly on the thicker side. I might try reducing the weight to 1.75 oz for the same diameter.
We had some leftover masa, which didn't work as well the second time about a week later. I suspect it had dried out and so it stuck more.
Will I make it again? Now that I know how easy it is, yeah. Most of the time we'll probably still buy tortillas though.
bonus Resolution Recipe which I made for the same meal: Quick Pork Chile Verde.
"This recipe makes twice as much of the base as you need for one meal. Freeze half for future use."
Or, y'know, maybe halve the recipe. (Except, I guess, that you're supposed to use a minimum quantity of liquid in the pot.)
2 Tbsp oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled (Ha! I used... more.)
2 serrano chiles, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 lbs tomatillos, husked and quartered
1 cup water
salt
1 bunch cilantro
2 lbs pork stew meat, cubed
I added: 1 small can hominy, rinsed
tortillas
cilantro
lime
pickled red onion
Heat an Instant Pot on saute mode. Add the onion, garlic, and peppers. Saute for 10 minutes until the onion is softened and browned. Add the tomatillos, water, and salt.
Seal and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Let release for 10 minutes, then release any remaining steam. Open and add the cilantro. Puree the mixture until smooth.
Freeze half the sauce. Add the pork and hominy to the remaining sauce. Seal and cook on stew setting for 25 minutes, high pressure. Let release for 15 minutes then vent any remaining steam.
Ladle chile verde into bowls, and top with garnishes as desired.
What worked: It was good, especially with the fresh tortillas alongside. Adding hominy really makes it more of a posole, but we like the combination. It seemed pretty comparable to a slow-simmered chile verde in much less time.
What didn't: It could have used more chile heat. The recipe suggests an immersion blender in the pot; we don't have one, so I ladled it into the fud processor. That leaked all over the place (it's got a couple cracks, and the steam opened them up) for a sticky mess. I gave up and left it unpureed, which is less attractive than a nice and even, smooth green.
Will I make it again? Sure.
