Flour Tortillas

[Magia]

Originally Posted by college_cook

I'll try making them with lard next time. And I think i cooked them for about 30 sec. per side at med-high heat. If i kneaded the dough too much could that affect the taste? It seemed like i may have worked with the dough too much before i cooked them, they were really hard to roll out.

I would like to make corn tortillas, but I have this obsession with being authentic with my Mexican food, and I would probably want to to grind my own corn, and the whole nine yards. Maybe I'll try corn over the summer when I have some more time.

kneading the dough should not affect the taste, at all. the authentic Tortillas are shaped by padding them with both hands, as if you were clapping, with the dough in the middle. Not easy to do, that is why, most of tortillas now days are shaped with a tortilla machine or rolled by oneself, which, because of consistency is hard as well...
Sounds to me that 30 secs per side is enough.

now, I don't know about tortillas in other countries, but in Central America and Mexico, neither flour tortillas nor corn tortillas are crispy. Corn tortillas do not contain fat but they are soft and gooey. If it is crispy it is either a taco shell or a nacho, perhaps a garnacha or a tostada, but definitely not a tortilla.

It seems to me that you nailed the tortilla from the beginning, it is just that you don't like flour tortillas and I don't blame you... they are not good...

[jennyema]

Yes, you are right about the corn tortillas not being inherently "crispy." My bad. But they are, IMO, not as chewy as flour tortillas because of the fat in the flour ones.

Corn tortillas are made crispy (ala taco shells) by quick frying.

I do agree about corn tortillas tasting better!!