Get the Recipe: Corn Tortillas with Lard (Tortillas de maíz)
This is a non-traditional recipe designed to flavor and/or soften tortillas that are made with pre-packaged corn-flour (masa harina).
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina
- 2 tablespoons lard
- ½-1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, (to taste)
- 1 cup very warm water, (110-120°F or 43-49°C)
Equipment
- 1 medium bowl
- Measuring spoons
- measuring Cups
- 1 fork
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 damp cloth or cling wrap
- 1 tortilla press (optional, see notes)
- 1 large plastic bag or wax paper
- 1 comal, griddle, or crepe pan
- 1 pancake spatula
Print Recipe
Instructions
- First, add the masa harina and lard to a medium sized bowl. Use your fingers to break up the lard and thoroughly coat the pieces as they get smaller, until you have a sandy, uniform mixture. Next, fill a measuring cup with the warm water and pour in half of it into the bowl, loosely mixing the mixture a bit with a fork. Then, add the salt to the remaining water and stir until the salt dissolves fully.
- Add the water mixture to the bowl and use a fork to mix everything together until the water is absorbed and it starts to clump together. At this point you can begin mixing with your hands until the dough fully combines and comes away from the sides of the bowl. It should feel like brand new playdough when done. If it feels a little dry add water ½tbsp (7.5ml) at a time. The dough should be hydrated, but not sticky. It should not feel like it's leaving any residue on your hands.
- Wrap or cover with a damp cloth, and let it rest for 30 minutes. Setup your workstation at your stovetop. Then, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (roughly 38.5g each) and re-cover. Turn on your burner and heat a non-stick pan with at least 10in (25cm) of flat surface to medium-high heat (see notes). It's preferable to use a griddle-like pan that can take relatively high heat for an extended period of time.
- While that is heating up, you can shape one of the dough balls using a tortilla press. First, cut a plastic bag down the sides from top to bottom and place a dough ball in between the layers. (see notes for other options than a single-use bag). Press the dough into a tortilla and peel the flattened dough away from the plastic like a sticker.
- Take the tortilla and lay it into the pan to cook for 30 seconds. Quickly flip the tortilla over and cook for another 30-60 seconds. The tortilla should begin to smell like roasted corn. Now, flip the tortilla back to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. If your pan is heated properly and the first sear worked, the tortilla will begin to puff up. You can promote puffing by lightly tapping the center of the tortilla during the final cook. Sometimes there are weak spots which release the steam that should make your tortillas puff. Try pressing down on the hole with your spatula to seal the steam back in and promote inflation.
- Adjust your pan temperature after the first tortilla depending on how slowly or quickly it cooks. Place the tortilla into a warmer or on a plate with a towel or paper towel over it. Repeat the process for all 12 tortillas.
Notes
- Use your tap for the warm water. Most water heaters are set to have a maximum temperature in that range.
- Instead of a single-use plastic baggie, you can also put cling wrap on the top and bottom of the press or use wax paper. I made a more long-term way to keep the tortillas from sticking to my press and slit a reusable, gallon-sized (3.79L) bag down the sides. It's lasted 2 years so far! I just clean it with soapy water. :)
- If you don't have a press, use a rolling pin. Do the same with the plastic bag, then roll turning the bag in a circle as you go.
- If it's helpful, my stovetop has 15 heat settings (some half steps) that go from 1 to 9. I keep my heat on 8 when I make tortillas.
- If your tortillas aren't puffing, try turning the heat up. Chances are that your pan isn't hot enough.
- When a tortilla puffs it means that moisture was trapped inside and turned into steam. This makes them a little softer than ones that don't puff. If your tortillas don't do the signature puff, that's okay. They will still be much better than store bought corn tortillas.
- Tortillas can be stored for 1 week in the refrigerator and up to 1 month in the freezer. (see FAQs for instructions)
Nutrition
Serving: 1tortilla | Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.01g | Vitamin A: 167IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg