Tacos are probably the least controversial food out there.
Seriously, everyone loves tacos, and whether they are traditional Mexican-style (meat, onion, cilantro) or gringo (cheese, lettuce, sour cream), they are always delicious.
I eat both kinds on a regular basis, but I have one complaint. The corn tortillas I buy at the grocery store — even the big, fancy Mexican one near my house — are crumbly and fall apart midway through eating my taco.
Some people swear by the double-tortilla method. Others say if you steam the tortillas to heat them, it’s not as much of a problem. I have had little luck with any method.
So when I saw a social media post in which Food Network chef Claudette Zepeda makes corn tortillas that you can squish in your fist and they come back to life, I knew I had to try my hand at making them.
I make pizza from scratch, so I’m not afraid of dough, but I had never tackled a tortilla.
The first thing I had to do was order a press. Since I wasn’t sure if I would make them more than once if they didn’t turn out, I went for a relatively inexpensive cast-iron press. There are so many out there — many less expensive than the $25 I spent, some considerably more. Mine works great.
Tortilla ingredients are simply masa, salt and water, but Zepeda infuses her tortilla water with tomatillo husks, and she says the enzymes from those husks are what make her tortillas especially pliable.
So I picked up a bag of masa — nothing fancy, just the basic stuff you can get at any well-appointed grocery store — and some tomatillos and set to work.
Spoiler alert: These tortillas far exceed any I’ve had outside of the fanciest of Mexican restaurants. I had no idea that it was possible to experience this level of nutty, supple deliciousness at home, and I’m hooked on making them for family and friends.
Tortillas and Braised Pork Chile Verde make a great taco night. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
After steeping the tomatillo husks in boiling water, I strain them and add the infused water to the masa and salt, mixing the ingredients with my fingertips until it is one solid mass. Then I knead the dough for about five minutes before breaking it into 24-gram balls, setting them in a shallow bowl covered with a damp towel.
The easiest way to press a tortilla without it sticking is to line the press with a plastic bag — produce bags from your grocery store work perfectly. You cut off the end and one side of the bag until it fits perfectly in your press, add the ball of dough to the middle, and press down, using the handle. It’s important not to press too hard or too soft. The tortilla should be 5-6 inches in diameter when it’s right. I usually turn the plastic bag with the tortilla inside 180 degrees and give it another tap in the press to ensure it’s of an even thickness.
Then you must gently set the tortilla on a griddle or comal (a special pan for frying tortillas). I use my cast-iron griddle. You can also use a nonstick or cast-iron skillet, but it’s harder to maneuver when setting the tortilla on the surface or flipping it.
Cook the tortillas for a minute, flip, cook a minute more, flip again, and cook until it puffs, about 2 minutes. Store tortillas in a warmer, nestled in a towel, and cover them. The steam from each subsequent tortilla keeps them all moist and pliable, so don’t worry if yours seem stiff coming off the griddle. Once you get the hang of it, try pressing cilantro leaves or cilantro flowers into the tortillas. They don’t add a ton of flavor, but they sure are pretty!
And because I don’t like to waste, I now have several ways to use those tomatillos to make a meat filling. I probably prefer the pork version, cooked low and slow on our pellet smoker to add complexity, but a slow-cooker verde chicken is also super delicious and totally doable on a weeknight.
My next plan is to order some of the fancy masa I’ve been seeing online and experiment with new flavors.
Recipes for the tortillas and both meats are below. Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Corn Tortillas
Makes 12 tortillas
Adapted from foodnetwork.com
INGREDIENTS
6 tomatillo husks
1 cup (leveled) masa harina
½ teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the tomatillo husks or pour the water over them and let sit for 10 minutes. Once cool enough to touch, strain the liquid and let cool.
In a medium bowl, add the masa harina, salt and the tomatillo water. The dough should be smooth enough to knead. If it’s sticky, add a little more masa. If it’s crumbly, add a little more water (plain water is fine). Knead by hand for 5 to 8 minutes. Roll into 12 portions (mini tortilla size is 24 grams) and place a damp cloth on top to prevent drying.
Cut a produce bag down the sides to open it up into one long plastic piece. Fold in half and lay on the bottom of a tortilla press. Place one portion of the dough between the folded-over plastic in the press so there is plastic on top and under the dough. Drop the press on the dough, pressing gently with the handle. Rotate the dough 180 degrees and drop the press to ensure evenly round and thin tortillas.
Heat a comal or griddle over medium-high heat. Carefully peel the round from the tortilla press, place on the comal and cook on one side for 1 minute. Flip and cook for 1 minute, periodically pressing gently with a linen napkin or towel. Then flip one last time and cook until it puffs, about 2 minutes. It should puff if it was kneaded enough. Transfer the tortilla to a linen towel and cover to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Braised Pork Chile Verde
Tomatillos and other vegetables roast at the same time in this Braised Pork Chile Verde recipe. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
Makes 6 very generous servings
Adapted from traeger.com
INGREDIENTS
1 2-3 pound pork shoulder, bone removed, fat cap trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 -inch cubes
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 jalapeños
1 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, peeled
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups chicken stock, plus more if needed
1 7-ounce can of diced green chiles
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Juice of ½ lime
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
DIRECTIONS
Place cast-iron skillet on your grill grates, then preheat grill to 450 degrees.
Line a baking sheet (or 2 small quarter sheets) with parchment paper.
Place the pork shoulder in a medium bowl and toss with the flour, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
Place the tomatillos, jalapeños, onion, and garlic on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Place the tomatillos, jalapeños, onion, and garlic on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot cast iron skillet, then add the pork to the pan in an even layer. Place the baking sheet with the vegetables on the top grate (or next to the cast iron) and close the grill lid. Cook for 20 minutes, without opening the lid or stirring, until the pork is evenly browned on the bottom and the vegetables are softened and lightly browned.
Remove the vegetables from the grill and transfer to a blender. Purée until smooth.
Pour the puréed vegetables into the pan with the pork, along with the chicken stock, green chiles, oregano, and cumin. Close the grill lid and reduce the temperature to 325. Cook the chile verde until the liquid has reduced and the pork is fork-tender, 60-90 minutes (it was more like 2 hours for us, but we really wanted the pork to be shreddable). If the liquid is reducing too quickly, add more chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time.
Remove the chile verde from the grill and top with the lime juice and cilantro. Serve as desired.
Chicken Verde
I usually throw whatever chicken I have — often a combo of boneless breasts and thighs — into the slow cooker here. Some thighs ensure the meat won’t be dry.
INGREDIENTS
2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs or a combination of both
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut in half
1 small yellow onion, sliced ½ inch thick
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2-3 jalapeños, depending on how spicy you like it, stemmed and halved (seed if you are spice-averse)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos on the sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and blistered.
Remove from oven, place in blender and puree until smooth.
Place your chicken in a slow cooker and season it with salt and pepper.
Pour the puree over the chicken and set the slow cooker for four hours on high. Check the chicken after four hours. If it shreds easily, it’s done. If not, set it for another 30 minutes. Shred the chicken right in the bowl of the slow cooker with the sauce and serve with fresh, warm tortillas and the toppings of your choice.
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