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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The Frost were done in once again Sunday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center by an inability to finish, and it might have ended their chances of repeating as PWHL champions.

Despite outshooting the New York Sirens 33-21 and controlling play for most of the game, the Frost were unable to solve Sirens goaltender Corinne Schroeder in a 2-0 loss that left them four points behind the Ottawa Charge for the fourth and final playoff spot with two games to play.

The Frost will have to beat the Charge on Wednesday and third-place Boston on Saturday — both on the road — and get some help to make it into the postseason.

The Sirens broke a scoreless tie at 11:07 of the second period. Frost defender Maggie Flaherty was unable to control a pass back to the point at the New York blue line, allowing Taylor Girard to beat Frost goaltender Maddie Rooney on a breakaway.

Minnesota’s Brooke McQuiggee sends a shot at New York goaltender Corinne Schroeder during the Sirens’ 2-0 victory on Sunday, April 27, 2025 at Xcel Energy Center. Schroeder made 33 saves in the shutout. (The PWHL)

The Sirens added an empty-net goal at 19:52 of the third period to seal the victory.

“At the end of the day, you have to score to win, and we didn’t,” Frost center Taylor Heise said.

It was a frustrating afternoon for a team that failed to win a crucial game on home ice against the PWHL’s last-place team.

“Regardless of a win or loss today, we knew we’re going to have to go into Ottawa and play well and win,” Frost coach Ken Klee said. “And we know we have to go into Boston and do the same thing. The mindset doesn’t change.

“It takes it out of our hands a little bit. We need a little help now, where we didn’t need that before this game. But we’ve got to go in and win games.”

In their first game back from the PWHL’s three-week break that allowed its players to participate in the IIHF world championship in Czechia, the Frost got off to a fast start, outshooting the Sirens 17-6 in the first period.

“We had a great first period,” Klee said. “We probably had 30 shot attempts; it was outrageous how many good looks we had. We just have to find a way to bank one in, put one in, hit one off someone’s shin pad.

“We practiced hard the last few days and we looked sharp. We were scoring goals like crazy in practice. It’s unfortunate, but it’s a tough league.”

The Frost had a great opportunity to take the lead early in the second period when they went on a five-minute power play. But they weren’t able to put any sustained pressure on Schroeder.

“Good on them to kill it off,” said Frost defender Lee Stecklein, “but I think we just kept going. I didn’t feel like that deflated us. But we definitely didn’t keep that great energy we had in the first. I think that was good to see us come out that way; we need to find a way to keep that going through all three.”

Klee felt the power play could have done more to make things difficult for the Sirens.

The Frost entered the third period knowing their season likely was on the line but did not have the look of a team playing with desperation.

“I thought we played desperate, I just thought we played a little dumb,” Klee said. “We don’t often pinch and give up odd-man rushes. It wasn’t that they weren’t trying to do the right things; I just think we were trying a little too hard and we were pressing.”

As for ways to kickstart the offense, Stecklein said now is not the time for a new approach. “Obviously it didn’t work tonight,” she said, “but we just have to believe it’s going in. Sometimes that’s half the battle.”

Now, battling for their playoff lives, the Frost have left themselves no room for error.

“We lost; it is what it is,” Heise said. “We have to come out and play two hard games. Whether or not you make the playoffs, these are some really big games for us. If we win both and we still don’t make it, that potentially puts you up for the (first overall) pick (in the draft).

“We’re going to continue to work hard. Ottawa is the next game and we just have to settle it down and work our way to the net and figure it out.”

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Joe Ryan started strong Sunday afternoon and never let up.

The Twins right-hander cruised the first time through the Los Angeles batting order with five strikeouts, three foul outs and a flyout.

And the day’s tone was set.

Ryan’s bounce back performance came at the end of what could be termed a bounce back week for the Twins that culminated with a 5-0 win over the Angels at Target Field.

“We trusted that we were all around a really good team. But when we were losing as much as we were, it starts to get to the point where it’s hard to still believe in that,” said catcher Ryan Jeffers. “… We’re a really good team, and we can show, and we’ve started to show, that we are that team that everybody thinks we can be.”

Minnesota (12-16) won five of six games on its homestand: sweeping the Angels after taking two of three from the White Sox. The Twins have won three games in a row for the first time since Aug. 15-17, 2024. They start a seven-game road trip Monday in Cleveland.

“It’s one thing to go get ‘em for a day, it’s another thing to go get ‘em for an entire homestand,” said manager Rocco Baldelli. “I was really pleased. We saw a lot today and it started with Joe Ryan.”

Ryan stymied the Angels to the tune of seven shutout innings. He struck out a season-high 11 — his 10th career game with double-digit strikeouts and one off his career best — and allowed just four hits. Los Angeles swung at and missed 26 pitches, a career best for Ryan.

“I always just assume they’re going to swing and miss when I throw (my fastball),” he said. “It’s hard for me to break that down, I guess, but it’s a good sign. I’m hitting my spots probably and we’re calling the right pitches. That’s all I think of it. I don’t know. It’s just a good pitch.”

Coming off his worst start of the season last Sunday in Atlanta where he gave up six runs in five innings, including three home runs, Ryan was on his game from the outset. Pounding the zone, Ryan (2-2) needed just 10 pitches to get through the first inning, struck out the side in the second and fanned two of three hitters in the third.

“We were working on some stuff this week, just mechanically and with the lower half. We got it rolling and it felt good,” Ryan said.

Carlos Correa had a season-high three hits and was 6 for 11 in the series.

Up 1-0 in the sixth, Correa led off with a single and Trevor Larnach reached on an error. Both scored on a double by Ty France. He scored two batters later via a Jeffers double.

An RBI single by Larnach made it 5-0 in the seventh.

Harrison Bader provided the highlight-reel defensive play to rob Taylor Ward of extra bases in the seventh inning. Playing center field and shaded towards right, Bader raced to his right made a Byron Buxton-like diving catch of a 108-mph liner and slid onto the warning track in front of the bullpens.

“That was insane,” Ryan said.

With the team in the midst of playing 13 straight days, Buxton got the day off.

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The Vancouver Whitecaps did not prioritize its MLS match against Minnesota United on Sunday at Allianz Field. It didn’t matter.

The Whitecaps, focusing on its run in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinal against Inter Miami coming Wednesday, brought eight new players into the starting XI.

The Loons’ first-choice team didn’t take advantage and when Whitecaps key players Sebastian Berhalter and Pedro Vita subbed in, they combined for three second-half goals in a 3-1 win.

Vancouver (7-1-2, 23 points) showed its depth to remain in first place in the Western Conference.

Third-place MNUFC (4-2-4, 16 points) snapped its club-record-tying eight-match unbeaten streak. Minnesota has lost for the first time since 1-0 at LAFC on Feb. 22.

Wil Trapp scored in the 80th minute, which snapped United’s 321-minute scoreless streak since he scored in New York on April 6 and the Loons then weathered two scoreless draws.

The Loons provided the better chances in the first half but they weren’t great opportunities had nothing to show for it. They outshot Vancouver 6-0, with two on target. Neither attempt challenged Yohei Takaoka much.