Anyone make tortillas at home?

[Kaido]

I've been using tortillas a lot more in my cooking and I want to start making them at home. The automatic machines look like junk; from what I've read the presses are the best way to go. I can't find a good large one though, any suggestions?

 

[Saint Michael]

Go back to Mexico, how dare your profane the holy ground of the Southern US, that bastion of all that is good and pure, with your Spaniard culture?

 

[Kaido]

ooo:

http://www.tortillacocina.com/tortilla_press.htm

 

[IronWing]

Kind of like a hamburger press.

 

[sobriquet]

Don't get one of the cheap aluminum ones. I had one of those before I went to Mexico and found a big, solid, heavy wooden one. The aluminum ones bend and get really screwed up if you use it heavily.

 

[OdiN]

Use a tortilla rolling pin

 

[dethman]

dude just buy them. who has the time.

 

[Schfifty Five]

Get one like Taco Cabana's.

 

[spittledip]

I made them using a rolling pin.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: dethman
dude just buy them. who has the time.

Gimme a break, you can make time for anything I've been through all the local brands and they just don't taste the same as the local Mexican restaurants have, or even McDonald's breakfast wraps. Plus if I can make a bunch once a month and freeze them, then that's not too much work.

 

[sobriquet]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: dethman
dude just buy them. who has the time.

Gimme a break, you can make time for anything I've been through all the local brands and they just don't taste the same as the local Mexican restaurants have, or even McDonald's breakfast wraps. Plus if I can make a bunch once a month and freeze them, then that's not too much work.

Plus you can make different tortillas for different applications. I love making super thick gorditas with melted cheese on top. Fantastic snack right there.

 

[QED]

Quick and somewhat related question here.

I'm not much into tortillas themselves, but I do love tortilla chips. What's the best way to make good tortilla chips? Frying home-made tortillas? I've tryed cutting and deep frying store-bought corn tortillas, and the results are good but not quite what you get at a good Mexican restaurant.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: sobriquet
Don't get one of the cheap aluminum ones. I had one of those before I went to Mexico and found a big, solid, heavy wooden one. The aluminum ones bend and get really screwed up if you use it heavily.

Been looking for a wood one with no luck, any suggestions?

 

[CPA]

I love the large ones like at Chipolte, but can't seem to find them. Would love to make them.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: CPA
I love the large ones like at Chipolte, but can't seem to find them. Would love to make them.

Hmm, I've been doing some reading and it seems that presses are the best for corn tortillas and either a rolling pin or a hot-press is the best for flour tortillas. There's a couple recipes plus instructions here:

http://www.tortillacocina.com/tortillas.htm

They sell a hot-press for $60. The instructions are here:

http://www.tortillacocina.com/electric.htm

That seems like the most efficient way to make a lot of tortillas at one time. I've been getting into freezer storage over the last few months and this would be a good item to add to my inventory of pre-cooked home-made food items. The hot press par-bakes the flour tortilla, which they say is like a quick proofing, then you fry it and eat or store it. You can also use the hot-press for doing corn tortillas by simply not plugging it in and using wax paper instead.

 

[LtPage1]

Originally posted by: CPA
I love the large ones like at Chipolte, but can't seem to find them. Would love to make them.

Seriously? My left eye twitches involuntarily every time someone mispronounces the word like that-- but to actually type it out?! My righteous fury knows no bounds.

My parents have a cast iron one that turns out amazing tortillas, but I'd say it's on the small side of medium-ish. Personally, I'd rather have more small tortillas than big ones. Mmmmm...