Learn me on tortillas

[Buzzrock 14880]

I’m a gringo from Georgia so I’m pretty hopeless as far as tortilla knowledge. All I know is that in my many travels to Texas it’s like it’s not even the same food. I start dreaming of breakfast tacos weeks before a trip to TX. Those aren’t a thing here.

 

My wife buys grocery store flour tortillas and I often just warm them up and fill them with scrambled eggs and cheese and hot sauce. It’s ok but the tortilla is the weakest link by far no matter what it’s filled with.

 

We have a stout Mexican population in the ATL, even out in whitebread land by me. Should I start with the carnecerias? Do I need to ask for anything special? How long do good ones stay fresh? Is corn more authentic for tacos? How hard are they to make at home?

 

I await your education and derision.

[LW Goatman 1117]

You want corn, and they are cheap and easy to make. Follow this:

 

 

[conVINCEd 21468]

Go to the part of town that has a large Hispanic population.  Find a grocery store with a Spanish name.  A quick google search indicates that Cuernavaca and Brito might be good bets.  Procure tortillas, both corn and flour cause they’re cheap af, so why not both.  Profit.

[Post Oak 20188]

When you're back in texas stop at a HEB and buy their bakery fresh ones.  

You can freeze them and they hold up pretty well.  

Pass on the store bought Mission bullshit.  

 

[CooterBrown 17943]

Honestly make them yourself. It’ll take a couple of tries to turn out good ones but after a half dozen attempts, you’ll be able to crank them out in just a few minutes and you’ll make them often.

Here’s a good recipe based on San Antonio style flour tortillas. They are the best. Make sure you use a cast iron skillet or comal. Don’t try to sub any ingredient. Use fucking lard.

There’s nothing better than sitting at the table with just a stack of burning hot fresh tortillas and a bowl of room temperature butter.

https://abc13.com/amp/food/make-your-own-fresh-tortillas-with-this-recipe/2785780/

[HenryJames 65914]

1 hour ago, Buzzrock said:

We have a stout Mexican population

@Vic Mackey

[Surly Bevo 24717]

1 hour ago, conVINCEd said:

Go to the part of town that has a large Hispanic population.  Find a grocery store with a Spanish name.  Find the fattest late middle age hispanic woman you can at that store. If she only speaks broken English that's a bonus. Pay her to make the tortillas for you.

Fixed

[HenryJames 65914]

Corn for barbacoa, carnitas, and al pastor. Flour for everything else.

Go to a Mexican market. If they don’t make their own, ask them who does.

[Hate 20104]

For store bought tortillas, these are pretty damn good.

 

I would take the recommendations above as far as finding the Mexican neighborhoods.  It shouldn't be too hard to find a paneria to get some tortillas from.  If you keep them in the refrigerator, they should last a couple of weeks.  As far as corn or flour, Henry James nailed it with his post above.  Corn tortillas for breakfast tacos is an awful idea. 

[Native Horn 3494]

When you say you "warm them up," how are you doing that?  Microwave ain't the way to do it.  Get a comal or use a cast iron skillet.  

[Buzzrock 14880]

When you say you "warm them up," how are you doing that?  Microwave ain't the way to do it.  Get a comal or use a cast iron skillet.  

Either in the bottom of the pan before I make the eggs, or directly over the gas flame on the stove. In a rare pinch I might microwave.

[elfenix 34193]

2 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

We have a stout Mexican population in the ATL, even out in whitebread land by me. Should I start with the carnecerias? Do I need to ask for anything special? How long do good ones stay fresh? Is corn more authentic for tacos? How hard are they to make at home?
 

if they have ready to cook tortillas in the dairy case get those.  heat your cast iron just on the low side of medium, season the pan, then cook about 30-45 seconds a side. 

 

1 hour ago, Post Oak said:

When you're back in texas stop at a HEB and buy their bakery fresh ones.  

 

those things fucking suck.  possibly the worst thing HEB puts its brand on.  doughy, undercooked, stuffed into a plastic bag where they steam themselves into shit. 

[Michael Knight 12908]

Never ever ever microwave tortillas 

[Landomatic 3813]

1 hour ago, Surly Bevo said:

Fixed

I just went to a Mexican grocery store and bought tortillas to make breakfast tacos and when I got home, my neighbor’s old Mexican lady house cleaners were leaving and I thought about asking them if I could hire them to come cook me breakfast.  So this post hits close to home.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

51 minutes ago, Hate said:

For store bought tortillas, these are pretty damn good.

 

I would take the recommendations above as far as finding the Mexican neighborhoods.  It shouldn't be too hard to find a paneria to get some tortillas from.  If you keep them in the refrigerator, they should last a couple of weeks.  As far as corn or flour, Henry James nailed it with his post above.  Corn tortillas for breakfast tacos is an awful idea. 

This.  This right here.  

[Landomatic 3813]

11 minutes ago, Michael Knight said:

Never ever ever microwave tortillas unless you’re in a huge hurry and/or don’t feel like dirtying a pan 

Fixed.  It’s like pizza...there are definitely better ways to warm it up, but the microwave works in a pinch.

[tx 3 putt 76498]

42 minutes ago, Buzzrock said:

In a rare pinch I might microwave.

 

[Viking 299]

3 hours ago, elfenix said:

if they have ready to cook tortillas in the dairy case get those.  heat your cast iron just on the low side of medium, season the pan, then cook about 30-45 seconds a side. 

 

those things fucking suck.  possibly the worst thing HEB puts its brand on.  doughy, undercooked, stuffed into a plastic bag where they steam themselves into shit. 

This man speaks the truth. Also look for uncooked torts in the frozen aisles. Those are the best. The others have preservatives which ruin the simple flavors of a tort.

[elfenix 34193]

1 hour ago, Viking said:

This man speaks the truth. Also look for uncooked torts in the frozen aisles. Those are the best. The others have preservatives which ruin the simple flavors of a tort.

unfortunately the frozen ones at my HEB are all cauliflower, almond flour, casava, sprouted, and other similar bullshit.

[TornACL 7688]

The HEB half flour half corn are badass and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. 

[Jack Straw 2953]

5 hours ago, elfenix said:

if they have ready to cook tortillas in the dairy case get those.  heat your cast iron just on the low side of medium, season the pan, then cook about 30-45 seconds a side. 

these changed my life 

[TonyTexas 10485]

5 hours ago, Michael Knight said:

Never ever ever microwave tortillas 

I microwave corn tortillas with butter, salt salsa for a snack often. Delicious. 

Edited October 26, 2019 by TonyTexas

[Deej 76599]

Hire a mexican housekeeper and have her make them for you.

[HenryJames 65914]

[Post Oak 20188]

6 hours ago, elfenix said:

if they have ready to cook tortillas in the dairy case get those.  heat your cast iron just on the low side of medium, season the pan, then cook about 30-45 seconds a side. 

 

those things fucking suck.  possibly the worst thing HEB puts its brand on.  doughy, undercooked, stuffed into a plastic bag where they steam themselves into shit. 

 

[tx 3 putt 76498]

the flour and corn tortilla powder mixes are easy and come out better than store bought

[Anastasis 23403]

The ready to cook ones are good.  The HEB bakery ones might as well be ready to cook.  They have to be finished on the griddle. 

[PsychMike 1539]

On 10/26/2019 at 12:53 PM, elfenix said:

those things fucking suck.  possibly the worst thing HEB puts its brand on.  doughy, undercooked, stuffed into a plastic bag where they steam themselves into shit. 

I agree, they are majorly disappointing. I love the fresh ones that the Kroger Deli in Galveston make.

[Zepol87 9172]

19 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

the flour and corn tortilla powder mixes are easy and come out better than store bought

Yep. Tortillas are pretty easy to make nowadays with the premade masa and stuff available. 

[deadshank 24651]

22 hours ago, Deej said:

Hire a mexican housekeeper and have her make them for you.

Worked for my crazy-assed grand dad. That and more. 

[cactusflinthead 27595]

On 10/26/2019 at 12:55 PM, Michael Knight said:

Never ever ever microwave tortillas 

Tomorrow at lunch there are going to be a lot of landscape workers throughout Texas that will do it. And again the next day. And every other day they eat food at work. Ain't no comal at the QT. It's not better, but a man has to eat.

[Zepol87 9172]

Yep, just wrap them in a damp paper towel and they will eat just fine.

[Anastasis 23403]

58 minutes ago, deadshank said:

Worked for my crazy-assed grand dad. That and more. 

[jeevsie 3725]

Is this not a known thing that the HEB torts have to be finished on the comal?  No, they're not ready to eat like that, ya mo-rons!

[irishtexan 11447]

On 10/26/2019 at 6:12 PM, TornACL said:

The HEB half flour half corn are badass and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. 

The ones they make in the store at the bakery? They have a weird sticky film on them. The HEB branded mixtas tortillas on the shelf are better. 

 

[elfenix 34193]

45 minutes ago, jeevsie said:

Is this not a known thing that the HEB torts have to be finished on the comal?  No, they're not ready to eat like that, ya mo-rons!

and they still suck ass after that

ready to cook > made in store, all day, errday. 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

On 10/27/2019 at 5:57 PM, deadshank said:

Worked for my crazy-assed grand dad. That and more. 

Is that part of the deadshank origin story?

 

Oh, and flour for burritos, quesadillas, and breakfast tacos. Corn for everything else. If it isn't made from either flour or corn, run away as fast as you can.

[CooterBrown 17943]

and they still suck ass after that

Brush them with butter before finishing on the comal. Ain’t healthy but it improves them dramatically.

[jeevsie 3725]

Also, lard is not essential.  Both mom and buela made them with crisco with delicious results.

[elfenix 34193]

2 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

Brush them with butter before finishing on the comal. Ain’t healthy but it improves them dramatically.

or i could just get the ones from the dairy case that cost less, last longer, don't take longer on the cast iron and don't suck ass. 

Edited October 29, 2019 by elfenix

[BurdineBandit 812]

Corn tortilla in a microwave is fine if you're lazy and don't care about them being optimal. I've done it when I don't feel like waiting. All tortillas should be on a pan/comal until they get some brown on them though. Some good suggestions above as far as flour being great for breakfast and corn being great for dinner tacos. I think fajitas taste best with flour though. And at least try to make some yourself, the difference between pretty much any store-bought flour tortillas and homemade ones will change your life. Even the pre-mixed stuff is great. You need the flour to leave your hand a little dusty as youre eating, it's a Texan experience.

[hornbri 1378]

7 hours ago, BurdineBandit said:

Some good suggestions above as far as flour being great for breakfast and corn being great for dinner tacos. 

I think that is one of those rules that is generally true but has some exceptions. Fajitas on flour as you said. I also grew up with Barbacoa being a breakfast taco and I always eat those on corn. 

[ChickenSandwich 9803]

White corn torts from Lupe Tortilla are legit. Grab and go

destroys the traditional corn for breakfast 

[Mack Tripper 696]

Costco (at least in Houston) sells these refrigerated tortillas, which are really good. Best of the raw/refrigerated ones I've ever had. 

[Landomatic 3813]

So is this whole corn vs. flour thing like the Mexican version of the mayo vs. mustard vs. ketchup thing?  Because I prefer flour to corn for everything...and I hate mustard.  Fight me.

[Brisketexan 104746]

So is this whole corn vs. flour thing like the Mexican version of the mayo vs. mustard vs. ketchup thing?  Because I prefer flour to corn for everything...and I hate mustard.  Fight me.

It all depends on context, and even region. Flour is a northern Mexico-south Texas thing. In southern Mexico, they mostly eat corn.

But it’s also context. Enchiladas are almost always made with corn. Same with tostadas.

Both are really good, and fresh/homemade are always better. I actually like the HEB fresh flour - but buy them when they’re actually fresh, and yes, finish on the comal.

I’ve also microwaved plenty of tortillas in my day because young/lazy/in a hurry.

[Brisketexan 104746]

So is this whole corn vs. flour thing like the Mexican version of the mayo vs. mustard vs. ketchup thing?  Because I prefer flour to corn for everything...and I hate mustard.  Fight me.

It all depends on context, and even region. Flour is a northern Mexico-south Texas thing. In southern Mexico, they mostly eat corn.

But it’s also context. Enchiladas are almost always made with corn. Same with tostadas.

Both are really good, and fresh/homemade are always better. I actually like the HEB fresh flour - but buy them when they’re actually fresh, and yes, finish on the comal.

I’ve also microwaved plenty of tortillas in my day because young/lazy/in a hurry.

[Landomatic 3813]

6 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Enchiladas are almost always made with corn.

I’ve also microwaved plenty of tortillas in my day because young/lazy/in a hurry.

Yeah well, I gringo it up by ordering flour instead of corn with my enchiladas.  Every time.  I just like them better.

And I will microwave the hell outa some tortillas too.  For all the same reasons you listed...plus fat, drunk and stupid.

[TwiceHorn 31322]

12 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

Yeah well, I gringo it up by ordering flour instead of corn with my enchiladas.  Every time.  I just like them better.

That's messed up.  My culinary respect for you is diminished.  🤬🤬

Given that wheat is not native to the Americas and tortillas date back to pre-Columbian times, flour tortillas are historically inauthentic.  And they appear in northern Mexico because of gringo influence.

But I guess after a few hundred years, no one gives a shit.

[Bozo_Casanova 26336]

Back in ‘92 you could get 10 fresh flour tortillas and queso from Taco Cabana on MLK for about $2.

I got in the habit of walking over there about 2am 3-4x a week, and taking those back to the Dobie for a late night snack.

 

Man, between that, beer, and Gumby’s Pizza I got fat in a hurry.

 

So yes, fresh tortillas own, either bought for immediate consumption or homemade.