Instant Corn Masa

[Silver Creek Slim]

I picked up a bag of this the other day to make tortillas. It says to use a tortilla press which I don't have. What can I do/use to substitute for a press?

Slim

[Delmonico]

Wax paper and a rolling pin. 

[El Peludo]

A couple of tin pie pans, one inside of the other, line 'em with wax paper so the dough doesen't stick, and press away to your heart's content.  Or you could do like my friend Angie, her Mom, and her Abuela did; roll up a ball of dough about the size of a medium sized plum, and start mashing and turning it in your hands, and flipping it back and forth until it is thin enough and sort of round, and toss them on a griddle. 

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[Silver Creek Slim]

Thanks, pards. 

Slim

[Delmonico]

Another thought would be to adopt some nice old Mexican grandmother.  Other than a press I've had little luck with corn tortillas athough I've seen some Mexican ladies that sure can hand throw them.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Sorta like pizza dough?

Slim

[Silver Creek Slim]

I just finished making them.

Are ya supposed ta put something on 'em so they don't curl?

Slim

[Ozark Tracker]

Slim, what's you gonna put on em on in em.

[Delmonico]

Chile with macaroni and Velveeta.

[El Peludo]

How were they?  What did you think of your first try? 

[Trinity]

"Whar is mahn?  Ah wan' some!  Ah love me some tertilas!"

My mother has a tortilla press.  She went crazy one year and was making them all the time.  Those tortillas you made look like flour instead of corn.  Am I mistaken?

[Silver Creek Slim]

They were real good. My better-half cut up leftover roast beef and fried it with onions. I broke up the tortillas; put the meat, onions, romaine lettuce, shredded mozz, hot salsa, and peas on top.

Slim

[Silver Creek Slim]

"Whar is mahn?  Ah wan' some!  Ah love me some tertilas!"

My mother has a tortilla press.  She went crazy one year and was making them all the time.  Those tortillas you made look like flour instead of corn.  Am I mistaken?

masa - flour or dough made of dried, ground corn, used esp. for tortillas. So, technically, they are corn flour tortillas. 

Slim

[Ozark Tracker]

Slim, have you ever had an Indian Taco?  Jackie has an awful good reciepe for the fried bread,  I'll get her to find it and post it for ya if you think you might try it.

[Delmonico]

Post the fry bread recipe, I have several, seems like most every tribe has their own version.  I learned to make fry bread at a wedding, the mother of the groom ate while the best man took her spot and made fry bread.  I do it the Ioway way.   Got a picture of Tom who was the groom that day somewhere, he is making fry bread in a dutchoven by Coleman lantern light, yes there is an old beat-up pick-up in the background as is proper.  We lost Tom to a stroke in 2005, he was 44.

[Ozark Tracker]

this is from the Cherokee Advocate, a bimonthly magazine I get.

Cherokee Indian Fry Bread

3 cups unbleached flour
2 tespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water or milk

enough oil to cover the bottom of a skillet

in a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except oil and kneed until smooth

rub oil or shortening over dough

cover and let sit for about 30 minutes

either pat or roll out enough dough to fit in the palm of your hand and deep fry in hot oil or shortening

makes 10 to 12 fry breads.


my wife usuall halfs this to make us some.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Slim, have you ever had an Indian Taco?  Jackie has an awful good reciepe for the fried bread,  I'll get her to find it and post it for ya if you think you might try it.

As far as I know, I've never had one.

Slim

[Singing Bear]

As far as I know, I've never had one.

Slim

Your leftover roast beef'n'onions would go fine with fry bread, Slim. 
The Indian taco is a frybread piled high with anykind of plain cooked beans, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese and salsa.  It's okay.  Not my fave.  I like mine slathered with lots of melted butter and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon sugar or just plain with honey drizzled all over it.

Had some Navajo stew at a restaurant in Chinle on the Navajo Rez.  A clear broth beef stew with squash, onions, potatoes, carrots and beef.  They serve it with fry bread.  Oh my. 

You could very well use corn tortillas for the same, although I can't see them going too well with the butter/cinnamon sugar or honey.  Never tried them that way and would probably work just as well. 

[Delmonico]

Very similar OT, actually any yeast or quick bread can be fried instead of baked.  A friend called one time, found out I was makin' ham and beans, he talked me into makin' frybread to go with it.  He drove a 120 mile round trip for that.  Ham and beans is the big one with frybread around here.

[Ozark Tracker]

we use cut up beef, cut up pork or just fried hamburger meat, refried beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato's, slasa,

Slim if you make some, when you roll it out, just make it a little thicker than a tortilla, when it hits the oil it'll rise like crazy.

I like mine slathered with lots of melted butter and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon sugar or just plain with honey drizzled all over it.

 

Singing Bear,  we have a reciepe somewhere around here for soapappis, they are sweeter bread that risies and is perfect with powderd sugar and honey.  let me look it up.  we use it for dessert