Comiteco Native Corn Tortillas

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large nonreactive pot for nixtamal
• •Food-grade cal container and measuring spoon
• •Molino, metate, or wet corn masa grinder
• •Tortilla press lined with plastic
• •Cast iron or clay comal
• •Woven servilleta or palm tortillera

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the corn

   Pick through the raza Comiteco corn and remove stones, broken husk, or damaged kernels. Rinse until the water runs mostly clear. Native corn deserves this first respect. Start dirty and everything after that is repair work.

2. 2

   Dissolve the cal

   In a large nonreactive pot, stir the cal into 3 quarts of water until the water turns cloudy. Add the rinsed corn. Use food-grade cal, not garden lime, not hardware-store powder. The cal loosens the skin, changes the aroma, and makes the corn ready for masa.

3. 3

   Cook the nixtamal

   Bring the pot to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then lower the heat and cook 25 to 35 minutes. Bite a kernel. The outside should be tender enough that the skin slips under your fingers, but the center should still have a firm white point. Do not cook it to mush. Tortillas need structure.

4. 4

   Rest overnight

   Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the corn rest in its cal water 8 to 12 hours. This is where the grain finishes changing. No me vengas con atajos. If you rush the rest, the masa will be stubborn and the tortilla will crack at the edge.

5. 5

   Wash with judgment

   Drain the nixtamal and rinse it in fresh water, rubbing the kernels between your palms to remove most of the loosened skin. Most, not all. If you scrub it clean like laundry, you wash away flavor. The corn should smell sweet, mineral, and alive.

6. 6

   Grind the masa

   Grind the nixtamal through a molino, metate, or a strong food mill fitted for wet corn. If using a masa grinder, pass it through twice. The masa should be fine enough to press cleanly but not pasty. Add water by the tablespoon only if the grinder struggles. You want masa, not batter.

7. 7

   Knead and test

   Knead the masa for 3 to 5 minutes with the salt if using. Pinch off a piece and press it between your fingers. It should feel soft, warm, and pliable, like firm modeling clay. If the edges crack, knead in water one tablespoon at a time. If it sticks badly, let it sit uncovered for 5 minutes.

8. 8

   Press the tortillas

   Heat a comal over medium-high while you work. Line a tortilla press with two pieces of plastic cut from a clean produce bag. Roll the masa into balls about 1 1/2 ounces each. Press firmly once, rotate the tortilla, and press again if needed. Uneven edges are not failure. Dry cracked edges are failure.

9. 9

   Cook on comal

   Lay one tortilla on the hot comal. Cook 30 to 40 seconds, just until the underside releases and pale freckles appear. Flip and cook 45 to 60 seconds. Flip once more and press gently at the edge with a folded cloth. A good tortilla will puff. That puff means the two cooked skins trapped air between them. Asi se hace y punto.

   If the tortilla does not puff, check three things: the masa may be too dry, the comal may be too cool, or the tortilla may have been pressed unevenly.
10. 10

    Hold in cloth

    Stack the tortillas inside a woven servilleta or palm tortillera as they come off the comal. Let them sit together at least 10 minutes before serving. The trapped warmth finishes softening them. Serve with frijoles de olla, queso fresco from Chiapas if you have it, or a molcajete salsa. The tortilla is not a side note. It is the meal's foundation.

Chef Tips

• •Ask for maiz nativo Comiteco from Chiapas if you have access to a Mexican market or a serious heirloom corn supplier. If the vendor cannot tell you the state, the race, or the harvest, ask another vendor. Preguntale a las senoras del mercado.
• •Masa harina is a compromise here. It will make a tortilla, but it will not give you the dense sweetness of fresh nixtamalized raza Comiteco corn. Use it only when whole native corn is out of reach, and know what you are missing.
• •Do not rinse away every bit of the pericarp after nixtamalizing. A little skin left on the kernel gives body and flavor. Clean, yes. Sterile, no.
• •The comal matters. Cast iron works. Clay is better if you know how to manage it. A nonstick skillet will cook the tortilla, but it will not give the same dry heat or light char.

Advance Preparation

• •The corn must be nixtamalized the night before grinding. Plan for 8 to 12 hours of resting in the cal water.
• •Fresh masa can be held covered at room temperature for 2 hours. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 24 hours and knead in a little warm water before pressing.
• •Cooked tortillas keep wrapped in a cloth for the meal, but they are best the day they are made. Reheat on a dry comal until flexible and lightly freckled again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 60g)