Make the Perfect Corn Tortillas! Expert Chef Shows You How, With Tips | ChefSteps

There’s nothing like a freshly made corn tortilla. Warm, nutty, with a slight char, homemade corn tortillas are the perfect vehicle for tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, flautas, and more. Chef Jonathan Zaragoza shows how to turn fresh masa into perfect corn tortillas. Learn how to dial in the right hydration for masa, shape and press it into tortillas, and cook them on a traditional comal. #tortillas #masa #mexicanfood #corntortillas #chefsteps #jonathanzaragoza


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[dpclerks]

More Chef Jon, please! I feel like he expresses the perfect balance of cooking intuitively, while also understanding the technique, finesse, and minutiae that most "anglicized" home-cooks tend to obsess over. It's refreshing to see on this channel. The foolproof, metrically converted recipes are a great starting point, but I think that the intuitive aspects of Cooking should be embraced more in the tutorials that are presented, if that makes sense. Subbing ingredients is one thing, but learning how to FEEL your way through cooking delicious food by trusting your gut and your senses would be an invaluably enriching alternative.

[eckopoppin]

This is a great series! Johnathan is so chill and has a great style of teaching. Hope to see some more videos. Cheers from Chicago!

[ericw]

We’re gonna need more of Chef Jonathan with Grant on here!

[MichaelNatkin]

That was great! I've been making tortillas off and on for years, but never quite knew how to know if they were hydrated right.

[martiniyo]

Excellent video. Love chef Jonathan explanations. I may have to renew my membership just to learn all recipes from chef Jonathan Zaragoza. You can own the universe in a perfectly made tortilla!

[nolanshaw]

Enjoyed the video!  
A well made corn tortilla is a wonderful thing. I am very interested in hearing about Jonathan's techniques for obtaining consistent corn tortilla "puffing". He touched on the subject briefly saying there are a number of variables (masa hydration/tortilla thickness/damp towel dabbing the tortilla on the comal) but didn't dive much deeper. Grant, would you give more color on this aspect of making corn tortillas - thank you!

[gacemendoza]

great. now i want to know where to buy the tortilla press and the comal. i have a round black comal that i bought in mexico city about 20 years ago and a metal tortilla press, but i really like the tortilla press you are using. Thank you.

[AllFever]

I've been thinking about this too much, but as someone not from that part of the world - what did you use before plastic? And did that mean hydration levels of the dough were different?
I'm really interested in the old way of rolling out the dough - In Italy for example the pasta dough is dusted and rolled in flour which would reduce hydration. How is this approached with corn tortillas?

[redbeard_the_baker]

Could you share more about the sourcing of fresh masa? Was this from Maiz by chance?

[chrisbird]

So can we get those OnlyFans details or what?

[bostonbesteats]

4th thing that makes a perfect corn tortilla: NEVER LET IT COOL! As soon as it cools, it is ruined, which is why you should never eat at a restaurant that doesn't make fresh tortillas (or even worse, buy corn tortillas in the grocery store)

[stevenjacobs]

Once you get the tortillas to puff on their own without any poking or slapping, it's hard to ever accept anything less. I feel like I've failed without it even though my guests can't tell the difference.

[gotbjosh]

Do these tortillas come with scandalous evidence printed on them used to mock & unsettle guests between courses?

[shahilj]

When you have no clue what Massa even is

[effyelvira]

Clapped tortillas are way better than pressed

[norwegianviking]

I think I have a better recipe, that will boost the corn flavour: 1 small can of corn, 275 grams corn flour, 1 tsp salt, water. Run the corn and brine from the can in a food processor until smooth. Add water until combined weight is 425 grams. Add the corn flour, and mix to a smooth dough. To make the tortillas, make a 50 gram ball and put in in the press, like in the video. Fry in a dry skillet, but not too long. The tortillas are supposed to be soft, not crispy. These tortillas are soooo good! (Sorry Chefsteps, but this time I'm ahead of the curve:))

[rblaisroy]

no puffing up and lots of sticking. a bit sad to be honest.