i was excited about our new tortilla press. i even found a home for it in the cupboard. but my enthusiasm quickly turned into disappointment (and pain!) when the handle broke and i squashed my finger. apparently, i do not know my own strength.
the tinga tacos were still very good despite all the drama. i ate 4 tacos and 2.5 tortillas (which means i also ate a tablespoon of lard).
I find that I don’t need all of the water. I can decrease the water by about 10%.
Emeril Lagasse Tortilla Recipe
Yield 12 tortillas
Ingredients
2 cups corn flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lard
1 1/2 cups water
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and lard. Mix well. Stir in the water. **The dough should be slightly wet. Form the dough into a smooth ball. Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Place a little water on the hands and form the dough into small balls. Place the balls on a piece of parchment paper (12 inches by 8 1/2 inches). Using your hands, flatten the dough and form into a flat circle. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the circle. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 6 1/2 to 7-inch circle and 1/8-inch thick. In a medium non-stick skillet, over medium heat, brown the tortillas for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove and place between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Repeat the above process with the remaining dough. Serve warm.
SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN
2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 (14.5-ounce) can Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes
½ cup Chicken Broth
2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
½ teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
TACOS
12 (6-inch) Corn Tortillas, warmed
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled (½ cup)
6 scallions, minced
minced fresh cilantro
Lime wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
In addition to the Mexican-Style Pickled Vegetables (Escabèche) and the toppings included here, Mexican crema (or sour cream) and minced onion are also good choices. If you can’t find Cotija cheese, you can substitute crumbled feta. The shredded chicken mixture also makes a good topping for tostadas.
1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of chicken and brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to large plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty pot, and heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, chipotle and adobo sauce, and sugar and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.
3. Return chicken to pot, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until meat registers 195 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping chicken after 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board.
4. Transfer cooking liquid to blender and process until smooth, 15 to 30 seconds. Return sauce to pot. When cool enough to handle, use two forks to shred chicken into bite-size pieces. Return chicken to pot with sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened and clings to chicken, about 10 minutes. Stir in lime zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. FOR THE TACOS: Spoon chicken into center of each warm tortilla and serve, passing avocado, Cotija, scallions, cilantro, and lime wedges separately.