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I really wasn't sure what to expect from the tortillas. My mother makes them very well. Others have made them well. Self-doubt, on some things, seems more ingrained. While I have made custards, deep enough french toast to have a, and done, internal custard, steaks to my liking, and try new things as often as I am able, some foods, even simple ones like tortillas, give me the jitters. In this case I even had to adjust on the fly. I am not sure if I wrote something down wrong, or misheard or misread something. I had aimed for twice the batch the video suggested, ended up with four times the batch. Which was fine, it seems that my uptick was consistent... or I simply got lucky?
I heated one of the cooled flank steaks, after all but cooking the tortillas. I heated a can of beans. Not my favorite way, but on a spur of the moment thing, store bought canned beans will handily work in a pinch. Slicing the meat, then adding it to the canned beans to keep each other warm, I began cooking the tortillas. Okay, it does take a bit. The suggested time of four minutes, 1 minute then flip by four flips, seems to do quite well. And, while I have heard that folding the tortillas in a towel will keep them warm, I... had my doubts. Oh, by the way, that actually does work.
I planned to not sample the tortillas until I was done. Plans, as I might have mentioned, get you to your duty station. At that time they fall apart, but you should be able to figure out the rest, survival first (usually), from there. Anyway, I had to rip into the first one. It really was amazing. Just plain it wasn't bad. Add a few beans in a small torn off bit and... wow. Steak just amped it more. I doubt if I spent $2, that is two dollars, on that meal. Even with milk, less with tea? Maybe.
I have the remaining dough and last steak packaged and freezing. I will try this meal in a week, see how it does. Later, say in two or three weeks, I will try part or all of the dough. I am not sure it will refreeze well. Though that might be an experiment on it's own... or perhaps I could try to figure out how to halve the dough while frozen? Bleh. So many things to figure out, so little time? Nah, plenty of time, most likely, if memory would serve. So... there you go.
Later, perhaps good night.
I congratulate you on successfully making tortillas. I suppose I could do so if my life (or the life of my family) absolutely depended on the skill (and if I had access to decent masa harina). But I know my limitations and, until a crisis comes along, will acquire tortillas from people who are measurably better at it than I am.
ReplyDeleteMy sentiments exactly! Minus the masa harina... not needed for flour tortillas. And, currently, I am not milling my own flour, but that will change. Better? Potentially more actually nutritious... I'll know how long ago it was milled. Flour, if frozen, really only stays nutritious for up to three months. Degradation on the counter depends on room temp, but can be much less than half that. How long has it been on a shelf, in a warehouse, sitting at the mill after being ground?
ReplyDeleteOn the good side, it is far better than store bought. On the bad side? They are far better than store bought. I guess though, what will keep me from eating these too often, is standing for four minutes per. All unbleached white this time. In the future I may attempt to put in some whole wheat. Not all, by any spread. Mostly like 1/3rd, at most though unlikely 1/2 to 2/3rd. Not quite enough time to sit between flips. NOW I understand why mothers hovered, on this and other foods. I used to think they were just... weird... neurotic (which they are, mind you). Well, they are weird, but this has nothing to do with that. All women are weird. Men are too, but generally in a way I understand. Never mind. :p