Tortillas

Modern Way to Prepare Corn for Tortilla and Tamales

Put one gallon of shelled corn in enough water to cover; dissolve one-half cup lime in a little water and add to cover; boil fifteen or twenty minutes; remove from fire, pour off first water and add fresh cold water; rub with hand to remove husk. Rinse in another water and it is ready to grind. Don't wash too much or it will not be pasty enough to make tortilla.

Tortillas No. 2

Another way and liked best by some people: Add to the corn dough (masa) rounding tablespoon of lard to four cups dough, little salt.

Tortillas No. 3

Still another way: Corn meal and coarse flour half and half wet to stiff dough, salt and lard.

Tortillas No. 4

But the best to my taste is the hominy or corn ground into a smooth paste, three cups corn, one of flour, two tablespoons melted lard, teaspoon salt, cook on ungreased iron, have ready enough hot salted lard to dip tortilla in just before you add filling to make Enchiladas. When flour is used, dough may be rolled out on a board, a small pie tin placed on and cut round the edge to form cake; lift up with pancake turner.

How to Shape Tortillas

Take piece of dough size of biscuit and press with hand into cake size of small pie plate, toast on top of stove moderately warm. Do not brown.

Enchiladas, No. 1 (Very fine)

Make Tortilla. Chop one cup onions very fine, slice and chop one-half cup olives, cook in little lard; have cup grated cheese ready, dip tortilla in hot salted lard, dip in chile sauce No. 1, spread with grated cheese, put in center tablespoonful of cooked onions, tablespoon chopped hard-boiled eggs, two tablespoons chopped chicken, six seedless raisins soaked in claret, level tablespoon chopped olives, a sprinkle of cheese and fourth cup Chile Sauce No. 1, fold both sides, one over the other, pour Chile Sauce No. 5 over all, put tablespoon cooked onion on center of top of each and several large pieces of cheese and three whole olives. Place in hot oven till cheese is melted, serve very hot.

Enchiladas No. 2

Use green chile sauce for Enchiladas No. 2, and filling of beef or veal, with onion or coddled or poached egg on top sprinkled with grated cheese, spoonful red chile sauce dropped in spots for color, heat till cheese melts.