Comal-chameleon

Saucymano - What is the best way to cook a tortilla? I want soft, not crispy. - No 4th meal here

Best is such a subjective term. Traditionally, tortillas were cooked on a round/disc shaped pan called a comal.

But pre-made, wrapped in plastic, uniformly sized tortillas aren't especially traditional. Back in the day, the pre-Columbian day, dried corn would have been stripped from the cob, soaked/partially cooked in a solution of lime (alkali not citrus) and water, then pounded/rolled out in a contraption called a metate (right) and mixed into a dough consisting of water and fat – lard became the fat of choice during the Spanish colonial period: Now commonplace but is lard traditional? There were 1000s of years of culture before Cortes and the pig showed up.

Just as tortillas have evolved over the years with different cultural influences, so has the comal. Aztecs, Mayans, and Olmecs, whose heads probably were more proportional to their bodies than their sculptures lead us to believe, would have cooked on a comal made of terra cotta, stone or volcanic rock. Metallurgy, iron works in particular, were by and large a Spanish import. Eventually, cast iron and enameled metal replaced the traditional earthen comals – so much so that by the time Encarnacion’s Kitchen, was published in 1898 - the first cookbook written by a habla Hispana in the US - a comal is defined as ‘a ceramic or metal disc” used to cook tortillas, seeds or chilies.

I have tasted handmade tortillas a few times cooked on a terra cotta comal – Both in Mexico and East LA, the latter location was very proud of their traditional comal; in Mexico there was little fanfare, it just seemed to be the what they cooked on, what they have always on, to the point that I wonder how quickly the vendor would have jumped at the chance to upgrade from a charcoal fire and earthen cookware to a sturdy cast iron pan heated consistently by gas, propane or electricity? Musing aside, the terra cotta didn’t really add more flavor – tortillas made from traditional ingredients, made by traditional methods, made at the time of ordering, that made a difference in taste, but as far as the cooking medium went; not really all that discernible in the final product.

Watching someone grind nixtamal or roll masa by hand does make a person appreciate modern western conveniences. Even in the fairly fancy restaurant in Los Angeles, I felt very imperial watching the amount of energy expended to make two small tacos. My friend and dinner companion, a Chicano, watching two young attractive Californio women hand-rolling tortillas, fell in love on the spot. He just kept ordering one taco at a time so he could watch them work in the open kitchen.

Target, Amazon, Wal-Mart all sell cast-iron comals but if you have a handy seasoned, versatile cast-iron skillet of your own, you probably don’t need another pan, you only need to be cautious of temperature and moisture. Medium heat and add just a tiny amount of oil – not enough so the oil will pool in the bottom of the pan, but more like you are lightly coating the pan, spread the oil around with a brush or paper towel until it is a thin veneer. Next add about a teaspoon of water, careful heat, oil and water makes for some splatter but if the heat is low enough and the oil is distributed properly, this won’t be an issue. Add the tortilla, cook until the water evaporates, flip it over and cook until it looks right to you.

Coming up next on Saucyman – Asparagus, Asparagus, Asparagus.