Mexican cooker

We were recently in Guadalajara. The cookware stores in Liberty Market had a type of cooking pan I had never seen before. It was square with a round concave well in the center. It is used over a gas burner. I saw the concave area used as a fryer and also to cook taco fillings. After the fillings were cooked they were pulled off to the side and tortillas were warmed in the well, then filled and served. Very versatile. Anyone ever seen this type of pan sold in Chicago? They offered many sizes, I wish now I had bought one, but carrying it back on the plane seemed problematic.

I've seen these for sale at the cookware stall at Maxwell street (I think it's towards the south end, east side of the street. I have one that I bought in Oaxaca. I love using it for deep frying. The rim prevents spatter and it's sloped so you can push food to the side and the oil drains back into the pan.

thanks! I'll check it out.

Went to Maxwell Street last Sunday and found my cooker. I'm going to play with it this weekend. Also found a nice Mochahete. Unlike Mexico, they guy would not really deal very much. Lots of fun to be had at Maxwell Street.

Hi,

If you have the capability, do you think you could upload a photo? Or maybe find a link with an image? I'm just wondering what we are talking about.

Regards,

Here's what mine looks like (I think this is what you meant)...

That's it. Mine has yet to develop the patina.

I'm intrigued by this pan. Anyone know what it's called? I'm afraid my abuela isn't around to ask anymore.

-ramon

I'm not sure of the name. I saw/used the pan for the first time when I participated in Susanna Trilling's cooking class in Oaxaca. We used the pan to make garnachas (masa discs with a ground beef topping). Here is the URL to see someone else's pictures of the same class (with the pan in use). I have no idea who this person is--I found the site with Google.
http://www.aoconnor.org/photos/rancho_aurora/coolfryer.html

I like using the pan for frying because the edges are sloped so the oil drains off but the food stays warm. I've used it several times to make chiles rellenos.

I'm sure its a camal de something ...

-ramon

The pan you're speaking of is called a 'disca' (dee-sca). It is used mainly for frying fish or shrimp for tacos. The fish/shrimp is battered, fried briefly in the well and laid on the rim to drain. When someone walks up and orders a taco the fish is slipped back into the hot oil in the well and the cooking is finished up there, giving the hungry patron a freshly fried, crispy taco in no time at all.

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Thanks Bajalover.
I was thinking of sending a pic into Cooks Illustrated to find the name because I couldn't figure out a way to search for it on the net. You saved me the trouble.

Much, much better, IMHO, is the discada (a used agricultural disc), common in these parts and in Northern Mexico. Check out this nice article:

http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/articles/5553

I buy them as housewarming presents for newcomers. You can get them from here

Can be used for all kinds of outdoor cooking, but my favorite way is to grill a piece of seasoned meat in the center and cook freshly-made tortillas around the outside. Chop up the meat, pile onto the tortillas, and sprinkle with some diced onion and cilantro. Serve with fresh salsa. You can use already-made tortillas and simply reheat them on the disc, but this is so much better if you cook them on the disc from fresh masa.

Bill/SFNM

I ordered the "cowboy wok" yesterday, can't wait to try it this weekend.

dukesdad wrote:I ordered the "cowboy wok" yesterday, can't wait to try it this weekend.

dukesdad,

I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do. It is a massive piece of extra-thick cast iron, so seasoning and proper care is important. Although it comes pre-seasoned (in the center portion only), you will need to use it frequently to get it properly seasoned. The literature mentions seasoning it in the oven - good luck in finding an oven in which it will fit. The best approach to season is use plenty of oil/fat when cooking. When you push the cooked food up the side of the pan, all of the excess oil remains in the center.

We're having chicken discada for lunch today. I'll try to take some photos.

Best
Bill/SFNM

Discada photos:







Bill/SFNM

I've always wondered at the similarities in Mexican and Indian foods and kitchens . From the spicing to the implements, like the grinding stones. And now this discada reminds me of the tawa (though that's a tad less concave)
Seen heremaking the famous street food Pao-bhaji (I'm not endorsing the recipe)
Better pics here and here(scroll down to 15th Apr. 2005)

sazerac wrote:I've always wondered at the similarities in Mexican and Indian foods and kitchens . From the spicing to the implements, like the grinding stones. And now this discada reminds me of the tawa (though that's a tad less concave)

sazerac,

Is the tawa made from a discarded agricultural implement or adapted from some other use? The whole concept of cooking on a surface that was once used for tilling the ground (and was possible powered by an animal) has a pleasant congruity.

Bill/SFNM

Bill/SFNM,

That article you linked to above was interesting, particularly with regards to the discada's former life.

The disco''s humble origin began as a field tilling disc pulled by a tractor. After being unbolted from the tilling mechanism, the three or more holes in the disc must be welded shut. Sometimes a rim is welded along the top edge and often legs of varying length are attached to the bottom. The size of discos seem to vary, with contours ranging from extremely shallow to almost conical. What makes it so different from a traditional Asian wok is the thickness of the steel. While the wok''s relatively thin metal means food cooks fast and must be stirred often to avoid scorching, the heavy gauge metal of the disco allows the center--where the real sizzling happens--to remain piping hot, with a gradual decrease in temperature as food is placed nearer to the rim. This allows food away from the center to stay warm while not getting overcooked or burned.

My mom uses a tava to make our roti which, as sazerac points out, is a tad less concave, but very similar in appearance. Prior to using this concave one, she actually used to use a very old one that was convex which IIRC had some marks on it that looked like holes had been patched up. Makes me wonder now about the possibility that it could've been used for something else. The convex one was very, very old which makes this story slightly more plausible (at least for my imagination), whereas the newer tava we use was most likely made exclusively for kitchen use.

Nab

I've used my "cowboy wok" a few times now......works great! I even tried on the kitchen stove, which my wife loved since it's so big it doesn't spatter grease all over the place. It's GD heavy though, don't want to drop it on your toes!