Homemade Tortillas

I'm looking for fresh homemade corn and flour tortillas

Could you be more specific? Part of town? Time of Day? Day of Week? There are all kinds of restaurants, stands, and some Mexican groceries in Chicago that sell them.

Hi,

Actually, I wouldn't mind learning where there are homemade tortillas available for sale anywhere.

Regards,

Nuevo Leon on 18th always has their excellent flour tortillas for sale.

I am guessing you can buy them at the restaurants that make them: Maxwell St Market, (mostly corn, but I bet there is flour, too) for instance, or El Pollo Vagabundo, (flour - maybe both) or Huaraches Dona Chio (corn)

I thought I'd read somewhere here that one of the groceries on Clark has them (corn) in the hot food area, but it isn't Morelia or Chapala, which are the two I go to.

Hi,
I live up north, but am willing to travel. I'm having a party on Friday night and have been searching for tortillas and outer skirt steaks for tacos. The most reasonable price I found for the steak was at Caputo's in Palatine for $5.69 untrimmed, Garden Fresh coming in at $9.99 trimmed. Any other ideas for outer skirt?
Thank's for the help,
Colleen

Redcolhead -

Please check Jimenez for outer skirt. Please? If you sense a language barrier, go to the service desk.
Hopefully it will be labeled for you at the meat counter. Last time I wanted outer skirt, they just happened to have choice grade for 2.99 /lb on sale and the trimming was free, but the charge was for the pre trimmed price of 2.99/lb.

P.s. They are also now advertising house-made flour tortillas. I haven't tried them yet. The store I normally go to has them. Not sure if they all do.

http://www.carniceriasjimenez.com/specials.php

Their new sales start tomorrow.

The mexican groceries in Rogers Park are probably your best bet, then - though I couldn't tell you what the price on skirt steak would be - and though you could call, chances are good that the person on the other end of the phone won't speak good English. If you decide to make some calls, I'd call Chapala and Morelia, ask what the price is on arrachera (which is skirt steak for tacos, but I'm not sure how you specify outer skirt) and ask if they know where you can get tortillas hecha a mano. Otherwise, I'd call and see if you can buy the number you want from Dona Chio's - it's the closest to the Clark St. Strip.

You can also get masa para tortillas in a big tub or plastic bag in the refrigerator and a tortilla press - I've done it, it's not too hard - use a freezer-safe ziploc bag cut open as your tortilla press cover (it keeps it from sticking to either plate & is easier to get on the griddle) You might want to do a test run, but I'm thinking if you want to impress your guests, tortillas made a la minute are better than handmade tortillas you picked up.

This amazing video offers a very cool instruction on the process all the way from nixtamalizing the corn to grinding to making the tortilla. Probably way more information than is pertinent, but it's very cool.

Supermercado Chapala
7117 N Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60626
(773) 465-3907

Morelia Supermarket
7300 N Western
Chicago, IL 60645
(773) 761-3291

You can get homemade corn tortilla at Birrieria Zaragoza in Archer Heights. I believe it's $3 for a dozen.

Birrieria Zaragoza
4852 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60632
(773) 523-3700

Hi Seebee,
Went to Jimenez in Wheeling yesterday, they had Beef Inner Steak for $3.99, and at the bakery they had 2 pkg. of flour tortillas for sale. We're looking to grill a thicker cut of skirt, we don't want the thin (needle) pressed steak, that is pretty easy to find.
Thank you,
Colleen

Thank you Mhays for all the info!

There are two very different classes of freshly made corn tortillas. Many places (around here) that advertise "fresh" tortillas make them from powdered tortilla mix (a.k.a. maseca). The very best are made from fresh nixtamal. It is worth asking, although one local tortilla factory told me they use fresh nixtamal even though I could see pallets with big bags of maseca in the back.

Redcolhead wrote:Hi Seebee,
Went to Jimenez in Wheeling yesterday, they had Beef Inner Steak for $3.99, and at the bakery they had 2 pkg. of flour tortillas for sale. We're looking to grill a thicker cut of skirt, we don't want the thin (needle) pressed steak, that is pretty easy to find.
Thank you,
Colleen

Worth a shot. Last time I went to the tiny one on Cicero near Cermak, they had both inner and outer - though the outer (which I prefer as well) was thinner cut also. You're making me jones for tacos on the ol grill by the way. I usually keep a freezer full of outer skirt, but I haven't bought any, and I'm out of stock.

Bill/SFNM wrote:There are two very different classes of freshly made corn tortillas. Many places (around here) that advertise "fresh" tortillas make them from powdered tortilla mix (a.k.a. maseca). The very best are made from fresh nixtamal. It is worth asking, although one local tortilla factory told me they use fresh nixtamal even though I could see pallets with big bags of maseca in the back.

Bill, an interesting aspect of tortillas in Chicago is that nearly all the major tortillerias "roll their own," grinding corn daily and producing fresh masa/nixtamal. Many of the tortillerias sell tubs of fresh masa as a sideline to the tortilla sales. Your average corner bodega will have a half-dozen brands of fresh tortillas. I'd be surprised if a vendor here were taking the time to make tortillas by hand but cutting corners by not using the widely available, still very cheap, fresh masa. Maseca is a nasty thing that I associate with tortillas in NYC . (Edit: Not saying it couldn't happen. I'd rather have a fresh tortilla from a factory than a hand-made tortilla made from that library paste.)

In any event, my favorite widely available fresh masa is Guadalupana. (On the South Side since 1945.)

Here's a blurb from Guadalupana's site:


Masa Preparada para Tamales
(Freshly prepared corn dough for Tamales)

This masa is prepared from fresh ground corn, lard, and shortening. It comes in a variety of flavors, all you need to do is spread some masa onto a corn husk. Then you put your inner filling on top of the masa with whatever precooked meat, fruit, vegetable, cheese, or salsa you prefer and roll the corn husk. Then put the tamale into a steamer for approximately 45-60 minutes or until the masa peals away from the cornhusk. Now you have your own homemade tamale.

Our Flavored masa includes:

- Sal (Salt)
- Fresa (Strawberry)
- Pina (Pinapple-Coconut)
- Chile

Masa Para Tortillas
(Freshly prepared corn dough for general use)

This masa is prepared fresh from ground corn and water. You can buy tortillas at your local grocery store, but the taste isn't the same as your own homemade tortilla. To make it, you take a small ball of masa and flaten it into a pancake with wax paper and put it on the stove for 3-5 minutes. Mmmm....

http://site.mawebcenters.com/senortamale/products.html

Redcolhead wrote:Hi,
I live up north, but am willing to travel. I'm having a party on Friday night and have been searching for tortillas and outer skirt steaks for tacos. The most reasonable price I found for the steak was at Caputo's in Palatine for $5.69 untrimmed, Garden Fresh coming in at $9.99 trimmed. Any other ideas for outer skirt?
Thank's for the help,
Colleen

Just thought of something:
If you are up near that Jimenez frequently, you might wanna go look at Elegance In Meats. I work up in Northbrook, and I get lunch from Elegance In Meats, and Jimenez freuqently. I just called them.

Choice grade outer skirt is 11.49 / lb. I'd assume it will be the thicker cut you are looking for. Just an option if it's closer for you.

I make homemade flour tortillas all the time, without special equipment. It isn't hard. Plus, they freeze well, so we can have hot tortillas anytime!

JeffB wrote:Bill, an interesting aspect of tortillas in Chicago is that nearly all the major tortillerias "roll their own," grinding corn daily and producing fresh masa/nixtamal.

I think I should move to Chicago. What's the weather like?

Hi,

You may want to call Isaac and Moishe's Deli in Highwood. The skirt steak they sell in the deli is the same they offer at the restaurant. They are also preparing cecina endlessly.

Isaac & Moishe's Deli, Fruits & Vegetables
311 Waukegan Ave
Highwood, IL 60040
847 433-0557

Regards,

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:I make homemade flour tortillas all the time, without special equipment. It isn't hard. Plus, they freeze well, so we can have hot tortillas anytime!

I happen to have a tortilla press, but it is used almost exclusively for making dumpling skins. I saw a Chinese bakery using one years ago and snapped one up immediately.

I have yet to make a tortilla with it.

Regards,

I favor the Sandra Lee of homemade tortillas, Costco's uncooked flour tortillas. 30 seconds in a hot pan, then flip for another 30 and they get hot and bubbly. Less semi-homemade than home-heated, but they are good.

The Panaderia (Bakery) , just to the east of Jimenez on Fullerton @ Avers (3800 West) recently started selling home made flour Tortillas- about $2.00 a pack.
Theya re in the front of the Bakery- along the Window.
The bakery also sells a certain Flan de Elotes-
that is OMG- so unbelievably good- rich kernels of sweet corn, baked/enrobed in custard and cut into tasty squares...
yummmmm! (Try the "puddin de pan" (Bread Pudding) as well! )


Jimenez Carneceria y Mercado
3850 W. Fullerton
Chicago,ILL
773.278.6769

Redcolhead wrote:Hi,
I live up north, but am willing to travel. I'm having a party on Friday night and have been searching for tortillas and outer skirt steaks for tacos. The most reasonable price I found for the steak was at Caputo's in Palatine for $5.69 untrimmed, Garden Fresh coming in at $9.99 trimmed. Any other ideas for outer skirt?
Thank's for the help,
Colleen

Looks like too late for your party, but they had this at Fresh Farms in Niles yesterday as a special for $5.99/lb for a whole package and $6.99 by the pound. I think it is choice.

That's where I bought the skirt....it was great! Very cool grocery store.

Did you find the tortillas you were looking for? (Fresh Farms has a lot of cool stuff, but I don't think I've ever seen fresh tortillas there) Where did you get them?

I bought the ready made El Milagro, we had a lot of prep and took the easy way out. Next time I'm planning on buying a press and making my own. Thank you all for your suggestion's.

JeffB wrote:

Bill/SFNM wrote:
Bill, an interesting aspect of tortillas in Chicago is that nearly all the major tortillerias "roll their own," grinding corn daily and producing fresh masa/nixtamal. Many of the tortillerias sell tubs of fresh masa as a sideline to the tortilla sales. Your average corner bodega will have a half-dozen brands of fresh tortillas. I'd be surprised if a vendor here were taking the time to make tortillas by hand but cutting corners by not using the widely available, still very cheap, fresh masa. Maseca is a nasty thing that I associate with tortillas in NYC . (Edit: Not saying it couldn't happen. I'd rather have a fresh tortilla from a factory than a hand-made tortilla made from that library paste.)

In any event, my favorite widely available fresh masa is Guadalupana. (On the South Side since 1945.)

http://site.mawebcenters.com/senortamale/products.html

Is this the same Guadalupana that used to be on 26th and Kedzie? My favorite tamales ever in Chicago. Back to the south side.

Hi,

How far in advance can you fill a corn tortilla, which will be baked in oven like an enchilada? I suspect the night before, it will be soggy. What about a few hours before? Or should it be just before cooking?

Thanks!

Regards,

Yes I passed Jimenez on Fullerton a few days ago and there was a guy in the window making tortillas. I did not stop to try but I will soon.

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

How far in advance can you fill a corn tortilla, which will be baked in oven like an enchilada? I suspect the night before, it will be soggy. What about a few hours before? Or should it be just before cooking?

Thanks!

Regards,

I wouldn't fill them but an hour or so before and if it's possible dont put the sauce on top until before they go into the oven. I think the oiled up tortillas would become hard if made too early in advance.

There's a great homemade tortilla shop in Elgin, IL. They sell nothing else except they're made on site flour tortillas. They were great used to make fajitas and quesadillas the next day. The setup inside reminded me of the little open air shacks that sell them in Mexico. I wish they were closer to me as they're worth the stop if you're nearby.


I feel like there's some more Mexican gems to be uncovered around this way...

Tortilleria Chihuahua
809 Saint Charles Street
Elgin, IL 60120
(224) 856-1140

DaBeef,

Thanks for the tips. This place in Elgin are they doing their tortillas by hand or are they using machines?

FYI - Here is what I did on Saturday:

I woke up at 6:00 am to begin steaming/griddling the tortillas. I then filled and rolled them. I used less moist meat mixture from the top to avoid prematurely softening.

Once I got to Kendall around 9:30 am, I transferred the filled tortillas to a baking pan. I put the sauce and cheese over them, then threw it in the refrigerator until almost 11:00 am. They were in the oven for 20 minutes.

The tortillas were somewhat fragile, it was good there was cheese to keep everything glued together.

I made another batch yesterday where the tortillas were griddled, filled, rolled, sauced, cheesed and dropped immediately in the oven. These were not fragile as those filled and sauced in advance.

Thanks for the tips.

Regards,