TORTILLAS, CHEESE AND A STEAK PART I

TORTILLAS

CHEESE

If you haven't tried the Mexican melting cheese on right do!!!  It is so good!  Click on the picture for a better view of the label.

STEAK

Spring Break is a time for family travel for Michiganders. The Daughter and family went to Pittsburg, PA to enjoy a sandwich from a restaurant there that is famous. I’ve never been to Pittsburg so I have no recipes from there to share. Youngest Son and family are in Arizona, a place I have collected many recipes.

Son-in-law teases me because every time I try something new in a restaurant I am trying to figure out what is in it and how I could duplicate it. He says I don’t enjoy my meal but I do as I love to learn different ways of doing things. If I have take out, I have even been know to lick the outside of the meat to find out how it was seasoned.

CORN TORTILLAS
Two of our favorite taco places, La Rosita in Chicago area and the Big Fat Burrito in Holland, Mi, both use spray bottles at the grill when preparing the corn taco shells. The taco is made up of two corn tortillas. The La Rosita is soft and flavorful. I think there is water in their bottle to moisten the corn tortilla as it heats on the grill. At the Big Fat Burrito, the spray bottle is labeled oil and the corn tortillas are nice and crispy. Not crispy like the boxed kind, but fresh corny taste with a crisp bite.

Since I am always watching the scale, dipping tortillas in oil and frying them just is not possible for me. I decided to try spraying the tortilla with oil at home. We could not get the oil to mist through the spray bottle and I wanted a mist. Then the light bulb moment, I sprayed the tortilla on both sides with Crisco 100% Canola Oil Original No-stick Spray. Slapped on a griddle and cooked, the tortilla had a wonderful fresh masa flavor with a crispy texture.

CORN TORTILLA AND NO-STICK SPRAY

SPRAY ON BOTH SIDES

PUT ON HOT GRIDDLE AND WATCH IT PUFF

TURN OVER AND CRISP UP THE OTHER SIDE

COOKING FOR A CROWD?  DO TORTILLAS ON A BIG GRIDDLE

FLOUR TORTILLAS
A stack of flour tortillas, of course, can be wrapped in foil and heated in the oven; however, to make them puff and bring forth all their flavor, I was taught the following method.

PUT FLOUR TORTILLA RIGHT ON THE FLAME OF A BURNER

QUICKLY TURN FROM SIDE TO SIDE.  SEE IT PUFF?

DONE!

Put flour tortilla right down on the gas flame of a stove burner. With tongs, flip back and forth until tortilla is puffed and slightly browned in places. For an electric stove, put the burner on about Medium Heat and continue like for a gas stove. Another way is to heat an iron skillet or any heavy skillet to medium hot and flip back and forth on the skillet until the tortilla puffs

IN A HOT PAN FOR AN ELECTRICAL STOVE

DONE

ARIZONA CHEESE CRISPY
Frequently found in the appetizer section on the menu, Cheese Crispies are found all over Arizona. The first time I asked a waitress what they were I was told, “You don’t want those, they are just a tortilla and cheese." However, in my family they quickly became a favorite for lunch, vegetarian suppers and snacks. For a party, cut them in wedges like a pizza.

Flour tortillas
Grated cheese, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby or Mexican melting cheese
Sliced Jalapeno peppers or green chiles, if desired

FLOUR TORTILLAS TOPPED WITH GRATED CHEESE AND CHILES

READY FOR THE BROILER.  WATCH CAREFULLY!!!!!

Youngest son just puts the tortilla on a plate, piles on the cheese and pops it in the microwave until the cheese is melted. I heat the tortilla directly on the gas burner of the stove, turning quickly back and forth until tortilla puffs up. Sprinkle tortilla with cheese of choice. Put on Jalapeno peppers or green chiles, if desired. Place until the broiler until cheese is melted and edges of tortilla are crisp. Watch carefully.

SERVE

READY TO EAT.  CUT IN WEDGES AND SHARE, OR JUST ENJOY IT ALL BY YOURSELF.