Homemade Mexican Food

[ray23]

A frinnd just brought me some white corn toritilas from Texas.

I made the tacos the same way I always do but the flvoer of these tortilla is just not something you can get here. The very thin and you just cooke them in oil individually maybe a minute, just till see both side start to bubble. Result a tortilla that is crip on the edges and soft so they can be bent. absoultely delicious.

I have had the ingredients shipped to me even made a tortilla press just can't match them.

Anybody have any idea what would be involved in gatting a case shipped here with the Thai authorities, they set around Bangkok for a few weeks waiting to clear and you have lost them. The fresher the better, I know that corn tortillas are made here I buy them, but just like my attempts no comparison

For those that think Tai's won't like this my wife was literally eating right out of my hand after her first taste

[tutsiwarrior]

I reckon the best solution is to get friends comin' out from the west coast to bring out as many 5lb bags of masa mix as they can carry. If you already got a tortilla press then you can make your own. When I moved to the UK from CA 20 years ago I took the press and the mix...experimented for awhile then got it OK, although time consuming. Had them brits breaking down the door for nice fresh corn tortillas...just like they remembered from their last trip to LA.

I subsequently lost the tortilla press (I think some sneaky brit stole it...thought he/she was gonna make tortillas without masa mix...'ummm yahs, I require a kilo of your finest ground limestone please...') and have presently given up hope of ever having decent tortillas again...

oh...for the days in LA when you could stroll down to yer convenience store and buy 3 dozen fresh tortillas (still warm with condensation inside the plastic bag) for less than a dollar...

Edited March 30, 2006 by tutsiwarrior

[ray23]

Oh I know the feeling everytime I worked around a tacoeria I gained five pounds. Isn't it amazing the simple things that you miss. Actually that is the only one I miss, I have tried the mesa mix still have some but something is missing and I don't know what it is. When I try to fry them lightly they fall apart just like the ones here.

We have mexican food in our house about three times a week on a average.

The two things I can't seem to get right are the tortillas and spanish rice.

You have had to eat the mexican in food in L.A. to understand the flavor, we ain't talking Taco Bell here.

I'm going to keep begging friends as they return I will never have enough but maybe I can get an occasional treat from time to time.

We have a mexican resturant in town and everyone thinks it' wonderful and for Thailand it is. But you not going to get the true mexican flavor, when I would make short trips to Roasarito beach a taco platter was always on the agenda.

But just as you mentioned you have had to been there to understand the difference.

[Jeff1]

Hi Ray ,

When I get back to Korat in a few months i'll mail you a couple of packages if you would like .

PM me with your address .

I usually reserve some room in my kapow for personal stash .

[ray23]

I'll do you one better I will come and get them, haven't been bowling in Korat in a long time.

Thanks I really appreciate it. I'll PM the address.

[tutsiwarrior]

I have tried the mesa mix still have some but something is missing and I don't know what it is. When I try to fry them lightly they fall apart just like the ones here..

you got to understand the drill...when you got the fresh tortilla shaped masa after pressing you got to use a 'comal' or griddle to cook the madres (no oil). A large 12" cast iron skillet will do but then you can only do one at a time...go to a junk yard and get a 12"x 24" piece of 1/4" steel plate that you can stretch over two burners on yer stove top...excellent for the job...

corn tortillas are the mesoamericans culinary gift to the world...it is a disgrace that fresh corn tortillas are not available the world over...

[ray23]

I second that one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LaReina]

finally a discussion about food that is needed here in Thailand.

Does anyone know if the flour can be purchased in any store here in thailand? Or even if that is something that can be special ordered?

[ilyushin]

My flour tortilla recipe.

Ingredients:

-2 cups all purpose flour

-1/4 cup bacon grease ( cook off the bacon and harden grease in fridge)

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1/2 tsp. baking powder

-3/4 cup warm water

In a container (bowl), blend flour, salt, baking powder and bacon grease until well blended .

Add warm water, a little at a time, to flour mixture and toss until liquid is absorbed. Water amount varies with different types of flour.

Roll dough into a ball and kneed on a floured surface ( cutting board) until dough is smooth. Divide to make up to 12 smaller dough balls. Cover and let stand at least 20-30 minutes.

Then roll each ball of dough on a floured surface to make 6 or 7" sized tortillas. Place on a pre- heated griddle or cast iron skillet and cook till medium golden on both sides. I use a well cleaned or designated Wok ( upside down) on a gas burner.

Remove to a basket lined with a cloth towel or put between a towel. You can either eat immediately or store them in a plastic bag.

Fill with your special stuffing and feast!

[ray23]

Flour is the easy one corn mill is the one that is hard to find, there is corn starch everywhere but corn mill. The I understand when you do find it you have to drind it a second time to use if for tortillas.

Boy we had a great party Monday about thirty people many were european and had not had mexican food. Had Carne Asada, grilled on the BBQ, refired beans, spanish rice, pico de giao, flour and corn tortillas; I had plenty left so it was steak sandwhichs for the past few days. Made up some burritos and will freeze them and have them for quick bite later.

We ha to show many people how to make up Tacos and burritos once they got the hang of it and had a taste they were all back for seconds.

Good food and a lot of fun.

Thats probably the best explanation for flour tortilla's I have ever seen

[tutsiwarrior]

Flour is the easy one corn mill is the one that is hard to find, there is corn starch everywhere but corn mill. The I understand when you do find it you have to drind it a second time to use if for tortillas.

I wouldn't try to do corn tortillas with anything other than masa mix...if you were to find suitably ground corn meal where would you find the limestone (which is the binder)? Outside the US corn meal of any kind is hard to find (you can find corn flour but not a suitable substitute).

There was a previous discussion on this forum regarding where to find corn meal to make corn bread. I gloated as I was living in Bahrain at the time with tons of corn meal available at the local super... ('ah's makin' corn bread to-nite...'). Now I'm in VN an' can't find nothin' anywhere...oh, boo hooo

[Sel]

I've been using tortillas made in Thailand

El Charro flour tortillas

Packs of 10 individually seperated by plastic sheets at 60 B

Use them in a restaurant, only compliments

[Thaiquila]

OK, why doesn't some entrepreneur take up the call and start a REAL Mexican or at least Californian Mexican resto in the LOS?

You could dress up some short plump Isaan ladies in Mexican garb and have them make FRESH corn tortillas in a show kitchen, and the world would beat a path to your door. Don't forget the salsa fresca with plenty of chilies.

I am too lazy to do this myself, but there is so clearly a demand, come on now.

[ray23]

The lazy part is why no one wants to do it, just like you and me

There are tortilla's made in Thailand and the flour ones are perfect, the corn ones are different then what westerners are used to. The flavor is close but the cooking is completly different. If jut poke a small hole in the package you can micro wave them. They come out nice and hot, and soft .

Pretty easy to find in Pattaya and Bangkok, but not here in Udon, someone did open a mexican resturant of sorts here. Really bad location on the outskirts of town and she included Thai foods. She did pretty well at first because she did the cooking and the food was pretty good. When she backed away from the personal service and had the Thai staff do the work, the qaulity went down hill.

She set up the menu by numbers, the staff didn't remember the numbers and wouldn't bother to look at them. So basically you got the cooks idea not what you ordered. The mistake she hired realtives, the knowthey can't be fired without her losing face.

ever think about opening a Mexican restuarnt, with no resturant ownership experience, do what I did first and make dinner for about thirty people. You will find it is really a lot of work and you haven't even dealt with the employees, cutomers and have not done any business at all.

It was fun but, I was dealing with friends a stranger off the street paying cash for thier meal may have a lot higher expectations then your friends. Not for me unless I really needed the additional income.

[Ulysses G.]

OK, why doesn't some entrepreneur take up the call and start a REAL Mexican or at least Californian Mexican resto in the LOS?

TQ, someone already HAS.

Miquel's Fresh Mex in Chiang Mai!

[Thaiquila]

OK, why doesn't some entrepreneur take up the call and start a REAL Mexican or at least Californian Mexican resto in the LOS?

TQ, someone already HAS.

Miquel's Fresh Mex in Chiang Mai!

If really true, please franchise to Pattaya, Phuket, and Bangkok, OK?

[ray23]

If someone could figure out to create a chain here and maintian qaulity, I believe they could make a bit of baht.

I wish that soemone carried the tortillas and a few other things from Bangkok, here in Udon, demand must not be high enough. You do see tortilla shells and the taco spice mix from time to time. Unfrotunaetly I don't use either. I bought some flour tortillas from the local resturant, 160 Baht for 24 but that was still cheaper then a plane trip to Bangkok.

She had them frozen in the back, which is the same thing I do when I make the trips. I could order them by case lots from bangkok and they will ship. Guess it's getting about time to buy a freezer. The same goes fro refried beans, enchillada sauce and jalipino cheese sauce. So it can be done Everything else needed is pretty easy to locate in the loacl Thai markets.

I had heard that there was a guy who operated a mall taco stand in Pattaya on my last trip I tried to find it, no luck.

Two reasons why I wouldn't try a commercial operation here, one I have annual visa based on retirement and married to a Thai so as far as I know I couldn't get a work permit. Secondly that is hardly retirement, I believe a resturant business is a tough business anywhere. There are areas here in Udon where I think onewould draw cutomers, but the rents may be out of reach.

I know that the Tex Mex stuff the wife adnd I put together is good, but that alone hardly makes a good business.

[Clipped]

guys if you go to foodland , you can get the thin 'sonoran' type tortillas

not available at every foodland...but the ones ive been able to find are at the srinakarin, lad prao locations...