Toast Your Own Tortilla

Anytime I start discussing what the criteria should be for an excellent breakfast taco experience, one thing always comes up first: tortilla quality. Some people feel passionately about corn tortillas, the original Mexican tortillas, but they've never really done it for me. Corn tortillas tear and break, they have a sort of rubbery texture, and they just don't taste as good as flour tortillas. Now, I know fresh corn tortillas right off your abuelita's stove with a nice patty of butter on them are hard to beat, but most of us don't often get a corn tortilla like that.

The history of the flour tortilla is pretty simple. So, the indigenous people of what is today Mexico and the southwest United States were once upon a time making these toasted circles of flattened cornmeal when the Spaniards showed up and turned them onto wheat. The Spaniards also, unknowingly, turned them onto smallpox and the rest is western civilization history... but I actually think the flour tortilla was a pretty good idea. A great idea, really, and when done right, they're also the perfect vehicle for delivering the contents of your breakfast taco to your satisfied stomach via a pleasant scenic route across your tastebuds.

The taquerias I visit will definitely be evaluated on the quality of their tortillas. They should be light, not chewy, not soggy, and not burnt. They should be fluffy, almost flaky. They should have a pleasant flavor, maybe a slight taste of butter, but no taste of lard at all. I realize this is a lot to ask... especially if you're making your tacos at home, but it is possible to get a great tasting tortilla at home with minimal effort.

At most grocery stores, at least in Texas, you can find Guerrero's Tortillas de Harina - Fresqui-Ricas (which is an awesome made-up word, and trademarked). They're fresh, uncooked flour tortillas that you toast on the stove yourself.


It is a tiny bit more work than just tossing pre-cooked tortillas in the microwave, but the difference in taste and texture is truly worth the extra effort. On a medium heat skillet or griddle at about a minute on each side, your tortilla should start puffing up and turning a tasty golden brown (teapot not required for successful toasting).