Masa (Dough for tortillas and tamales)

By polloazul

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds dried field corn
• 2 tablespoons "cal" slaked lime

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

Place the corn in a colander and rinse under cold water.

Add 2 quarts of water to a large (at least 4 quart) noncorrosive pan. Place the pan over high heat and add the lime (cal) and stir until it is dissolved.

Add the corn into the lime water, stirring gently. Use a slotted spoon and remove any kernels that float to the top of the water. Allow the water to boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. If you are making the dough for tortillas, allow to boil 2 minutes. If you are making tamale dough simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the corn to soak. For tortilla dough allow to soak, covered, overnight. For tamale dough, allow to soak for an hour.

Pour the corn into a colander and place it under cold running water. Use both your hands and rub the corn between your hands to loosen any hulls still attached to the corn.

Continue until the corn is all white (except the tips). Drain the corn well. This cleaned, prepared corn is what is called "Nixtamal".

Grind Corn To Make Tamal Dough:
Spread the drained corn onto a towel and pat dry with another towel. Use a corn grinder or a metate to grind the dried corn. If you are using the plate-style grinder, use the medium or medium-fine setting. The ground corn should be a consistency of damp hominy grits. Add approximately 2/3 cups water to form a stiff dough.

Grind the corn for tortilla dough:
You can use one of several tools to grind corn. The most traditional of the three is the metate, a stone slab with a rolling-pin shaped "mano". This is an efficient but laborious grinder. Probably the most commonly used tool today is a cast iron grain grinder. Corn grinders are inexpensive and relatively easy to use. The third tool is a food processor. While can grind the corn into flour the particle size may be inconsistent. The next section gives a brief description of each tool.