Tortillas, Enchiladas, and Sauces, 1914
From California Mexican-Spanish Cookbook by Bertha Haffner-Ginger, 1914.
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From California Mexican-Spanish Cookbook by Bertha Haffner-Ginger, 1914.
Tortillas
Modern Way to Prepare Corn for Tortilla and Tamales
Put one gallon of shelled corn in enough water to cover; dissolve one-half cup lime in a little water and add to cover; boil fifteen or twenty minutes; remove from fire, pour off first water and add fresh cold water; rub with hand to remove husk. Rinse in another water and it is ready to grind. Don't wash too much or it will not be pasty enough to make tortilla.
Tortillas No. 2
Another way and liked best by some people: Add to the corn dough (masa) rounding tablespoon of lard to four cups dough, little salt.
Plate of Tortilla
Tortillas No. 3
Still another way: Corn meal and coarse flour half and half wet to stiff dough, salt, and lard.
Tortillas No. 4
But the best to my taste is the hominy or corn ground into a smooth paste, three cups corn, one of flour, two tablespoons melted lard, teaspoon salt, cook on ungreased iron, have ready enough hot salted lard to dip tortilla in just before you add filling to make Enchiladas. When flour is used, dough may be rolled out on a board, a small pie tin placed on and cut round the edge to form cake; lift up with pancake turner.
How to Shape Tortillas
Take piece of dough size of biscuit and press with hand into cake size of small pie plate, toast on top of stove moderately warm. Do not brown.
Enchiladas
Enchiladas
Enchiladas, No. 1 (Very fine)
Make Tortilla. Chop one cup onions very fine, slice and chop one-half cup olives, cook in little lard; have cup grated cheese ready, dip tortilla in hot salted lard, dip in chile sauce No. 1, spread with grated cheese, put in center tablespoonful of cooked onions, tablespoon chopped hard-boiled eggs, two tablespoons chopped chicken, six seedless raisins soaked in claret, level tablespoon chopped olives, a sprinkle of cheese and fourth cup Chile Sauce No. 1, fold both sides, one over the other, pour Chile Sauce No. 5 over all, put tablespoon cooked onion on center of top of each and several large pieces of cheese and three whole olives. Place in hot oven till cheese is melted, serve very hot.
Enchiladas No. 2
Use green chile sauce for Enchiladas No. 2, and filling of beef or A^eal, with onion or coddled
or poached egg on top sprinkled with grated cheese, spoonful red chile sauce dropped in spots for color, heat till cheese melts.
Chile Pulp and Sauces for all Recipes
Chile peppers are the base of all Mexican and Spanish dishes, and I have simplified the various recipes by making a list of different ways to make the pepper pulps and sauces. Please note that they are numbered and named, referred to by number and name in the recipes. Original way to prepare chile for sauce is to remove seed and toast on coals, top of stove or in oven, till they puff and look tender; and mash through seive or colander; add water or tomatoes for right consistancy; scalding is the quickest.
No. 1, Red Chile Sauce, for Enchiladas or Tamales, etc.
Split red chile pepper, remove all seeds and veins, soak several hours in water, pour off, pour on boiling water, pour off and repeat again, the last, water just enough to cover peppers when pressed down. Mash in this water and press through sieve, melt one-half cup pure lard, add heaping tablespoon flour, brown and add three cups of chile pulp, salt to taste, cook very slowly half hour.
No. 2, Green Chile Sauce for Enchiladas or Tamales, etc.
Split, remove seeds and veins from green chiles and boil in little hot water till tender; mash, press through sieve, melt one-fourth cup lard, add two tablespoons flour, teaspoon salt, brown just a little, add three cups green pulp, cook slowly half hour.
Prepared Spanish Sauce
Take equal parts red and green chile peppers, same amount green and red sweet peppers, split, remove seed from all, soak in water, drain, add enough water to barely cover, boil tender, mash in water, press through seive, heat half cup olive oil, fry in it one-half cup onion, one-half parsley, three garlic buttons, tablespoon aregano, two cups raw tomatoes, six cloves, two cups of the pepper pulp, salt to taste, cook, strain, may heat and bottle larger quantities, very fine.
Haffner-Ginger, Bertha. California Mexican-Spanish Cookbook. 1914.
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