Where to buy a cast-iron tortilla press in Manhattan or Queens
Want to start making my own corn tortillas, and want to find a cast-iron hand tortilla press. Also looking for ideas on making masa dough for tamales without lard or shortening. thanks, everyone.
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I'm curious why you want cast iron. Our cheap aluminum one does the job, but if there's something superior about cast iron I'd love to know. I've seen heavier (stainless steel?) presses at the place on Bowery and Delancey.
I'd give up hope on finding fresh masa. Masa harina is not nearly as good, but it still makes tortillas that beat the pants off those preservatives patties sold in plastic bags.
Finally, why not lard? Shortening, I get, but lard's got less bad health effects than butter, and even butter's harmfulness has been called into question. And it is SO good. I know some people don't like the rich flavor of some lard, but leaf lard takes care of that problem.
If you DO find Masa, please report back. Dozens of chowhounds will bless your name!
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re: jasmurph
Hot Bread Kitchen (hotbreadkitchen.org), will make you fresh masa as a special order. They grind once or twice a week, so you have to plan ahead. They have yellow and blue corn that they buy from Cayuga Pure Organics and an Organic White that is a bit pricier from Texas (right now-they are looking for a closer source for that).
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re: jasmurph
Has anyone tried buying masa from Nixtamal in Queens? I'm assuming it's better since it actually incorporates the Nixtamal. But I'm guessing the poster wants masa trigo for wheat tortillas if the question of lard/shortening came up.
I bought a big wooden square tortilla press several years ago at a Mexican market in Oakland, CA, and prefer it to the smaller metal presses I had bought previously. It's got a lot of heft so pressure doesn't just come from the handle (which so often breaks).
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