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The leftover corn tortilla protocol

The leftover corn tortilla protocol

Recipe recs, washing rice debate, the water bead test, & more.

Ethan Chlebowski & Keith McBrayer
June 30, 2024

Good morning. From last week’s pancake poll: An overwhelming 96% of readers stick to “pancakes,” while the other names like flapjacks and hotcakes all came in with less than 1% representation.

The least popular name? Griddle cakes. Only 6 out of 2000 respondents reported using the term.

Should all 60,000 of us band together and bring “flapjacks” back into vogue?

COOKING PROTOCOL 🍳

Leftover corn tortilla flow chart

This protocol first appeared on the main channel.

We’ve all bought a stack of corn tortillas and had some go to waste. We’re proposing the following flow to help you get through the stack:

Fresh (1-2 days) → Reheat and enjoy (tacos)

Going stale (2-5 days) → Use in a recipe where the tortilla gets cooked or soaked (enchiladas or quesadillas)

Stale (5+ days) → Fry them (tostadas or chips)

And if you really can’t use up the tortillas, you can always freeze them in a stack. Just defrost and heat them back up, preferably on a griddle or over a flame to drive off excess moisture.

Why does it matter?

Corn tortillas can be frustrating to buy at the grocery store:

After a day or two they can become dry, crumbly, and fall apart. They often come in large packs, leaving you with many leftovers that may go to waste.

Tortillas (or breads) go stiff and crumbly not because of moisture loss, but because of starch retrogradation

How does this protocol help?

Instead of throwing out stale tortillas, embracing their changing texture is the key. Leftover tortillas are one of the best ways to enjoy various proteins, cheese, and other toppings you might have in the fridge.

Here are our favorite ways to use tortillas:

RECIPE RECCOMENDATIONS🥡

How to finish a stack of corn tortillas…

Fresh usage ideas (1-2 days)

Tacos are the best way to enjoy the fresh properties of corn tortillas. Note: Always reheat tortillas for the best texture and aroma. Even when fresh, don’t use them cold.

Dry usage ideas (2-5 days)

Use a recipe that par-cooks the tortilla in some way to add texture, meaning the tortilla doesn’t need to be fresh or pliable in the first place at all.

Stale usage ideas (5+ days)

Stale tortillas are perfect for recipes that fry and finish dehydrating them anyway!

Tostadas
Tortilla Chips → Chilaquiles
Tortilla Strips → Chicken & Tortilla Strip SaladTortilla Soup
Taquitos or Flautas

We’ve collected all of our recipes that will help you cook through a stack of corn tortillas in one place here:

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

The water bead test

📸 Sardel

A few editions ago, we covered why the “sticky” properties of stainless steel can be advantageous for achieving great browning on proteins.

However, you don’t always want things to “grab” onto the pan, but mastering your stainless surface takes a bit of finesse. Reader James Z wrote in with some advice on how to mitigate stickage.

“I’m amazed how many folks have not heard of the “water ball test” or more accurately the Leidenfrost Effect and how it prevents a protein from sticking to a screaming hot stainless steel skillet. Essentially, if the pan is heated properly once you introduce a protein that’s been pat dried it won’t stick. The moisture in the protein that contacts the pan immediately vaporizes and gets trapped between the pan and protein lifting it and creating a barrier. It’s amazing and awesome to see. I immediately give my protein a super quick shake after putting it in the pan to ensure it doesn’t stick (never has in over 10 years of using this technique) and off we go! A great sear and NO sticking.”

Perhaps you’ve seen clips of this effect on social media — it’s a helpful trick, so we’re glad it’s catching on. Some people call this technique the “bead test’, which you can see in action here.

READER Q&A 🧠

Is washing rice necessary?

📸 Irvin Lin

Question: “I was wondering if it’s absolutely essential to wash rice before cooking it? I see recipes sometimes that don’t explicitly say to do so, and I haven’t noticed a big difference when I do/don’t. (I usually use Indian basmati)” - Natalie G

Answer: This is a contentious topic because people wash rice for many reasons, and the practice has become ingrained culturally in many cuisines.

Some people wash rice to rinse off any debris that might be in the grains. Depending on where you live or source your rice, this might be necessary.

In modern supermarkets, packaged rice is usually very clean, and doesn’t require extra cleaning.
In the case of enriched long-grain rice, some people advise you to NOT rinse this, since you’ll wash off the nutrients that have been added back to the rice.

Many people wash rice for textural reasons, which is what most of the internet advice centers around.

You’ve heard it before: rinse the grains until the water runs clear, signaling most of the excess free starch has been cleaned off, which leads to rice that doesn’t stick and clump together.

Is this necessary? And how much of a difference does it actually make?

It depends.

In a risotto, rice porridge, or congee — you actually want as much excess starch as possible to thicken the dish, so leaving it unrinsed is preferable.
With Mexican rice or pilaf, you saute the rice kernels in fat before adding butter. This sets the individual grains and prevents them from clumping together, which makes washing less necessary.

If making sushi rice or working with short-grain rice, however — washing can be advantageous to make sure the final product isn’t overly sticky

Our take: We think there is a lot of testing to be done, but personally don't find it super necessary when using a rice cooker or making long-grain rice like Jasmine or Basmati.