Food & Wine USA - (12)December 2020

116 DECEMBER 2020

Homemade Fresh Masa

TOTAL 2 HR, PLUS 12 HR STANDING

MAKES 2¼ LB. FRESH MASA

Before you can make masa, you must pre-

pare nixtamal—dried corn soaked in an

alkaline solution. Though this process of

nixtamalization may sound intimidating,

it’s quite simple and requires only two key

ingredients: dried dent corn and pickling

lime, or cal, both of which are available at

any Latin market or online. While the corn

needs to soak in the lime solution over-

night, the resulting sweet corn flavor and

texture are well worth the extra time.

Paola Briseño González uses a metal

Estrella molino, or mill, to grind corn for

homemade tortillas and tamales; she’s

also developed a genius food processor

technique that yields excellent results. To

make up for the heavy pressure of a stone

molino, she lets the corn cook and soak a

bit longer to ensure that it grinds evenly in

a food processor.

1 lb. whole-grain dried yellow dent

corn (such as Great River Organic

Milling Whole-Grain Corn) (about 3

cups)

4 qt. plus about 1 cup water, or more

as needed, divided

1 Tbsp. pickling lime (also labeled cal

or calcium hydroxide)

2 tsp. olive oil (if grinding masa in

food processor)

1 tsp. kosher salt

1. Make the nixtamal: Place corn in a
   large bowl, and add water to cover. Stir
   well with your hands to wash kernels and

loosen any corn silk or husk pieces. Drain

and set aside. Bring 4 quarts water to a

boil in a medium nonreactive stockpot

over medium-high. Using a wooden

spoon, stir in pickling lime until dissolved.

Stir in corn, and return to a boil. Reduce

heat to medium-low to maintain a low

simmer. Simmer, uncovered, stirring

occasionally, until outer layer of corn is

slightly cooked but the inner core remains

dry and opaque, about 1 hour. Remove

from heat. Let corn sit in cooking liquid

(called nejayote), covered, at room tem-

perature 12 hours.

2. Drain corn in a colander; discard liquid.
   Rinse corn under running water, rubbing
   kernels between your fingers and against
   the colander to remove some of the slimy
   outer skin. Continue rinsing until the
   majority of the slippery skin is removed.
   (Don’t worry about removing it from every
   single kernel.) Drain and discard skins.
   3. To grind masa in a mill: Set up the mill,
   and adjust the grinding plates for a fine
   grind. As you crank the empty mill, the
   plates should rub against each other with
   a small amount of constant friction. Place
   a large bowl below the grinding plates.
   Working in batches, place the prepared
   corn in the hopper, and grind, adding
   water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to lubricate
   the grinding process, 5 to 6 tablespoons
   total. Once all of the corn has passed
   through the mill, working in batches,
   return the corn mixture to the hopper.
   Continue grinding, using a wooden tam-
   per or the handle of a wooden spoon to
   feed mixture into the mill and adding
   water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to hydrate
   the dough until mixture has a mashed
   potato consistency, 8 to 12 tablespoons
   total. (The texture may be slightly dry
   and shaggy, but you’re well on your way
   to soft and tender masa.) To grind masa
   in a food processor: Transfer corn to a

MAKING FRESH MASA CAN BE

ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING

TRADE-OFFS IN THE KITCHEN; IF

YOU CAN MAKE BREAD DOUGH,

YOU CAN MAKE NIXTAMAL.

This year, put an

Estrella molino on your

Christmas list (from

$45 at Latin markets or

on amazon.com).