Learn How to Use a Comal in Mexican Cooking!

Here’s how to utilize a comal in Mexican cooking:

• Heat the earth or cast iron comal over a burner
• Heat on low hotness to re-heat tortillas
• Heat on medium-hot to cook crude tortillas, flipping each 30-45 seconds
• Use it without oil to scorch onions, tomatoes, and peppers
• Toast dried bean stew peppers on it, flipping regularly and squeezing with a spatula
• Use it for cooking marinated fajita meat or vegetables

What is a comal?

A comal is a level iron used to cook meat, heat tortillas, and dish vegetables. It is regularly made of solid metal with a handle in the US. While level, the cast iron ones commonly have a slight lip around the edge. Notwithstanding, in pieces of Mexico, Central, and South America, it isn’t unprecedented to observe ones made of mud. My first comal was made of earth, and tragically that got put down on a counter too hard one day and broke.

In the US, it tends to be exceptionally elusive customary mud ones, and Fortunately, cast iron ones are promptly accessible at Mexican business sectors and online retailers like Amazon. Assuming you’ve never seen one, a comal resembles a skillet with practically no side around the edge; simply a slight lip.

The surface is absolutely level, and it has a handle. They are exceptionally flexible as they can be utilized right on a burner, on a barbecue, or over an open fire, yet can likewise go directly in the stove. I would not, nonetheless, at any point put one in a dishwasher. Initially an Aztec creation (the Aztec name is comalli), this stunning gadget originates before Spain’s impact in Mexico. Yet, you likewise see them all through Central and South America. Fortunately, if you season a cast-iron comal effectively, tidy up happens rapidly and without any problem.

How would you treat a comal?

To treat, or prepare a cast-iron comal, first, rub a layer of oil on it, place it in a hot broiler warmed to 350°, and leave for 60 minutes. Permit to cool and afterward wipe dry. Before you can utilize your comal, we need to first “season” it.

Yet, relax, I dive into more detail on those means underneath. This flavoring is required for ALL solid metal cookware. You could skirt this part if you were sufficiently fortunate to track down a mud one. Dirt comals shouldn’t be prepared. Then, at that point, start by covering your new comal with oil. Pour on a few tablespoons of oil and rub over the entire surface of the comal with a paper towel.

Give your comal rest access to the broiler and gradually cool down. Remember the handle and the base. When done, wipe away the abundance, so there are no puddles of oil; simply a delicate covering. Then, we place your comal in a non-preheated stove. Set the temperature up to 350° and leave the comal in there for 60 minutes. Turn off the hotness after your clock goes off.

Presently your comal is prepared and prepared to utilize. When cool to the touch, give the comal a fast wipe with a paper towel. If you accidentally leave it in standing water and think it is rusted, clean, and scour, rehash the above interaction without any preparation.

Would you be able to put a comal in the oven?

Comals are possibly the most flexible cooking item having the option to go from burner to broiler or much over the open fire on a barbecue or in a pizza stove. Indeed, a comal can go from a burner or open fire directly into a stove. On the off chance that you are utilizing an earth comal, try to put the comal in a hot stove no more sweltering than 400° to try not to break it.

Once prepared, your cast iron comal has countless such uses you might consider how you could do without one! Earth comals can likewise go in a stove.

What do comals consist of?

Comals can either be made of earth or cast iron. Cast iron comals are promptly accessible in the US, while earth tones can be more earnestly to find. Mud ones shouldn’t be prepared like a cast iron one and can be cleaned with a cleanser and water.

Dirt comals take care of business better over an open fire (what they were initially intended for), yet you can utilize them with care on an electric burner. Please avoid extreme temperature changes with an earth comal; however, it can likewise go in a broiler like its iron partner. Dissimilar to a cast-iron comal, earth comals can likewise go in a microwave.

How would you warm a flour tortilla for a group?

An ideal method for warming enormous amounts of flour tortillas for a group is to stack five tortillas on a comal on a burner, flipping and pivoting as often as possible, or wrap around five tortillas in foil and put in the stove at 350° for 15-20 minutes.

However, relax; I’ll dive into more detail on those strategies, in addition to 1 other strategy here in a moment. A massive cluster of fajitas or make your tacos are phenomenal party nourishment for enormous groups since it’s delicious, reasonable, and remains warm without drying out in some scraping dishes. Warming up a massive cluster of tortillas is a need for enormous social events. Once warmed, they get milder and can twist or overlap without breaking.

Here are the three most ideal ways of warming flour tortillas for an enormous group or party:

1. Set a heap of tortillas on the Stove-Top in earth or cast iron comal (or simply a dry skillet) and hotness over medium hotness. Flip your stack about like clockwork and turn which tortilla is on top and base.
2. In the Oven: Wrap a heap of around five tortillas in aluminum foil and set them in a pre-warmed broiler at 350°. You can put the wrapped stack on dirt or cast iron comal or simply on the rack. Warm for around 15-20 minutes until warmed through. Clearly, in a stove, you can have numerous clusters going immediately.
3. In the Microwave: Wrap a heap of around five tortillas in a water-soaked paper towel and set them on a microwavable plate or earth comal (not cast iron!). Microwave for 30 seconds and flip the wrapped stack and hotness for an additional 30 seconds until the stack feels warm to the touch. Rehash as essential for the leftover tortillas.

The following are a couple of other helpful hints for tortillas:

• For day-old, dried-out tortillas, wipe them with a bit of water before warming with one of the above strategies.
• Once warmed, keep them warm by enveloping the stack with a perfect drying towel and set on a plate or tortillas holder.

Step by step instructions to Use a Comal:

• Pre-heat the comal on a burner over medium hotness
• On the off chance that re-warming tortillas, go hotness to low and place 3-5 tortillas in a stack on the comal
• Flip and pivot the tortillas each 30-45 seconds until warmed through
• Cook crude tortillas over medium heat, each in turn, for 60 seconds on one side, then, at that point, flip each 30-45 seconds until earthy colored spots show up, and it starts to puff up.
• Burn marinated meats or vegetables over medium-high hotness utilizing utensils to flip each 1-2 minutes
• Likewise, a comal works best with a skillet, assuming you heat it before putting any food or tortillas on it.

A comal is iron, so tortillas are just barely the start of how you can manage it. Set out a tortilla, top with some salsa, cheddar, and filling of your decision, and top with one more tortilla for a moment quesadilla. Just let the cheddar dissolve everything together before flipping.

Assuming you have a bigger comal (my cast iron one is 8? around), they can be incredible for barbecuing fajita meat and veggies (shows improvement over griddled onions?) Comals are likewise extraordinary for burning tomatoes, onions, and peppers for a new simmered salsa. Or then again, join some meltable cheddar, chorizo, and peppers for a remarkable queso fundido.

Whenever you’ve gotten everything rolling, figuring out how to utilize a comal, ensure you realize how to clean and focus on it. Please make a point not to wash your comal with a cleanser, let it sit in water, or at any point put it in the dishwasher. Each time you use it, scratch off the overabundance food buildup and afterward rub a light layer of oil onto it.

If it gets wet, don’t utilize a cleanser and ensure and dry it totally to stay away from rust. I like to wipe it down and afterward set it on a hot burner on my oven to dry; just set a clock, so you make sure to turn it off. When dry and cool to the touch, wipe on a layer of oil once more. If you have difficult rust stains, you can utilize a steel fleece scouring cushion, yet after washing and drying, try to wipe on more oil.