Tortilla ribeteada
Tortilla ribeteada is a way to prepare a tortilla for duty. Once you learn this simple trick, you will never eat another ho-hum, doughy tortilla undeserving of spectacular taco fillings. Ribeteado is a term borrowed from tailors, which describes the piping of a garment or edging of an item. When thin rounds of corn and flour material are placed on a grill over coals and flame, the blacked lines on the blistered tortilla resemble the elegant trimmings on a chef coat. The effect of charring tortillas is the secret of asador campestre, rustic outdoor restaurants across Mexico. But, if you have a gas range or grill, you don’t need to fell trees and stoke coals to accomplish the same smoky tortilla with intermittent textures of chewiness and crunch. Simply place the tortilla over the flame and watch for signs of smoke, a good indication that you have achieved some charring. Then flip and repeat. Fill and eat.