Trouble in paradise; apparently the flour tortilla recipe I've been
using(http://www.texascooking.com/features...rtortillas.htm),
which worked great with a rolling pin, is not working so great in my
new $2000 tortilla press. The recipe which worked out well last night
was the above, with about six tablespoons of soy oil instead of two
teaspoons. The tortillas pressed out just fine, but after grilling
they turned out sort of oily, but I figured just back off a little on
the oil and all will be well. Not quite; the tortillas have gone back
to sticking in the press.

Looking at about a dozen flour tortilla recipes online, I see that
almost all call for either lard (manteca) or vegetable shortening
(manteca vegetal), and in fairly generous quantities, much more than
in the above recipe. This wouldn't be a problem, except that neither
is a readily available product in Brazil.

Do these recipes call for lard or shortening because these two
options give texture without turning out oily, i.e. they
harden/congeal after grilling, instead of remaining liquid? Or should
I just strike a better balance between two teaspoons and six
tablespoons of oil?

If lard/shortening is essential, what can I do to improvise lard?
I've seen pork lard mentioned...can I use bacon fat, or is that too
salty? I will be using plenty of beef and bacon, so maybe there is a
way I could cook off the fat and mix it with some oil. Any
suggestions?

Thanks,

IB