By Sandra Iruegas

It is hard to imagine who hasn't been to a carne asada in Laredo -- the meat cooked just right over mesquite brazas, the salsa spiced just so, and tortillas, picked up in the bread section of the chain grocery store? Don't go there. Go instead to any locally-operated grocer who stocks La Casona flour tortillas, which are made right here in Laredo by Company Foods, Inc.
Company Foods partners Sally Varela and Bill Luft, besides operating their well-established, upscale, full-service catering company, are also now dedicating themselves to preserving a traditional culinary treasure that is, in their opinion, under appreciated, the flour tortilla.
Company Foods, Inc., offers Laredoans the opportunity to enjoy authentic norteño-style flour tortillas in a ready-to-cook raw dough product.
Flour tortillas are a regional food known to have originated in Northern Mexico and the border states from Texas to California.
The original recipe for norteño-style flour tortillas contained no baking powder and many brands often seem greasy, heavy, and undercooked, as opposed to Tex Mex tortillas that are white, cake-like, and chewy. La Casona brand tortillas, which are made with a touch of baking powder to lighten them, are cholesterol-free and are made with a high quality vegetable shortening rather than the traditional manteca animal fat shortening.
La Casona tortillas contain no preservatives and no conditioners, and that is evident in the taste and texture.
According to Varela, one of the advantages of having a raw dough tortilla product is that it cuts the time and labor of meal preparation. Those who have neither time nor casera cooking skills can still have homemade tortillas served hot at the table.
Another advantage of a raw dough tortilla is the versatility of cooking options. For example, a sweet filling could be wrapped and baked to make empanadas.
La Casona flour tortillas are available in the grocer's refrigerated section. For optimal taste results, Varela offers these cooking suggestions: Allow the package of cold dough tortillas to come to room temperature. Cook them on a thoroughly heated cast iron skillet at medium-low heat. Your griddle is too hot if you see traces of smoke coming from it. Griddles that are still cold and have not been heated properly will produce hard tortillas. Do not press down on cooking tortillas, let them puff up naturally. Flip the tortilla the first time when the tortilla changes from opaque to white. This is how you know they are cooked through. After being cooked they will once again look a little opaque, which is normal.
Varela and Luft are members of the International Caterers Association, International Association of Culinary Professionals, International Special Events Society, and most recently the Tortilla Industry Association.
"Our goal is to expand to other markets other cities and to appeal to people who appreciate real Mexican food," said Varela.
Taste tests reveal that Company Foods has admirably preserved the dying culinary art of flour tortillas that taste homemade.