Why Boiled Potatoes Turn to Glue: The Mexican Fix on a Hot Comal

Look at the pot on your stove. The water's at a hard, rolling boil and the lid's rattling. You slide the cut potatoes in because that's how you were shown, and it's how everybody you know does it. Boiling potatoes hard and pouring off the water throws away their flavor and ruins their texture. Cook them in the flavor instead, and finish them dry on a hot comal with lard, and you get a crackling gold crust over a soft middle. Chapters 00:00 What the Boil Does 01:55 Starchy or Waxy Potatoes 03:33 Why a Wet Potato Can't Brown 05:30 Keep the Water 07:25 Papas con Chorizo 09:11 When It Has to Be Tender 11:06 Let It Cool Overnight 12:46 Rescue It on the Comal 13:29 Let's Talk Money 14:06 The Step Everybody Skips