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1
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the lard in pieces and work it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse, uneven crumbs — no visible lumps of fat should remain. The texture is dry and sandy to the touch.
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2
Add the hot water gradually, mixing with a fork and then by hand, until a cohesive dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for two to three minutes until smooth. The dough should feel soft, pliable, and slightly tacky — not sticky, not stiff.
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3
Divide the dough into eight equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball. Cover with a clean cloth and rest at room temperature for a minimum of thirty minutes. This is where the dish lives or dies: insufficient rest locks the gluten and the dough will spring back under the rolling pin, producing uneven, thick tortillas that will not cook correctly on the comal.
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4
Heat a dry comal or heavy cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough ball from the centre outward — not back-and-forth — rotating the disc a quarter-turn between each pass, until the round is approximately 30 cm across and thin enough to show a faint translucency against the light.
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5
Lay the rolled tortilla onto the dry, ungreased comal. Cook for forty-five to sixty seconds on the first side. The tortilla is ready to turn when the underside shows pale golden patches and the surface has begun to bubble and puff in places.
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6
Flip and cook the second side for thirty to forty-five seconds. The finished tortilla should carry distinct char blisters on both sides and remain fully pliable when lifted — not stiff or dry. Adjust the heat using the first tortilla as a guide before cooking the remainder.
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7
Transfer each cooked tortilla immediately to a cloth-lined basket and fold the cloth over the top. The trapped steam keeps the stack pliable. Serve warm.