In Tex-Mex cuisine, what is a comal primarily used for?

In Tex-Mex cuisine, a comal is primarily used for cooking tortillas.

A comal is a flat griddle traditionally made from clay and now commonly made from cast iron or other metals. It is heated directly and used to cook corn or flour tortillas, toast chiles, warm foods, and roast ingredients such as tomatoes and onions.

The utensil is important because tortillas cook through direct contact with a hot surface rather than by deep-frying. A properly heated comal can also create light brown toasted spots that signal a tortilla is ready.

Although the comal is strongly associated with Mexican cooking, it is also part of Tex-Mex kitchen practice. It should not be confused with a molcajete, which is a stone mortar and pestle used for grinding.