California Burrito

INGREDIENTS

CARNE ASADA (Makes enough for 3 or 4 large burritos):

• 1 ½ lbs flank steak (or skirt steak)

• ½ cup canola oil

• 1 orange, thinly sliced

• 1 small white onion, thinly sliced

• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

• 3 TBS fresh lime juice

• 2 TBS white vinegar

• ½ TBS cumin

• ½ TBS chili powder

• 1 TBS garlic powder

• 1 TBS onion powder

• ½ TBS black pepper

• 1 TBS salt

FRENCH FRIES (enough for 4 burritos):

• 2 long russet potatoes

• Canola oil for frying

• Salt to taste

ADDITIONAL NEEDS:

• Shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheese

• Sour cream or Mexican crema

• Guacamole (see recipe for Roasted Garlic Guacamole)

• Large burrito flour tortilla (see notes)

GO FOR IT

CARNE ASADA:

1. If necessary, slice flank steak so it is no thicker than ½ inch

2. In a bowl, whisk together canola oil, lime juice, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt

3. Put flank steak in a large freezer bag, then pour in oil mixture and massage into meat with your hands until it is well incorporated

4. Add diced jalapeño with thinly sliced orange and white onion to bag (I used a mandolin to get them extra thin) and mix well

5. Seal bag and marinate in refrigerator 3 to 4 hours or overnight

6. When steak has finished marinating, remove from bag, pat dry, and discard your marinate

7. In a large cast iron skillet, heat 2 or 3 TBS of oil on high heat and cook while searing on both sides for about 3 minutes per side (this can also be done on a grill)

8. Let meat rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing against the grain, then continue to cut into whatever sized bit sized pieces you want in your burrito (I usually make them about 2 inches in length)

FRENCH FRIES:

1. Cut potatoes into long french fry sized strips (cut in half lengthwise first to make it easier to work with)

2. In a bowl, cover fry strips in cold water and let sit for at least 1 hour or overnight to remove starch (you cannot make crispy fries otherwise)

3. After fries have soaked, remove from water and pat dry

4. In a dutch oven or large pot, heat enough oil to cover fries (about 1 quart) to 275°F and deep fry your fries for 5 minutes (work in batches if necessary for the size of your pot), then remove fries to a paper towel lined plate

5. Increase oil heat to 350°F and then deep fry your fries a 2nd time for an additional 5 minutes (frying in low heat once and then once on high heat will make them crispy)

6. When done, remove from oil and onto a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt

FINISHING STEPS:

1. In a large skillet, heat your tortilla over medium heat for about 15 to 30 seconds per side, then remove from heat to begin assembly

2. In the center of your tortilla spread your guacamole in a rectangular fashion (leaving rooms on sides to fold in and roll over into a burrito)

3. On top of guacamole, add sour cream, then french fries, then shredded cheese, then carne asada (you should be using ⅓ to ½ lb of meat but this will vary to your preference and tortilla size)

4. Starting on the short ends of your assembled ingredients rectangle, fold sides in over the top edge of your fillings, then bring up other tortilla end and roll over and tuck to form your burrito

NOTES:

Normally I would advocate making your own tortillas but burrito tortillas are a huge hassle given their size. However, the store bought stuff is horrendous for making a good quality burrito so I stopped by a nearby Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn and asked if I could buy a few burrito tortillas off of them. They were kind enough to do so but I also got to chatting with one of the cooks there and he told me that while they order from a special supplier, if I went to a grocery store and bought the large tortillas people use for making sandwich wraps then those would be much closer to what Mexican restaurants use for their burritos than the “burrito” tortillas sold at the store. I would suggest you follow his advice.

I made this California Burrito using only the ingredients used in the award winning burrito sold at Ortiz’s Taco Shop (carne asada, fries, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole). It’s a damn good burrito all on it’s own. However, I know many versions also include pico de gallo and/or various hot sauces. I even like to make this amazing cream that is easily put together by blending sour cream with an a chipotle in adobe sauce and a splash of lime juice.

Feel free to experiment with what you like but the key ingredient in making it a “California” burrito is the french fries so please don’t skip on those even if you end up buying the frozen stuff (fresh fries are really easy to make and taste much better than store bought as do so many things done from scratch so I do recommend you try).

Lastly, don’t be like me. I spent so much time trying to take good pictures that by the time I got my cheese on, nothing was warm enough to give it a proper melt. Have all of your ingredients ready to assemble quickly. If you put your cheese between hot fresh fries and hot carne asada, it should melt quite nicely. That, or if you made things ahead of time then warm up your asada in a skillet with the cheese on top. All should agree that melted cheese is great.