Mission 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

MEXICAN RICE (you will have leftovers):

• 1 cup long grain white rice

• ¼ diced yellow onion (or white)

• 1 garlic clove, peeled

• 1 TBS tomato paste

• 1 tsp chicken bullion powder

• 1 ½ cups water

• 2 TBS canola oil

STEWED BEANS:

• 1 can pinto beans (black works too)

• 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 tsp chili powder

• ½ tsp paprika

• ½ tsp cumin

• ½ tsp chipotle powder (optional)

• ½ tsp pepper

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 garlic clove, peeled

• ⅓ cup diced yellow onion

PICO DE GALLO:

• 3 or 4 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced into ½ inch (or less) pieces

• ¼ of diced red onion (white onion works too)

• Juice of 1 lime

• Minced cilantro to taste (1 or 2 TBS)

• 1 stemmed and minced jalapeno or serrano pepper

• Salt to taste

SALSA VERDE:

• ½ lb tomatillos, washed with husks removed, then cut in half

• ¼ cup white onion

• 1 garlic clove, peeled

• 1 serrano pepper, stemmed and seeded

• 1 lime

• Canola oil for drizzle

• Salt to taste

ADDITIONAL NEEDS:

• Burrito sized flour tortilla (see notes)

• Shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheese

• Avocado slices

• Aluminum foil (for wrapping)

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)

MEXICAN RICE:

1. Using a food processor or immersion blender, blend ¼ cup water, onion, garlic clove, and tomato paste, then set aside

2. In a thick pan or skillet, heat oil over medium heat, then pour in rice

3. Stir rice constantly until well coated in oil and toasted (takes about 3 to 5 minutes - you will smell and see the rice toasting - careful not to burn)

4. Once rice is toasted, put in your tomato paste mix and stir in until well incorporated in the rice and the water is all evaporated (takes about 30 to 60 seconds)

5. Place in 1 ½ cups water with bullion powder and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes

6. After 20 minutes remove from heat, uncover rice and fluff it, then re-cover and let sit additional 10 minutes to finish

STEWED BEANS:

1. Rinse your beans wells, then place in a pot and cover with broth and cold water

2. Add in all ingredients, stir well, then bring pot to a boil over high heat

3. Once boiling, simmer beans on low for 45 minutes

4. Remove garlic and bay leaf

5. Taste and add salt if needed

PICO DE GALLO:

1. In a bowl, mix diced tomatoes, onion, lime juice, cilantro, hot pepper, and salt. Enjoy any leftovers with tortilla chips

SALSA VERDE:

1. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and serrano pepper, drizzle with a bit of oil, then place in 450°F oven for 10 minutes

2. After 10 minutes, toss all vegetables and bake for additional 5 minutes

3. In a food processor or blender, place all roasted ingredients, 1 tsp of salt, and the juice of half your lime, then blend

4. Once done, taste and add more salt and/or lime juice as you see fit

BURRITO ASSEMBLY:

1. Steam your tortilla for 1 minute to soften

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

3. On top of cheese add carne asada (you should be using ⅓ to ½ lb of meat but this will vary to your preference and tortilla size), then pico de gallo, then salsa verde, then a layer of rice, followed by a layer of beans (drained), and finally a few avocado slices

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

5. To finish, you really should sear your assembled burrito on both sides in a cast iron or large skillet to keep it from falling apart while enjoying. However, you can skip this step by wrapping it in aluminum foil and unwrapping it as you eat (like at Chipotle)

NOTES:

As said in my last post, store bought burrito tortillas are horrendous for making a good quality burrito so I stopped by a nearby taco shop 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.

You obviously don’t need to make everything fresh. If you’d rather use your favorite store bought salsas, then go for it. I just love giving you the option of some pretty fantastic stuff which will most definitely elevate your dishes should you put in the time and effort to assemble from scratch. And yes, I know, I didn’t make the beans from scratch. I used canned beans. But since I wasn’t eating these beans as a separate side dish, I got just enough flavor needed to balance my burrito. Just trust me, seasoning and then stewing for a bit will do wonders for canned beans. Same goes for the rice. The small paste mix and bullion powder is an easy way to achieve quick and good Mexican rice so that you can focus on your burrito without spending hours doing everything from total scratch (or skip the rice altogether as La Taqueria does for their Mission Burritos in San Francisco).

Lastly, if you haven’t noticed, my last 3 dishes used carne asada. That’s what happens when you find 2 lbs of flank steak for just 10 bucks. Carne asada is great in all burritos. However, some people would say that carnitas is more appropriate for this San Francisco treat. I will be sure to do a carnitas version at some point. Just don’t judge me on my asada because I’m pretty proud of the marinade I’ve put together. I hope you’ll agree.