Craving a bite of Mexican food? Little donkey – burrito (Burro, a spanish word for a donkey) comes in many varieties, different shapes and flavors. They are a tortilla wrap filled with delicious salsas, beans or rice, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.
What differs a Cali style burrito from the rest is the meat featured in this classic dish, and fries instead of beans or rice. If you feel extra sassy, and in the mood of making your own, here’s a recipe:
California Burrito Ingredients:
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Large flour tortillas (~12” diameter)
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Guacamole
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Sour cream
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French fries
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Carne asada
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Monterey jack cheese, shredded
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Salsa verde
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Salsa roja
California Burrito Method:
Heat the tortillas in a large cast-iron pan for 1-2 minutes per side. This will make the tortillas pliable and more easily wrapped. Transfer the warmed tortillas to a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
Place a still-warm tortilla in the center of your workspace. Spread a spoonful of the guacamole onto the lower third of the burrito. Then, top with sour cream, french fries, carne asada, and Monterey jack cheese.
Fold the sides of the tortilla in towards the filling, this should create a roughly rectangular shape. Then, roll the burrito starting from the bottom, moving away from yourself.
Repeat with the remaining tortillas and ingredients.
Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Toast each burrito steam side down for 1-2 minutes on the skillet. Once lightly browned, flip the burrito over and toast for an additional 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately with sides of salsa verde and salsa roja.
Ingredients
Carne Asada Ingredients:
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2 lb flank steak, trimmed
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½ Cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
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¼ Cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
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¼ Cup vegetable oil + more for cooking
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2 Tbsp soy sauce
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4 cloves garlic, smashed
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¼ tsp cayenne pepper
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½ tsp paprika
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1 tsp Mexican oregano
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2 tsp ground cumin
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2 Tbsp (packed) brown sugar
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½ Cup (loosely packed) cilantro leaves, chopped
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1 Tbsp kosher salt
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2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Carne Asada Method:
Cut the flank steak into ½ inch slices. Make sure to cut the steak across the grain. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl or zip-block bag. Add the steak to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Once the steak is ready, preheat a cast-iron skillet over high heat and add about 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the steak strips to the oil and cook for about 1-2 minutes per side or until a crust forms. Cut the steak into bite-size pieces. Reserve until ready to serve.
And now the salsas:
Salsa Roja Ingredients:
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5 roma tomatoes, quartered
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½ white onion, quartered
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1 jalapeno pepper, stem removed
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3 garlic cloves, peeled
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As needed vegetable oil
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Juice of 2 limes
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¼ cup cilantro leaves
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To taste kosher salt
Salsa Roja Method:
Add the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno and garlic to a sheet tray. Coat them in vegetable oil. Broil the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and garlic for 3-5 minutes or until charred. Allow the vegetables to cool slightly. Add the charred vegetables to a high-powered blender. Add the lime juice and cilantro, blend until homogenous but still chunky. Season the sauce to taste with salt and reserve until ready to use.
Salsa Verde Ingredients:
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6-8 tomotillas, peeled + halved
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½ white onion, quartered
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As needed vegetable oil
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1 jalapeno pepper, stem removed + halved
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Juice of 2 limes
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⅓ Cup cilantro leaves
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To taste kosher salt
Salsa Verde Method:
Add the tomatillos and onion to a sheet tray. Coat them in vegetable oil. Broil the tomatillos and onion for 3-5 minutes or until charred. Allow the vegetables to cool slightly. Transfer the charred vegetables, jalapeno, lime juice, and cilantro to a high-powered blender. Blend the sauce until homogeneous but still chunky. Season the sauce to taste with salt and reserve until ready to use.
Guacamole Ingredients:
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4 avocados, ripe
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½ red onion, finely chopped
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1 jalapeno pepper, stems and seeds removed + finely chopped
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½ Cup (loosely packed) cilantro leaves, chopped
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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Juice from 2 -3 limes (or to taste)
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1 tsp cumin
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To taste kosher salt
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To taste freshly ground black pepper
Guacamole Method:
Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the guacamole with a fork until relatively smooth. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until ready to use.
French Fries Ingredients:
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3-4 large Yukon gold potatoes
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1 Tbsp white vinegar
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As needed kosher salt
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As needed fry oil
French Fries Method:
Peel and cut the potatoes into ½ inch fries. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the vinegar and 1 tablespoon of salt. Blanch fries for 8-10 minutes in boiling water. Transfer the fries to a sheet tray and allow them to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the fry oil in a large high-sided skillet to 375 °F. Working in batches, fry the fries for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Transfer the fries to a paper towel-lined sheet tray. Season them with salt.
