Like Taco Flavored Kisses
Once upon a time, Eric Cartman of South Park fame created a hand puppet of Jenifer Lopez in a classic episode. The Puppet sang a hit song about loving tacos and burritos with a title something like “Taco Flavored Kisses”. Cartman’s insensitivity to culture and history led to some raucous high jinks. But, one thing we could all agree on is most of us do love tacos and burritos. And, to show that appreciation we have a special day. It’s National Burrito day. Yes, that’s right, a Portable culinary delicacy created in Mexico celebrated in the USA. Don’t let ICE know. They may want to deport anyone eating one. That would empty most of the country, since (according to GrubHub) Burritos are the number one delivery food item in the country. And, 99% of Americans live near a Mexican restaurant.
And, those statistics don’t take into account all the burritos in the frozen section of most grocery stores or made at home. So, what is it about burritos that makes them so popular? There are 3 main factors:
- Cost: a burrito is a tortilla (cheap) stuffed with rice and/or proteins, vegetables, and/or cheese.
- Versatility: You usually get a choice of fillings. It could be a variety of beans, a choice of rices, a choice of proteins, sauces, cheese, and more. They are very customizable. That’s why places like Chipotle are so popular.
- Flavor: The spice combinations of most Mexican cuisine are very enticing to most people. Or, it can be more plain. Spicy or not so spicy. It’s up to you.
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Who wouldn’t Like Taco Flavored Kisses
They can be small and portable to take on the go, or a mammoth overstuffed tortilla to brag to your friends about: “They serve a burrito the size of your head for like $10”. And, when you’re ready for a spicy night of romance, is there anything better than Taco flavored kisses? Of course, the taco is Burrito’s little cousin. But, it doesn’t have the same oomph as a burrito, does it? Tacos are only part of a meal But, the burrito is everything all in one. You, basically, take a whole plate of Mexican food and wrap it in a tortilla. And, tacos are too ordinary. Remember, there is only one National Burrito day. But, every week there is a taco Tuesday. This makes tacos overdone and mundane. They stand sandwiched between Meatless Monday and Meatloaf Wednesday. How trite…
While tacos do have a grand appeal, they just come up a bit short. And, yes, that’s a jab at their size as well as what constitutes a taco. Tacos are usually just one main ingredient with cheese and condiments. The compactness of a taco makes it appealing. And, it does have some versatility. Plus it can be hard or soft shell. So, it has that going for it. But, a burrito is basically a Taco on steroids. And, it has everything you need for a complete meal. So, who wouldn’t love a burrito? Maybe, those are the people we should be deporting.
Why wait for the 5th?
Many Americans only think of Mexican food on Cinco De Mayo. That’s a shame, especially since Cinco De Mayo isn’t even that big of a celebration in Mexico itself. It’s far more popular in the states. The same can be said of Burritos. They are the quintessential American idea of Mexican food. You could even take burritos a step further and deep fry them into a chimichanga. But, no need to get carried away. Today is national burrito day. In typical American fashion, you can fill a tortilla with whatever you want and call it a burrito. You can eat burritos all day long.
Start with a breakfast burrito of egg, cheese, and breakfast meat or beans. Then have a lighter burrito of some kind of protein or beans wrapped in a tortilla with Lettuce, vegetables and pico de gaillo. For dinner, you can do a heartier burrito, like the Birria recipe we have below for a whole meal all in one. You could even make dessert burritos. Think of it like a Mexican cannoli: sweetened cheese, fruit, nuts or a pastry cream wrapped in a tortilla with powdered sugar, maybe a little vanilla or cinnamon infused honey. Life is a burrito. Embrace life today. It’s almost like taco flavored kisses, but better.
Happy Burrito day to all!
Birria Burrito
Ingredients
- 4 each Extra large flour tortillas or multiple smaller ones. Need to be big enough to contain a lot of food
- 1.5 Cups Long Grain Rice
- 3 Cups Chicken or vegetable broth
- olive or avocado oil for cooking
- 1/2 Cup Diced Sweet Onion
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar or jack cheese
- 1 Lb Shredded Birria Beef Recipe to follow
- 1 Cup Avocado Pico De Gaillo Recipe to Follow (you can skip the avocado and add guacamole if you prefer)
- 1 Cup each Guacamole and sour cream optional
Instructions
- Make the birria beef, allow to cool, and shred the meat for ease of use
- Make the rice: Heat oil in a pot, saute the onion until translucent. Stir in the rice and stir until well coated. Add in seasoning and broth. Bring to a boil. Then taper back to a simmer. Cook until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
- Preheat oven to 350
- Assemble the burrito: Place tortillas on a flat surface. Place rice in the middle of the tortilla. Top with all the remaining ingredients. Fold the sides of the tortilla in to partially cover the filling. Then roll the tortilla around the ingredients. Pop in the oven for a few minutes to warm it through and allow the cheese to melt a bit. You can leave the pico de gaillo and guac out and serve on the side or put inside if you prefer. For best results start with hot ingredients. You can skip putting it in the oven if your beef and rice are hot to begin with.
Avocado Pico de gaillo
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup diced sweet onion
- 1 T chopped fresh garlic
- 1/2 cup diced fresh sweet peppers
- 1 T fine diced jalapeno
- 1 cups diced fresh tomato
- 2 cups diced fresh avocado
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 T avocado oil
- 2 T chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 t chili powder
- 1/2 t cumin
- Sea Salt and Fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. For a slightly sweeter version, try sauteing the onion and garlic. You can adjust the quantities to your taste. Some like more avocado and less tomato. Some reverse. If you don’t have peppers, leave them out. If you don’t have jalapeno, increase the amount of chili powder. The amount of spice is really up to you. . Some mild.
- Serve with Tortilla chips and rout for your team!
- Go Sportsball!
Notes
Spicy Beef Birria
Ingredients
- 3 Lb Trimmed Beef Chuck or other tougher cut of beef Some fat is okay, but not too much
- 1 Cup each Rough chopped carrots, onion, and celery
- 6 each garlic cloves
- 2 or 3 each bay leaves
- 5 or 6 each dried or fresh chilies Use more or less depending on your taste
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 1 Tbsp Ground coriander
- 1/2 Cup Lime Juice
- 1/4 Cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 2 Cup Diced Fresh Tomato
- 8 Cups Beef broth preferably homemade
- 1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro stems and all
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- avocado or vegetable oil for cooking
Instructions
- Cut your beef into manageable pieces, remove any excess fat. The smaller the pieces of beef, the quicker it will cook. Coat the beef with salt and pepper.
- In a large rondeau or wide pot, heat a coating of oil for searing until it just starts to smoke. Add in the beef and sear until well browned on each side. Turn pieces over until all sides are evenly browned. Then add in all the vegetables. Stir and cook until softened. Then add all the spices and stir well.
- Add in the vinegar and Lime juice and bring to a boil. Then add the Broth. Bring to a boil. Then taper to a simmer.
- Simmer on low heat for about an hour. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and scorching. Check the tenderness of the beef by trying to pull it apart. When fully cooked, it should almost fall apart when picking i up. This can take a couple hours depending on how big the pieces of meat are. If you find the liquid is evaporating too much, add water. The meat should remain submerged in liquid during the cooking process.
- remove from the heat and allow to cool for about a half hour. If you remove the beef too early, it may dry out a bit.
- after a good rest, remove the beef from the liquid, and set it aside. Strain the braising liquid into a pot. Discard the spent vegetables, etc. Place the liquid on the stove and reduce it until it slightly thickens. This is your sauce.
- When the beef is cool enough, pull the meat into strands. This is best done while still a touch warm, but not too hot to touch. If you refrigerate it first, it won't be as easy to pull. You can always reheat for this step.
- To serve, Reheat the beef in the sauce. Serve it topped with cilantro, onions, and peppers or pico de gaillo, or whatever way you want. See our burrito recipe for a great application.