How to make an authentic Mexican burrito?

Question

Love burritos. What is the secret of a good burrito?

Answer 1

Mmmmm, burritos, they're my life source, haha. Here's a couple different amazing recipes I use all the time hun :)

Chicken Burritos with Mojo

Mojo Sauce:
4 garlic cloves
2 serrano chilies, seeds removed
1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves
Juice 2 limes
Juice 1 orange
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large flour tortillas
1 (3 to 4 pound) whole roasted chicken, shredded
Yellow Rice, recipe follows
Spicy Black Beans, recipe follows
2 avocados chopped
1 cup grated queso blanco or Monterey jack cheese
Sour cream, for garnish
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish

Make the Mojo Sauce: Put the garlic, chilies, cilantro, lime juice, orange juice, and olive oil into a blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
To make the burritos: Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds in a dry skillet or on the grill until pliable. Place some chicken down the center of a tortilla and top with rice and beans, avocado, grated cheese, and Mojo Sauce. Roll up the burrito and serve topped with a generous drizzle of sour cream; garnish with cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime juice.

Yellow Rice:
2 cups long-grain rice
4 cups water
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bay leaf
Put all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed the water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and serve.
Yield: 8 servings

Spicy Black Beans:
2 cups (about 1 pound) dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Quick soak the beans: Put beans in a pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let soak for 1 hour. Drain the beans.
In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste the beans and season them with salt and pepper.

Rice and Beans Burrito

Rice:
3/4 cup wild rice
2 1/3 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Salsa:
2 ripe medium tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes, cored and diced
1 Hass avocado, halved, seeded, and diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 to 2 jalapenos, or 1 serrano chile, stemmed and minced (with seeds for maximum heat)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Beans:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (19-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

4 extra-large (12-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas
1 bunch watercress, stemmed, optional
Sour cream, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish

For the rice: Bring the water to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Stir in the wild rice and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Adjust the heat so the rice simmers gently, cover, and cook until tender but not mushy, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let stand, covered 10 minutes. Drain remaining liquid and fluff with a fork.
Meanwhile, mix all the salsa ingredients in a bowl. Set aside, while making the beans so the flavors come together and the sauce gets juicy.

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet, over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and mash them until the mixture is almost smooth but still dotted with bits of bean, adding water as needed to loosen the mash up a bit. Set aside.
When ready to serve the burritos, wrap all the tortillas in a slightly damp towel and microwave until piping hot and pliable, 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot. Cook a tortilla, turning once, until slightly charred and puffy, about 15 seconds per side. Wrap in foil and repeat with the remaining tortillas.) Keep covered while assembling each burrito.

To form the burritos, spoon about a quarter of both the rice and beans and 3/4 cup of the salsa in the center of a tortilla. Top with some of the watercress, if using. Fold the closest edge of the tortilla over the filling, fold in the sides, and then roll the tortilla away from you to form a package. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Serve burritos with extra salsa, a dollop of sour cream, and lime, if desired.

Veggie Burritos

2 zucchini, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into wedges
2 yellow squash, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into wedges
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into quarters
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 bunch oregano, leaves only, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 Flour Tortillas, recipe follows
1 cup Avocado Corn Relish, recipe follows
1/2 cup Tomatillo Salsa, recipe follows
Toss the vegetables in a large bowl with the oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Let sit at least 1 hour to marinate.
Preheat the grill.
Grill the vegetables over hot coals (or cook in a hot dry skillet) until tender, turning occasionally to avoid charring.
To assemble, warm the tortillas briefly on the grill to render them pliable, and spread them out on a counter. Divide the vegetables and place in a strip down the center of each tortilla. Top with the Avocado Corn Relish and drizzle with some of the Tomatillo Salsa (being careful not to over sauce, or the burritos will be soggy). Fold the bottom quarter of each tortilla up and then roll from the side into a cylinder. Serve immediately, with the remaining salsa on the side.
FLOUR TORTILLAS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (3 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
Scant 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (3 1/2 ounces)
1 cup warm water
TOMATILLO SALSA (Green Salsa)
1 pound tomatillos, husked, washed and cut into quarters
2 - 4 large jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded if desired and roughly chopped
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 medium onion, cut in half
2 bunches cilantro, stems and leaves
2 teaspoons salt
Place the flour, salt and shortening in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Beat with the paddle until crumbly, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add the warm water and continue mixing until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a ball and place on a baking tray or board. Cover with a towel and let rest at room temperature at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Cut out eight 12-inch squares of waxed or parchment paper for stacking the tortillas. On a lightly floured board, roll each ball into a 10-inch circle, and transfer to a paper square. Stack on a baking tray or platter and refrigerate until cooking time. Uncooked tortillas can be kept in the refrigerator, well wrapped with paper squares between the layers, up to 2 days.
To cook, heat a dry griddle or 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Carefully peel off the paper and cook the tortillas, one at a time, until puffy and slightly brown, 30 to 45 seconds per side. Set aside to cool slightly on a towel-lined platter. Bring to the table wrapped in a towel for warmth, or wrap well and refrigerate or freeze for quesadillas or other dishes.
Yield: 8 large tortillas
Method for Tomatillo Sauce(Green Salsa):
In blender place tomatillos, jalapenos and water. Puree until just chunky. Add remaining ingredients and puree about 2 minutes more, or until no large chunks remain. This salsa keeps in the refrigerator, in a covered container, about 3 days.
Yield: 3 1/2 cups
AVOCADO CORN RELISH
3/4 cup olive oil
4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 avocados, peeled and seeded
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
4 Poblano chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded
4 scallions, white and light green thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Saute the corn with the salt and pepper, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
Cut the avocados, bell pepper and roasted poblanos into 1/4-inch dice.
Add to the Sauteed corn along with the scallions, red wine vinegar and the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil.
Mix well and let sit 20 to 30 minutes to blend the flavors.
Serve at room temperature. Corn relish can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator up to a day. To make 2 to 3 days in advance, mix all the ingredients except the avocado and store in the refrigerator. Add the avocado shortly before serving.

Since you love burrittos, I recommend fish tacos, so yummy!!

Fish Tacos

Peanut oil, for frying
2 cups panko bread crumbs*
3 eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds halibut, snapper, or other firm flesh white fish
8 corn tortillas
1/2 head napa cabbage, shredded
Pink Chili Mayo, recipe follows
Lime wedges, for garnish
*Available in the Asian section of your market.
To fry the fish: Fill a large heavy bottomed pot about 1/3 full of peanut oil. Heat to 375 degrees F. While the oil is heating, put the breadcrumbs into a shallow dish. Break the eggs into another shallow dish, season with salt and pepper, and beat them with 2 tablespoons of water. Cut the fish into 1-inch wide strips. Dip them into the egg, then coat them well with the breadcrumbs. Set aside and let them rest for 10 minutes. Cook the fish a few pieces at a time until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
To make the tacos: Heat a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat. Warm a corn tortilla in the pan until it softens, about 30 seconds. Place a fish strip on it, top with some of the shredded cabbage, and a big dollop of Pink Chili Mayo. Squeeze on some lime juice, roll up, and eat!

Pink Chili Mayo:
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Juice 1/2 lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the mayonnaise, sour cream, peppers, and lime juice in a blender and process to a puree. Refrigerate the mayo for 1/2 hour to let the flavors to blend; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Answer 2

These are the main differences btw American Mexican and Authentic Mexican:
1. Mexican- don't eat many "burritos" mainly tacos
2. Tacos in mexico are made with small round CORN tortillas, Americans often use flour.
Here are two good recipes I eat- I lived in Mexico for a short time and these are variations I love.
1. Fish Taco: slice fillets of talapia or other white fish into strips. Sautee in olive oil and taco seasoning (rubbed onto fish). Fill corn taco shells (soft, Mexican tacos are not hard like US) with the fish, sliced mango, diced tomatoe, and shredded lettuce. Garnish w/sour cream if you like.
2. If you want a "burrito" you can fill large corn tortillas (warmed in oven) with cooked pulled pork, rice, beans, any veggie toppings, salsa, sour cream. The key to burritos is the more the better!

Answer 3

It is a true creation the burrito. It is mexican. Poor people in mexicos ranches eat burrito with corn tortilla and salt.. That is an awesome burrito when that is all you have..
My version of a good burrito either a corn or flour tortilla is with Any meat variation or u may go vegitarian also. Add sour cream, gucamole, and a good homemade or store bougth chunky salsa..
and for the supreme look of the burrito, roll in the bottom of the tortilla to roll it authentically..
Good luck

Answer 4

I live in the central part of Mexico. In this area a "Burrito" is a "Taco" made with wheat flour tortilla. There is not a single type of burrito. The stuffing inside can be almost anything. For example, a "Burrito de Rajas con Crema" is a wheat flour tortilla stuffed with poblano hot pepper strips (usually cooked with onion and corn grain) and cream. If the tortillla is stuffed with melted cheese then is not called burrito but "quesadilla" and If the tortilla is made of corn flour then it is called a Taco.

Contrary of what some other has answered, wheat flour tortillas are very common in Mexico. You can find them in every corner store as well as in chain stores. Everywhere in Mexico.

The secret of a good burrito... "la salsa"

Answer 5

Put beans, avocado, rice, diced onions and tomatoes, sour cream,and meat in a large flour burrito, roll and eat. If you want it picoso, add Tabasco or any hot sauce - green sauce is my favorite. For the meat use chicken or beef used in barbecue since the common pork recipes, carnitas o al pastor, aren't easy to prepare (tho you readily find them in Californian Mexican restaurants, esp. in SF and LA).

However, Mexico is a large country - "authentic" varies widely. I live in La Paz, Baja, and they don't put rice or beans in burritos.

You made me hungry - you rat you! Good luck.

PS: Mexicans eat toneladas of burritos - don't believe everything they send.

Answer 6

yes. burritos are a US invention. flour tortillas are not common in mexico still to this day.

But to this US/Mexico border dweller - the secret to a good burrito is always a fresh tortilla heated on a griddle until it's almost crispy with some kind of juicy mexican stew inside (carne guisada). Mmmmmmmm.

Answer 7

Make Over 200 Juicy, Mouth-Watering Paleo Recipes You've NEVER Seen or Tasted Before?

Answer 8

Here is a little history

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burritos


and here are some recipes

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/browse_thread/thread/7cbf41793986d76e/971a4b113f78da13?lnk=gst&q=burritos&rnum=1#971a4b113f78da13

Answer 9

I don't believe burritos exist in Mexico, it an American invention of mexican food.........

Answer 10

Burrito in Mexico means "Little Burro", maybe food, too?

Answer 11

Perhaps, but I'm not 100% on it