The word burrito in Spanish means: “little donkey”.
The popular story tells that the recipe originated during the Mexican Revolution when a food vendor, to keep the food warm, wrapped it in a large cold tortilla.
The idea was successful, the vendor bought a “burro” and went beyond Mexico’s borders to sell his invention.
Like many other Mexican recipes, today it’s easier to find the burrito in the United States or Canada rather than in its country of origin.
Now more of a “Tex-Mex” recipe, than Mexican, it is a wheat flour tortilla filled with beef, chicken, or pork, sometimes with another ingredient such as potatoes, rice, beans, queso asadero, chile rajas or chile relleno, which is then rolled.
Not to be confused with tacos which are made with corn tortillas and are not rolled.
The American version has a richer filling, often with guacamole, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and melted cheese, but below is the Mexican recipe.
Burritos are especially a traditional food of Ciudad Juárez, a city bordering El Paso, Texas, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, where people buy them in restaurants and street stalls.
They are commonly called tacos de harina (“flour tacos”) in central and southern Mexico and burritas in “northern-style” restaurants outside of northern Mexico proper.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the wheat tortillas:
- 2 cups hard wheat flour
- 1/2 cup warm water
- to taste vegetable oil
- to taste salt
- 8 ounces ground beef, chicken, or pork
- 14 ounces pinto beans
- 3 onions
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- to taste ground cumin
- to taste oregano
- to taste fresh chili
- to taste vegetable oil
- to taste salt and pepper
Preparation
For the wheat tortillas:
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Pour slowly and, using a fork, add the warm water to form a dough.
Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead gently until soft and elastic.
Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes.
Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot.
Create circular discs.
Transfer the tortilla to the griddle.
Cook until brown spots form, then flip.
Transfer the tortilla to a cloth-lined tortilla basket to keep warm.
Repeat with remaining dough.
For the filling:
In a hot pan with two tablespoons of oil, brown the ground meat with two chopped onions.
When the meat is almost cooked, add the garlic, cumin, oregano, chili, salt, and pepper.
Mix for a few minutes over medium/low heat and set aside.
Cook the beans in water for 45 minutes and reserve the cooking water.
In a hot pan with four tablespoons of oil, sauté the remaining chopped onion over medium heat until translucent but not brown.
Then add the cooked beans, drained, and 8 tablespoons of the bean cooking water, and salt.
Mash the beans during cooking to obtain a somewhat coarse puree.
Continue over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Fill the tortillas with meat and beans.
Toast the tortilla in a pan if necessary.
Note: To fold the burritos, start by closing the top and bottom edges about 2 inches, so that the food is properly enclosed once the folding is complete.
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If you don’t have time or the desire to make the tortillas, you can buy them ready-made. You can also find them online: Santa Maria Tortilla Original
What sauce can I use with the burrito?
Sauces in Mexican burritos are simple and fresh, like a green or red sauce, often made with tomatoes, fresh chilies, onion, and cilantro.
