Your best burrito recipe please.
April 19, 2011 3:47 PM Subscribe
Why are food cart burritos so so good and how can I make my burritos at home that good?
My daughter and I love the food carts here in Portland. We specifically love the burritos at some of the Mexican food carts.
Why are their burritos so much better than mine? What do they do that I'm not doing? Granted I've never sat down and pulled one of these burritos apart - they're so good I just start eating them.
My daughter says that they are moister than mine, she right. I'm using a lot of the same ingredients - refried beans, shredded chicken, rice (brown), green chili sauce, tomatoes, sour cream, etc... What am I missing to push them over the top and make them better?
I've tried googling burrito recipes, but they aren't the food cart type - too fancy, sauce all over the top of them, deep fried and so on.
Teach us how to do this so my daughter can stop spending her babysitting money at the food cart a block away from her school.
My daughter and I love the food carts here in Portland. We specifically love the burritos at some of the Mexican food carts.
Why are their burritos so much better than mine? What do they do that I'm not doing? Granted I've never sat down and pulled one of these burritos apart - they're so good I just start eating them.
My daughter says that they are moister than mine, she right. I'm using a lot of the same ingredients - refried beans, shredded chicken, rice (brown), green chili sauce, tomatoes, sour cream, etc... What am I missing to push them over the top and make them better?
I've tried googling burrito recipes, but they aren't the food cart type - too fancy, sauce all over the top of them, deep fried and so on.
Teach us how to do this so my daughter can stop spending her babysitting money at the food cart a block away from her school.
Lard, otherwise known as manteca.
Chances are that that's what they're frying the meat and/or beans in, and you're not. You can find it at the supermarket next to the Crisco. Give it a try and see if it helps.
Also: homemade tortillas (which also contain lard). If you're using Mission or whatever, that's a big part of the problem. If you don't want to make your own, there should be local brands which are half-decent (check the Mexican supermarket).
posted by vorfeed at 3:58 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Chances are that that's what they're frying the meat and/or beans in, and you're not. You can find it at the supermarket next to the Crisco. Give it a try and see if it helps.
Also: homemade tortillas (which also contain lard). If you're using Mission or whatever, that's a big part of the problem. If you don't want to make your own, there should be local brands which are half-decent (check the Mexican supermarket).
posted by vorfeed at 3:58 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
They probably use lard in the beans and to fry the meat.
but also, my local place puts mayo in them, which is weird but actually those things are delicious. And avocado, which also bumps up the moisture/fat content.
posted by geegollygosh at 3:58 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
but also, my local place puts mayo in them, which is weird but actually those things are delicious. And avocado, which also bumps up the moisture/fat content.
posted by geegollygosh at 3:58 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
They are most likely steaming their tortillas. I don't know how to steam tortillas at home but I heat mine up on a very hot skillet for a few seconds until they are soft. Their beans may also be made with lard which could give a smoother, fattier taste than vegetable oil. Are they adding avocado? That can be another good way to add moist fat.
This video shows proper rolling technique. A good rolling technique followed by tinfoil will allow you to use more liquidy goodness without compromising the structural integrity of your burrito. Tinfoil also makes them taste better.
In general I think the answers to "Why does restaurant food taste so good?" are A) use more fat, B) use more salt, and C) have someone else cook it for you.
posted by ChrisHartley at 3:59 PM on April 19, 2011 [5 favorites]
This video shows proper rolling technique. A good rolling technique followed by tinfoil will allow you to use more liquidy goodness without compromising the structural integrity of your burrito. Tinfoil also makes them taste better.
In general I think the answers to "Why does restaurant food taste so good?" are A) use more fat, B) use more salt, and C) have someone else cook it for you.
posted by ChrisHartley at 3:59 PM on April 19, 2011 [5 favorites]
Agreeing with all, the magic "moist" ingredient is the judicious use of lard in everything that is cooked. Honestly, if you knew how much they used, your stomach would turn. More salt then you would ever put on your own food helps, too.
posted by AaRdVarK at 4:00 PM on April 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by AaRdVarK at 4:00 PM on April 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
Agreed with all of the above, plus another possibility: some of the cuts of meat they are using might be a little on the fattier side than you might be buying. As home cooks we can sometimes buy meats that seem leaner. But those might be pricier or not as available for bulk use - and not to mention, when slow cooking meats the way that they usually are in these recipes, fattier meats just hold up better. As they cook they release a lot of fat - a lot of it ends up dripping away but a decent amount of it stays on the meat. I make a Puerto Rican dish called "pernil". It's made with pork shoulder so it's imperative that it be cooked low and slow because it is sooo fatty. Once it's done, you see a huge pool of fat in the pan, but the meat still retains a lot of that fattier mouthfeel (just in way more manageable amounts than if all the fat had remained).
posted by DrGirlfriend at 4:08 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by DrGirlfriend at 4:08 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Are you just using cooked shredded chicken (or pork, or beef) or are you flavoring it? Oftentimes shredded chicken or pork is given a tinga preparation, which makes it spicy, crispy, and tomato-y. This goes a long way towards building flavor. Another benefit is that you can use less meat (and use cheaper cuts), since there is so much flavor there.
Here's my quick tinga recipe - based loosely off of a Cook's Illustrated recipe from a few years ago:
2 lbs. boneless pork butt cut into 2 inch chunks OR 2.5 lbs chicken thighs, skinned
1 big onion, halved - one half in a big chunk and the other diced
couple cloves of garlic, smashed
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
2 T tomato paste
1 14 oz can tomato sauce (not diced tomatoes)
2 or 3 chipotle chiles in adobo
1) Combine the meat, the onion chunk, and the garlic in a pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low; cook until tender; about 1 hour. Drain, reserving a little of the liquid in case you need it later. Shred the meat.
2) In a large nonstick frying pan, heat some oil and cook the diced onion until golden. Add the oregano and tomato paste and cook a few minutes until the tomato flavor is intensified.
3) Add the cooked, shredded meat along with the tomato sauce and chiles. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat until the liquid is mostly cooked off and the meat starts to brown (I like to let it get really crispy)
posted by rossination at 4:16 PM on April 19, 2011 [28 favorites]
Here's my quick tinga recipe - based loosely off of a Cook's Illustrated recipe from a few years ago:
2 lbs. boneless pork butt cut into 2 inch chunks OR 2.5 lbs chicken thighs, skinned
1 big onion, halved - one half in a big chunk and the other diced
couple cloves of garlic, smashed
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
2 T tomato paste
1 14 oz can tomato sauce (not diced tomatoes)
2 or 3 chipotle chiles in adobo
1) Combine the meat, the onion chunk, and the garlic in a pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low; cook until tender; about 1 hour. Drain, reserving a little of the liquid in case you need it later. Shred the meat.
2) In a large nonstick frying pan, heat some oil and cook the diced onion until golden. Add the oregano and tomato paste and cook a few minutes until the tomato flavor is intensified.
3) Add the cooked, shredded meat along with the tomato sauce and chiles. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat until the liquid is mostly cooked off and the meat starts to brown (I like to let it get really crispy)
posted by rossination at 4:16 PM on April 19, 2011 [28 favorites]
Along with the Lard, it’s the tortillas. Those dried out ones from Mission won’t get you very far. You can find “uncooked” flour tortillas. You will find out quickly that they make everything you use them with taste so much better. I’ve found them at COSTCO, WalMart, and Whole Foods.
posted by Palmcorder Yajna at 4:17 PM on April 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Palmcorder Yajna at 4:17 PM on April 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
I said "lard" before I even finished reading the question! I also have to agree with Palmcorder Yajna: get fresh flour tortillas, or just roll your own; it's really easy to do!
And if you do get lard and you want to treat yourself to a little(lot) bit of decadence, go ahead and fry anything and everything in the lard. It makes ANYTHING tastes a million times better. It's like the MSG of lipids and you've got to try it at least once. Go ahead, your heart will spank you for it!
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 4:36 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
And if you do get lard and you want to treat yourself to a little(lot) bit of decadence, go ahead and fry anything and everything in the lard. It makes ANYTHING tastes a million times better. It's like the MSG of lipids and you've got to try it at least once. Go ahead, your heart will spank you for it!
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 4:36 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's definitely the lard. I love carnitas, and I usually order them whenever I have Mexican food. I've tried making them at home, but while they were soft after stewing for two or three hours, they just didn't have the oomph I wanted. I tried the recipe in Authentic Mexican (the Bayless book? The name escapes me) which says start the meat in lard to brown. Add liquids, then let the liquid simmer off over the course of a couple hours, until only the lard is left, which then kind of re-fries the stewed meat. It's like heaven.
As a bonus, you can strain and re-use the lard for carnitas at a later date. Without thinking, I used the carnitas lard to make rolled biscuits. They were delicious, but when you're not prepared for it, spicy bread is kind of a shock.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:15 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
As a bonus, you can strain and re-use the lard for carnitas at a later date. Without thinking, I used the carnitas lard to make rolled biscuits. They were delicious, but when you're not prepared for it, spicy bread is kind of a shock.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:15 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure what your cart uses, but I'd recommend whole beans instead of refried. Not judging you if you prefer refried, but I left refrieds in burritos back at Taco Bell.
posted by rhizome at 5:19 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by rhizome at 5:19 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone. We're going to try the lard thing, the homemade tortilla thing (actually I'll try the Costco uncooked ones first), and we'll try spicing up the meat more.
Looking forward to the best burritos ever!
posted by saffronwoman at 6:45 PM on April 19, 2011
Looking forward to the best burritos ever!
posted by saffronwoman at 6:45 PM on April 19, 2011
Make sure that the lard is FRESH. I have seen lard past its prime left on shelves. Rendering lard is easy (be sure to melt in water so it does not accidentally caramelize) and source your fat. Whole Foods and actual butchers can provide you either rendered lard or the raw ingredients.
posted by jadepearl at 6:49 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by jadepearl at 6:49 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Have you ever tried Chorizo? That's what we always use here at home and it really adds the perfect spice to the burritos. Especially if you can get homemade chorizo.
posted by Sweetmag at 6:49 PM on April 19, 2011
posted by Sweetmag at 6:49 PM on April 19, 2011
Are you getting burritos with cheese? When I finally realized the quantity of cheese going into a food service burrito, I was pretty horrified.
posted by bluedaisy at 7:28 PM on April 19, 2011
posted by bluedaisy at 7:28 PM on April 19, 2011
1. lard.
2. steamed tortillas (place a small amount of water in a large frying pan and a cooling rack for pastry or a roasting rack over it and steam away till nice and pliable (or microwave, still wrapped in plastic, on low for 1min *shudder*).
3. that chix/pork/beef is cooked/braised/roasted and then HELD hot in a steam table for the entire night, and then maybe the next few days or so too. protein will really break down and be super scrumptious if reheated again and again. try braising the protein and then cooling and holding it (i simmer mine in a special sauce for at least an hour). then, the next day, bring the meat up to temp and try to recreate your white whale burrito.
posted by ps_im_awesome at 8:51 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
2. steamed tortillas (place a small amount of water in a large frying pan and a cooling rack for pastry or a roasting rack over it and steam away till nice and pliable (or microwave, still wrapped in plastic, on low for 1min *shudder*).
3. that chix/pork/beef is cooked/braised/roasted and then HELD hot in a steam table for the entire night, and then maybe the next few days or so too. protein will really break down and be super scrumptious if reheated again and again. try braising the protein and then cooling and holding it (i simmer mine in a special sauce for at least an hour). then, the next day, bring the meat up to temp and try to recreate your white whale burrito.
posted by ps_im_awesome at 8:51 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
This simple carnitas recipe from Homesick Texan ends up cooking in lard. It was delicious.
posted by spork at 12:02 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by spork at 12:02 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Lard...You can find it at the supermarket next to the Crisco.
If you do, don't buy it. Lard is more properly found in the refrigerated section of the market...either with the meat or in the dairy section. If you find lard sitting on the warm shelves next to the Crisco, let it be.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:14 AM on April 20, 2011
If you do, don't buy it. Lard is more properly found in the refrigerated section of the market...either with the meat or in the dairy section. If you find lard sitting on the warm shelves next to the Crisco, let it be.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:14 AM on April 20, 2011
I also think fresh cilantro is so, so important to a good burrito. Think about the difference between Chipotle and Taco Bell. Chipotle has delicious, delicious cilantro. It's one of those love-or-hate tastes, and if you love it, it will rock on your homemade burrito.
posted by shortyJBot at 10:34 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by shortyJBot at 10:34 AM on April 20, 2011
Response by poster: We went to the burrito cart closest to us again yesterday. I watched closely. Stewed meat, lots of lard and avocado/cilantro/sourcream mix that gets squirted in and makes it moist and heavenly..
Going to try it all this weekend.
posted by saffronwoman at 7:26 AM on April 22, 2011
Going to try it all this weekend.
posted by saffronwoman at 7:26 AM on April 22, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by scose at 3:55 PM on April 19, 2011 [26 favorites]