Mission Burrito Recipes

MISSION-STYLE WILD RICE AND BEAN BURRITO

Steps:

• 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.

MISSION BURRITO

Steps:

• Cut steak in half crosswise. Place both pieces in a resealable plastic bag, squeeze out excess air from the bag and seal. Using a meat mallet, heavy frying pan or rolling pin, pound meat until about 1/4-inch thick. Make sure there are no holes in the bag, then pour the beer into it. Let the steak marinate for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove steak from bag, discarding marinade, and pat steak dry using a paper towel. Season steak on both sides with salt.
• Meanwhile, heat the beans: In a small pot over low heat, combine the lard, if using, and pinto beans. (If you're not using lard, add a few tablespoons of water to keep the beans from sticking to the pot.) Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Remove from heat, season to taste with salt and keep covered until ready to assemble burritos.
• Cook the steak: Heat 5 tablespoons lard or 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high. Working in two batches to avoid crowding the pan, cook each steak until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat, and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Once slightly cooled, chop steak into bite-size pieces.
• Assemble the burritos: Working with one tortilla at a time, sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese in a strip (running parallel to you) across the middle of the tortilla, leaving a 1-inch edge on the left and right sides so the fillings don't spill out when you roll it. Top with 1/3 cup beans and 1/2 cup chopped steak. Top with 1/4 cup pico de gallo, 1 tablespoon salsa verde and 2 tablespoons sour cream. Using a spoon, smear a quarter of the mashed avocado on one side of the fillings.
• To wrap the burritos, fold the short left and right edges in towards the filling. Keeping the sides folded, fold the bottom of the tortilla up and over the filling. Tightly roll away from you until the entire burrito is secure.
• If you'd like to crisp the outside of the burritos, heat 2 tablespoons of lard or oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Place the burrito in the skillet and cook each side until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Tightly wrap a piece of aluminum foil around each burrito, and serve warm.