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Crispy Bean and Cheese Burritos |
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Tuesday, 31 March 2009 |
Cooking my way through college as a dinner cook at a family-owned Mexican restaurant in Bellingham, Washington, I became something of an authority on burritos. The burritos we served were not “soft;” instead, they were fried in oil until they were crisp. The frying took place either on top of the griddle or in a shallow pan of oil (depending on which of us cooks was in charge that night), and instead of simply turning the burritos over once too fry the second side, we developed a technique for rolling the filled burritos as they fried so that they took on a three-sided log shape, something like the famous Toblerone chocolate bars. A quarter century later, the restaurant, which is still in operation under new owners has long abandoned the three-sided burrito, but I still follow the procedure when I make burritos at home. Serve the burritos hot on a bed of shredded lettuce with homemade salsa and sour cream passed separately.
(Makes 4)
For the Burritos:
4 organic or all-natural flour tortillas
2 cups organic refried beans, (canned or homemade)
2 cups (about 4 ounces by weight) Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/4 cup canola oil
For the Garnish:
4 cups shredded green leaf lettuce
1 cup Salsa, homemade or store bought
Natural sour cream, optional
1.) Lay a large piece of baker’s parchment on the countertop and lay the tortillas on top of the parchment. Spread 1/2 cup of refried beans in a mound down the center of each of the tortillas then distribute the grated cheese evenly over the refried beans.
2.) Roll each tortilla, pressing the filling together as you roll. After the first turn, fold the sides of the tortilla in toward the center and finish rolling.
3.) Put the oil on a griddle or in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to get hot. When the oil reaches 375 on a thermometer or when a pinch off the edge of a tortilla floats immediately to the top and swims across the surface of the oil bubbling all the way, it's ready.
4.) Lay the burritos in the shallow hot oil and fry until the bottoms are crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Roll the Burritos about a third of the way over and fry until the second side is crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Give the burritos a final turn and fry until the third side.
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