Burrito
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- For other uses, see Burrito (disambiguation)}}}.
A burrito is a Mexican dish that comes from Juarez, Mexico. The name "burrito" comes from the Spanish diminutive of burro.
Ingredients
A burrito usually consists of a meat such as beef, chicken, or pork as well as other ingredients such as rice, beans, and salsa. The ingredients are then wrapped in a large flour tortilla that has been lightly grilled (or sometimes steamed) to soften the tortilla and make it more pliable. Popular fillings include:Meat
- Carne asada (grilled steak strips)
- Carne Molida (Ground beef)
- Barbacoa (slow-cooked meat, usually beef byproducts)
- Al pastor (marinated pork, slowly barbecued)
- Carnitas (roasted pork)
- Pollo (Chicken)
- Chorizo (Mexican sausage}
- Pescado (Fish, usually fried fish)
- Machaca (shredded beef, usually with eggs)
- Camarones (Shrimp)
- Lengua (Beef tongue)
- Cabeza (Beef cheek)
- Birria (goat meat)
- Tripa (Tripe)
- Chicharrones (fried pork rinds, stewed)
- Winnies (cut-up hot dogs)
Other ingredients
- Salsa, particularly Salsa Roja, Salsa Verde and Pico de gallo
- Refried beans
- Whole pinto beans
- Black beans
- Mexican rice
- Shredded lettuce or cabbage
- Diced tomato
- Diced onions (often grilled)
- Corn
- Cilantro
- Tofu
- Jalapeño pepper
- Red pepper
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Diced cucumber
- Shredded cheese, which can be mild cheddar or jack cheese, or could be a soft Mexican cheese, such as Queso blanco, Oaxaca or Asadero, or other farmer cheese
Variations
United States
The most commonly served style of the burrito in the United States is thought to be indigenous and is not as common in Mexico. One very common enhancement is the Wet Burrito (known as an Enchirito when served at a Taco Bell restaurant), which is a burrito smothered in a red chile sauce similar to an enchilada sauce, with shredded cheese added on top so that the cheese melts. In Mexican-American cuisine, crispy fried burritos are called chimichangas.
Some cities have their own variations with one of the most well-known being the San Francisco burrito. San Diego, California has popularized the California burrito, typically a combination of carne asada, french fries, and salsa fresca (sometimes referred to as a California burrito or "San Diego style"). Some American restaurants also feature burritos with non-Mexican ingredients, such as pastrami.
A version of a breakfast burrito consists of a flour tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, cheese, bacon or sausage, occasionally hash browns, and salsa. Breakfast Burritos can also include Chorizo and eggs, ham and eggs, or Machaca and eggs.
Burritos are a very popular food with vegetarians because of the flexibility of ingredients. Beans and rice make up the bulk of these burritos. While a typical "bean burrito" focuses on refried beans, vegetarians have created a sophisticated array of variations.
Mexico
Altough burritos are considered one of the most popular dishes in Mexican culture, burritos are not popular in Eastern, Central and Southern Mexico. Burritos are the traditional food of Ciudad Juarez, a city in Northern Mexico, where you can buy them at restaurants and thousands of corner stands. In this border town there are eateries that have established their reputation after decades serving burritos. They are eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Usual ingredients include barbacoa, mole, winies (hot-dogs cooked in a tomato and chillies sauce), refried beans and cheese, deshebrada (shreded slow-cooked flank steak) and chile relleno. The deshebrada burrito also has a variation in chile colorado (mild to moderately hot) and salsa verde (very hot).
Burritos are commonly called tacos de harina (flour tacos) in Central and Southern Mexico and burritas (feminine, with 'a') in northern-style restaurants outside of Northern Mexico proper. A long and thin fried burrito similar to a chimichanga is prepared in Sonora, Mexico and vicinity and is called a chivichanga.
References
- Bayless, Rick and Deann Groen Bayless, Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico (1987) (ISBN 0688043941), p. 142.
See also
External links
- [Burrito Blog - Mexican Restaurant Reviews]
- [The Food Timeline - Burrito]
- [Powered by Burritos - Burrito News, Information and Facts]
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