All About Burritos by Panchero's Mexican Grill

A burrito is (by simplest definition) a tortilla wrapped around a filling.
"Burrito" is Spanish for "little donkey". I suppose if you stuck a couple legs on it, a burrito would look at least a little bit like a donkey...
The term "burrito" first appeared in U.S. print in 1934

I am a midwesterner by way of Chicago, Minneapolis, and now, Iowa City. Most of my burrito experience is of the "Tex-Mex" and "Fresh-Mex" variety, though I have had the privilege of tasting some tasty taqueria tacos and burritos in Chicago. I have also spent time in "non-tourist" Mexico and have tasted "the real enchilada," so I know that what is sometimes termed "Mexican" in the States is quite a bit different. Still good in its own right, but different. Now I am working for Panchero's Mexican Grill, learning more about burritos and "Fresh-Mex" cuisine every day. Hopefully I can share with you all the tasty details of my burrito research. You can learn more about Panchero's and how they add to the burrito landscape at http://pancheros.com

Remember this: Every burrito is different, special in its own way.

The following is a recount of a Washington Post article written by Peter Fox on November 4, 1998. It was reposted here: http://marcsala.blogspot.com/2006/02/burrito-origins.html at the Mental Masala Blog.

"Fox went south to Tijuana, Mexico, where after a day or two of hunting around, found Restaurente del Bol Corona, an establishment with an all-burrito menu. These burritos were much smaller than those found at the previous two locations, and consited of only one or two fillings enclosed by a 12 in. flour tortilla---no rice, no guacamole, no sour cream. The restaurant started as a snack stand in 1934. The current owner, Leopoldo "Polo" Borquez thought that burritos originated in Alamos or Navojoa in Sonora, Mexico.

Fox's final stop was Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, just south of Arizona. Sonora is primarily an arid plain, and flour tortillas have been the standard since soon after the Spanish brought wheat to Mexico. Many street vendors in town sold burritos which looked like those served in Tijuana. Poncho Durazo, owner and founder (in 1939) of Restaurant Xochimilco, said that machaca burritos (machacar = "to pound or crush") are the Sonoran tradition. Filled with beef that has been dried in thin slices, then pounded and boiled to tenderness, machaca was a staple for those who had to live out in the wilderness for long periods---miners, ranchers, and cowboys. The burrito provided a portable meal that could be made from ingredients that could travel with them into the backcountry.

Fox concludes his article with this apt image:

'As we followed the historical trail, and got closer and closer to the source, the burritos became smaller and smaller, and our favorite ingredients disappeared one by one. When we finally found what we thought was the original burrito, it was very different from the burritos we knew and loved. The burrito's evolution seemed like a cross-generational version of the children's game of telephone, in which a message is passed through so many people that the message at the end is completely different from the original.'"

Hear Fox's interview with NPR here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1033459

The following is suggested by Chelsie Kenyon from about.com

-Standard

Seasoned ground beef
Refried beans
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Sour cream
Chile sauce

-Breakfast

Scrambled eggs
Cooked, crumbled chorizo
Mozzarella or Jack cheese
Tomatoes, fresh diced
Chile sauce or Tabasco

-Huevos Rancheros

1 Fried egg
Warmed chunky salsa
Refried Beans

-Burrito Guadalajara

Seasoned beef
Spanish rice
Jack or mozzarella cheese
Tomatoes, fresh, diced

-Acapulco

Carnitas or shredded pork
Green chiles, diced
Jack or mozzarella cheese, shredded
Spanish rice

-Cabo San Lucas

Cooked shrimp or lobster
Jack cheese
Cream mixed with vinegar and mayo to taste
Cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
Refried beans

-Beans and Cheese

Refried Pinto Beans
Red Chile Sauce
Shredded Cheese

Carne Asada

Black Beans
Carne Asada
Cilantro
Diced Onion

-Puebla

Shredded Chicken
Mole
Diced Onion

Chelsie Kenyon strikes again. Here is her step-by-step method for a well-wrapped burrito using a 12 inch tortilla.

But first, a little note: A fresh tortilla is unbeatable when it comes to folding. The warm and pliable fresh-pressed tortilla will not tear as you fold or as you eat. It will also seal itself when you make the final fold. Forget bagged, steamed tortillas. Go fresh! It's all about the tortilla!

That said, here is Chelsie's technique:

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 1 minute

Here's How:

Prepare tortilla.
Lay the tortilla on a flat surface like a counter top, large plate or a cutting board.
Add fillings, lengthwise.
Layer your burrito contents down the center of the tortilla, lengthwise. If you're using a 12 inch large tortilla, the filling can be up to 4 inches wide and approximately 7 inches long. Leave at least 4 inches on the bottom end of the filling.

First Fold.
Fold the short end of the tortilla up so the contents don't spill out of the bottom.

Second Fold.
Fold one of the long sides over the top of the filling. Place your fingers perpendicular across the fold, cup the tortilla over the filling and push the edge against the filling to make sure the fold is tight.

Third fold.
Wrap the remaining long end over both folds.

Let the burrito rest.
Turn burrito over and lay it folded side down. Let it rest for a moment to ensure the tortilla has time to mold itself closed.

Tips:

Try to keep your fillings 3-4 inches wide and about 8 inches long. If you must add more, your burrito may not close properly.

Warm the tortilla first by microwaving it under a damp paper towel for 15 seconds, or on a griddle over low heat. This will make the tortilla much easier to fold.

Make sure you let the burrito sit for a minute (or two, if you can wait) so the tortilla can mold to the fillings.

Take your time on the first try. It takes a little bit of practice.

What You Need:

Tortilla
Burrito fillings
A flat surface

Most "Fresh Mexican" restaurants in the U.S. do similar things with all that goes into a burrito. Rice, beans, meat or veggies, lettuce, cheese, corn, salsa, sour cream, guacamole... there are a handful of choices of what to put in your burrito. It's the before and after filling that Panchero's does quite differently.

Every Panchero's tortilla starts out on the line as a ball of dough, freshly made in the kitchen. That dough is pressed and then tossed on the grill for every taco, burrito and quesadilla. Other restaurants will pull a tortilla out of a plastic bag and slap it on a steamer. When it comes time to wrap and eat a Panchero's burrito, the difference is clear: the tortilla is warm and perfectly pliable, keeping all the ingredients IN, instead of breaking and leaking out all that goodness. It's a pleasant surprise to get down to the last couple bites and not have rice and beans spilling all over the place.

Try it and you'll see: it's all about the tortilla!