Southwest  Burritos
Burrito folding without the fuss - Photo Tutorial

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This easy-to-make burrito recipe and photos are courtesy of Cynthia Detterick-Pineda of Andrews, TX. Check out more of Cynthia's Southwest Cooking Recipes.

In our home, burritos are a standard when it comes to quick mid-day meals, weekends on the run, or any other time that we need something to fix in a hurry. The meat recipe below isn’t one of those hurry-up recipes since it has to be marinated overnight, but I have found that I can prepare it in the bag ready to be marinated, and freeze it until it is needed. That way, I bypass the 24 hour wait for the marinade, and it becomes a quick and easy meal that is almost ready to serve just by thawing the meat and marinate mixture in some warm water in the sink. 

Burritos are great for parties, friends dropping over, or any other time.  Just cook your meat and place it in the middle of a buffet style table with all the toppings readily available for guest to build their own burrito!  You can even make a variety of meats to serve, so that everyone can get just what they want!

Southwest  Burritos
Burrito stuffing without the fuss!

1 1/2 to 2 pounds shoulder steak (or any other low fat meat that can be sliced into 2-unch by 1/8-inch strips)
1/2 of a 12-ounve can of Sprite beverage
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 large lime
2 shots of Tequila liquor
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 large clove garlic, crushed and ground with salt*
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin (comino)
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, cut into rings
Toppings (see below)

*Peel one clove of garlic, and using a large knife hit it onto a cutting board to “smash” the clove.  Take a small amount of salt (approximately 1/8 teaspoon) and sprinkle it over the crushed garlic clove.  Using your large knife again, rub the salt into the garlic crushing it even further and grinding it into small bits.

Place the meat in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. This will help to firm it up and making slicing it easier. After removing from the freezer, place on your cutting board and slice against the grain, making pieces about 1/8 or an inch thick. Cut the thin slices into sections of about 2 inches.

Place the cut meat into a large, sealable freezer bag, or a vacuum container if you have one. Add the Sprite, lime juice, Tequila, red pepper, garlic, oregano, cumin, and cilantro; mix together so that the meat is entirely covered by the liquid and spices. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible (or vacuum seal if available). Place in refrigerator to marinade overnight. NOTE: You can also place this in the freezer and keep for another day.  This should be thawed by leaving at room temperature or in a bowl of warm water.  Microwave defrosting tends to partially cook the meat and make is tougher when cooked.

When you are ready to cook the meat, remove the meat from the marinade; do not discard the marinade. 

Heat a large skillet or cast-iron pot over medium-high heat. Add enough vegetable oil to coat the pan lightly. Once the pan is hot, you can see a tiny bit of smoke rising from the pan, add the drained meat all at once.  Be careful, this will splatter!  Stir constantly as it cooks. When the meat is almost done (you should see only a slight bit of pink in a cut piece), add the onion rings and continue stirring. Remove from heat when done.

Serve the meat and onion mixture with fresh hot tortillas (corn or flour) and any other burrito toppings you desire. 

Suggestions Toppings:
Diced tomatoes
Fresh diced onions
Salsas
Sour cream
Cheese
Lettuce
Guacamole

Recipe makes enough meat to serve approximately 4 to 6 people.