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Mission burrito

San Francisco's giant foil-wrapped burrito with carne asada, rice and beans

The Mission burrito comes from the taquerias of San Francisco's Mission District, where in the 1960s and 70s cooks began steaming huge flour tortillas and packing them with grilled meat, rice, beans, salsa, cheese and guacamole, then rolling the whole lot tight in foil. One is lunch and dinner for a student. Chef's tip: steam the tortilla until it is soft and stretchy; a cold tortilla splits as you roll it.
Total time
70 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
4
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Ingredients

Serves4

For the carne asada

For the filling

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (6)

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Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 1: Mix the 3 tbsp lime juice, 3 tbsp orange juice, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp mild chilli powder, 1 tsp salt and 2 tbsp vegetable oil, coat the 1 ⅓ lb beef skirt or flank steak, cover and marinate in the fridge for 1–4 hours.

    65 min
  2. Step 2: Heat a griddle or barbecue until very hot. Cook the steak for 3–4 minutes a side until well charred, and 135°F inside for medium. Rest 5 minutes, then chop into small pieces.

    12 min
  3. Step 3: Steam the 4 very large flour tortillas (30 cm) one at a time in a covered steamer basket or wrapped in a damp tea towel in a hot pan for 30–60 seconds until soft and stretchy.

    5 min
  4. Step 4: Lay a tortilla on a sheet of foil. Sprinkle the centre with 4 oz grated Monterey Jack or mild cheddar, then add rows of 14 oz cooked Mexican-style tomato rice, 14 oz cooked pinto or black beans, beef, 7 oz pico de gallo salsa, 5 ½ oz guacamole and 4 tbsp soured cream, keeping a 5 cm border. A common mistake is overfilling, which makes it impossible to roll.

    5 min
  5. Step 5: Fold the sides in, then roll up tightly from the edge nearest you, tucking as you go. Wrap firmly in the foil.

    3 min
  6. Step 6: Rest for a minute so the cheese melts, then peel back the foil as you eat.

    1 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
880 kcal
Protein
46 g
Carbs
88 g
Fat
36 g
Fibre
12 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does mission burrito take?
About 70 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
What can I use instead of lime juice?
Lemon juice, same amount.
What can I use instead of orange juice?
Mandarin or pineapple juice, same amount.

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