CALIFORNIA BURRITOS – Carne asada, french fries and layers of cheese rolled up in a flour tortilla and pan-fried to golden delicious brown is served on a bed of lettuce with pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole. California surfer food. Thanks to the fries.
Typically, you don’t see french fries tucked inside a burrito. You have to go to San Diego where starving surfers fuel up on big, fat burritos stuffed with everything imaginable including french fries.
Carne asada is thinly-sliced, grilled steak for making tacos and burritos. It’s usually a tough cut, like flank steak so you need to marinate it.
The marinade is olive oil based with garlic, fresh lime, jalapenos, vinegar and cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro you can leave it out with good results or use parsley in its place.
I let it marinate for at least 6 hours and then I pan fry it in a cast iron skillet and thinly slice it against the grain – without tearing it because then it can be tough and stringy. I think grilling it is better and if flank steak isn’t your thing you can use skirt steak instead or even sirloin.
Pico de gallo is a fresh, bright salsa made with tomatoes, red onion, jalapenos, more cilantro and lime juice. It’s like sunshine to the carby burrito.
The secret is out.
French fry-stuffed burritos for everyone!
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CALIFORNIA BURRITOS
Ingredients
- Marinade:
- 1 + ½ - 2 pounds flank skirt or sirloin steak, trimmed of fat
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 limes juiced
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 jalapeno minced and seeds removed
- 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves or parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pico de Gallo:
- 4 chopped tomatoes
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 jalapeno diced, seeds removed
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon fresh choppped cilantro or parsley
- salt and pepper
- Burritos:
- 6 10 or 12-inch flour tortillas
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese Montery Jack or Pepper Jack
- cooked french fries I like Alexia Organic Yukon Gold
- shredded lettuce
- sour cream and/or quacamole
Instructions
Marinade the Steak:
- Six to eight hours ahead of time place the flank steak in a large baking pan. Poke with a fork an inch apart all over.
- Add all the marinade ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse until combined. Pour over the meat. Cover in plastic and refrigerate.
Make the Pico de Gallo:
- In a medium bowl toss all the ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook the Steak:
- Heat a grill or large cast iron frying pan over medium high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and generously season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Grill or pan fry the steak anywhere from 5 - 10 minutes on each side, depending on it's size and how well done you like it.
- Remove to a cutting board and let it sit 5 - 10 minutes. Thinly slice it against the grain.
Make the burritos:
- Working one at time sprinkle cheese on a tortilla in a line off center, top with meat, more cheese, a handful of fries, more cheese and then fold over the sides and roll it up.
- Heat a tab of butter in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the burritos on all sides until browned.
- Serve on a bed of lettuce with pico de gallo and your favorite toppings.