Spicy Burritos With Mince, Avocado & Beans
Serves 4 (makes 4 burritos)
2 large tomatoes
1 red chilli
1 onion
1 garlic clove
100 g (3½ oz) kidney beans (from a tin)
100 g (3½ oz) corn (from a tin)
2 large, ripe avocados
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon canola oil
250 g (9 oz) minced beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste (concentrated purée)
About 100 ml (generous ⅓ cup) beef stock
1 pinch sugar
Also:
4 wheat tortillas
120 g (1¼ cups) grated cheddar cheese
4 cos lettuce leaves
Remove the stem bases from the tomatoes and dice. Wash the chilli. Remove the stem, deseed and chop finely. Peel the onion and garlic. Mince the garlic and finely dice the onion. Rinse the beans and corn and drain well.
Halve the avocados, remove the stones and transfer the avocado flesh to a bowl. Combine immediately with the lime juice and olive oil and mash finely using a fork. Season the guacamole with salt, pepper and chilli flakes.
Heat the canola oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat. Add the minced meat and sear for a few minutes until crumbly. Reduce the heat a little. Stir in the onion, garlic and chilli and sweat everything for a few minutes. Add the tomato paste and fry briefly, then deglaze the mixture with the stock. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Season generously with salt, pepper and sugar. Combine with the beans and corn and heat through briefly.
Heat a second pan and warm up the tortillas one at a time. Spread each tortilla with a quarter of the grated cheddar along the middle, making a strip about 4 cm (1½ inches) wide. Allow the cheese to melt, leaving a margin of about 3 cm (1¼ inches) on the sides. Only heat the tortillas through for about 3 minutes; otherwise they turn hard and will be difficult to roll up.
Meanwhile, wash and trim the lettuce leaves and cut into strips. Remove a hot tortilla from the pan and top the melted cheddar with a quarter of the minced meat mixture. Spread with a little guacamole and top with some lettuce strips. Fold the short edges over the filling. Fold in one of the long sides and roll up the burrito tightly towards the other long side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Serve the burritos immediately.
Images and recipes from New York Capital of Food by Lisa Nieschlag and Lars Wentrup, Murdoch Books, RRP $39.99 Photography by Lisa Nieschlag.
