Easy Burritos

It’s Josh here today for our weekly recipe.

First, I wanted to share a few pictures of Jinjo.

Here she is in our first apartment, a tiny one bedroom duplex in Asheville, NC. We’d brought her home exactly a year prior in July. She loved our futon and when she wasn’t in her crate in our bedroom or by our feet as we worked, she was on the futon.

One of our earliest shots of her, sitting on a pile of dirty clothes. It’s rare for greyhounds to “sit” like other dogs due to their bony nature and spindly anatomy.

When it was clear her pancreas was in shock, I made the choice to keep her at home. I knew what the treatment was and it would have been a multiple-day and night torture sentence of IV treatments, injections, a cold kennel, and not a single drop of water. Instead we kept her in the basement with us for the last days where she was always at our side. My one regret was not bringing her upstairs at night and sleep with her in the guest room, on our old futon. I did this the last night with her because she didn’t want to be alone.

Anyway, Leah and I are heading north today to the mountains of NC. We’re taking James to a cave and Grandfather mountain (his second visit to both) and Linville falls and gorge. My brother’s coming here to keep the chickens and fish fed. And speaking of the chickens, late fall and winter is always a low time. Not enough natural sunlight for eggs and they go into molting. And once you get used to fresh eggs you collect yourself, store-bought and even locally farm raised eggs are never the same.

Today’s recipe is something simple I threw together last night. While these are not “authentic” burritos, they are closer to true Mexican tacos due to the inclusion of fresh, raw onions and cilantro and minimal “stuff” inside the burrito.

Easy Burritos

1-2 pounds ground beef, browned
Mexican cheese
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Tortilla shells, warmed

Dried seasoning:
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Brown meat. Add dried seasoning halfway through the browning. Drain grease once meat is browned and remove from pan, returning pan to burner.

Place tortilla shells in pan. They will pick up the flavor of the meat and seasoning and become slightly moist. Flip shell and desired cheese.

Add meat, fresh onions and cilantro, and roll and serve.

I also enjoy adding 1/4 cup of light Mexican beer to the meat, as well as including onion and green pepper with the meat while it’s browning.

Don’t forget to provide salsa with the burritos.

Josh