by Michael Butson

Created on: May 28, 2008   Last Updated: June 06, 2008

THE PERFECT BURRITO

Your eyes roll back as your wanting mouth opens with anticipation. Ten thousand taste buds are on full alert-it's a great day. Your primal instincts will cause you pause,as you crouch down to protect your meal. No one, save a stray and innocent child would dare bother you now.

All right, so a burrito isn't that dramatic, but it makes for a good meal now and then. No longer just a fast food choice, these Mexican-American treats have earned great respect as mainstream comfort food and done right, provide a healthy dose of nutrition.

The secret to the perfect burrito, or for that matter any great meal is a keen attention to detail with every ingredient. Far too many times, I have been disappointed with mammoth foil wrapped behemoths that have names like, "One-Pounder" or "Burrito Grande." The philosophy behind those creations is to quickly extinguish the ravenous hunger of the target customer. My problem lies in the aftermath of those huge scoops of rice, beans, watered down guacamole and thrice-heated steam table meat. It's often akin to a chunk of concrete in my belly.

The perfect burrito has three simple parts; freshness, balance of flavor and ease of eating. Whether you make it yourself or visit a restaurant, none can be compromised.

Just as a great sandwich depends on good fresh bread, the perfect burrito needs an exceptional tortilla. Most reputable Mexican restaurants buy from a local tortillaria, while an ambitious few make their own. Imagine a New York deli piling hot pastrami on Wonder Kids White Bread or Chicago's best pizza fixings sitting atop a crust from the frozen food section at Wal Mart Super Center. Well you get the point.
For the do-it-yourself aficionado, look in the yellow pages under Mexican and Latin American Food Products. Should you find one that sells to the public, make the trip. Arrive early in the morning and the Sonora influenced tortillas (Thin, delicate, but strong and 12-16 inches in diameter) will still be warm to the touch.

Is Safeway or Ralph's your reality? There is still hope. Go to the tortilla section and find a locally baked tortilla (At least something that was made in your time zone). Read the date on the package. If today is December 1, and the product is guaranteed fresh till sometime in February, keep searching. Ten kilos of preservative do not belong in the perfect burrito.

Lard filled, salty frijoles from the back streets are mighty tasty, but most of us already have plenty of LDL cholesterol. The perfect

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>