An Aussie take on the burrito

21st April 2022 | Eativity editors
Surf and turf burrito

With its suitability as a delicious, satisfying meal anytime of the day and endless possible combinations of healthy fillings and sauces, the burrito has become one of the most popular and ever-evolving Mexican meals enjoyed around the world.

Some believe its origins date back to an early 20th Century northern Mexican street vendor named Juan Méndez. He sold tacos, and would wrap his food in large flour tortillas to keep it warm while he rode around on his donkey. Burrito literally translates as “little donkey”.

Another theory is of another unnamed Mexican street vendor who created the burrito in the 1940s to sell to poor children at a nearby school. His nickname for the kids was “burritos”. This was slang for “slow” or “dunce”, which is nice.

Finally, there’s the theory that the burrito was invented simply because wrapping food in a flour tortilla made it easy to carry around. Since travelling was once commonly done by donkey, the burrito may be named after this trusty travel companion. The name could also come from the fact that the burrito resembles the rolled packs that donkeys often carried.

Justine Schofield

That’s a wrap

Whatever its origins, the burrito is certainly delicious. For those who’d love to eat burritos for breakfast, lunch and dinner, celebrity chef Justine Schofield has created a range of easy burrito recipes with a decidedly Aussie twist. They’re all made using La Banderita tortillas.

“It’s such a versatile meal,” Schofield says. “You can really get creative with burritos. You can also enjoy them at any time of day. Kick off your morning with a protein-packed breakfast burrito with eggs and bacon, go a little loco for lunch with a surf and turf or even a picnic chicken filling. Or, for a vegan option, grill some mushrooms on the barbecue.”

You’ll find her recipes below. For more Mexican-inspired meal ideas, head to labanderita.tv. You can also try these recipes for Moreton Bay bug tacos and steak fajitas.

Breakfast burrito

Breakfast burrito

You’ll need:

4 x La Banderita Burrito Grande flour tortillas
1 tsp olive oil
8 slices of ham
6 eggs
2 tbsp cream
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 handful of baby spinach
Coriander, to garnish
½ punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved
Juice of ½ a lime
Guacamole, to serve
Tabasco to serve
Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Over a medium heat, warm tortilla on both sides for a minute. Keep warm in a tea towel.

2. Crack the eggs and whisk with the cream until well combined. Season with a small pinch of salt and mix through the spring onions. Drizzle a little olive oil into a large non-stick pan over a medium heat. Pour in the eggs and swirl around the pan. Once it just starts to set bring in the sides with a plastic spatula. Swirl again to set the uncooked eggs.

3. Portion ham, egg, guacamole, spinach, coriander, tomatoes, a squeeze of lime juice and a splash of Tabasco between the tortillas. Wrap to form a burrito.

Picnic chicken burrito

Picnic chicken burrito

You’ll need:

8 La Banderita large or extra-large flour tortillas
2 large handfuls of mesclun salad
½ continental cucumber, julienned
1 avocado, sliced

For the chicken filling:

1 BBQ roast chicken, meat and some skin shredded, bones and fat discarded
200ml whole egg mayonnaise
2 tbsp Greek-style yoghurt
Squeeze of lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp smoked paprika
2 sticks celery, finely diced
50g walnuts, chopped
Salt and pepper

Method:

1. For the chicken filling, combine all the ingredients.

2. Warm the tortillas in a pan for a few seconds on each side to make extra pliable. To build the wrap, start at the bottom half of the tortilla. Portion salad leaves between each tortilla, followed by avocado and chicken mixture.

3. Fold in sides in a V-shape. Then roll and tuck in filling. Create a small pleat fold to ensure filling stays in and then roll over to from a cylinder with the seam side down. Eat as is or for a picnic, cut into rounds.

Surf and turf burrito

Surf and turf burrito

You’ll need:

1 kg T-bone steak, 5cm thick
8 prawns peeled and deveined
4 La Banderita burrito grande flour tortillas
Shredded white cabbage, to serve
4 tsp sour cream
Salt and pepper

For the green sauce:

½ bunch coriander, mint and parsley, stalks included
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced on a fine grater
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Spring onion, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil plus extra for steak

Method:

1. Remove the steak from the fridge 1 hour before cooking.

2. For the green sauce, combine all the ingredients together.

3. Preheat a BBQ to a medium-high heat. Oil steak lightly and season with salt. Grill steak for 2-3 minutes on the fat side to render the fat. Lay flat, then cook for 6-8 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 6 minutes. Finally, stand the steak upright and cook on the bone side for a further 2-3 minutes.

4. Remove steak from the grill and rest for at least 10 minutes on a plate covered lightly with foil. While resting, flash-fry the prawns.

5. Warm tortillas for less than a minute on each side on the BBQ. Keep warm in a tea towel.

6. Remove meat from the bone and slice against the grain. Spread sour cream and green sauce on tortillas. Top with cabbage followed by the steak and prawns. Wrap into a burrito.