The Mission burrito improvement project

Although Mission burritos are probably nothing short of a heresy to Mexicans (rice! blasphemy!), one must admit that theirs is actually a tasty combination. Having failed in our quest to find a fully satisfying burrito in San Francisco, we decided to make our own upon returning. The first try was tepid and the sour cream wasn't as pervasive as we wanted. And, worst of all, it was crunchy. So for the second try, we thinned the sour cream with heavy cream and heated parts of the burrito in the microwave oven instead of in a pan. We also added feta cheese in half of it, just to see. This proved to be an excellent choice as its saltiness enhanced the other flavors. So, how is the best-so-far Mission burrito made? Easy peasy!

Ingredients
- Wheat tortilla (10-12")
- Cooked and drained black beans
- Sour cream, thinned with heavy cream (about 40% sour cream and 60% heavy cream - this really is a game changer, don't skip it!)
- Guacamole (see after)
- Pico de gallo (see after)
- Cooked meat (we used slow-cooked beef, but chicken or pork is equally fine)
- Spicy rice (see after)
- Mozzarella cheese, grated
- Feta cheese, crumbled

Guacamole
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 lime, juiced
- 1/2 tbs coriander, chopped
- pinch of salt

Pico de gallo (better if prepared several hours in advance or the day before)
- 2 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
- 1/4 white onion, finely diced
- 1/8 ts dried garlic flakes
- 1/4 ts dried onion flakes
- 3/4 lime, juiced
- 1/2 jalapeno, seedless, finely diced
- 1 tbs coriander, chopped
- pinch of salt

Spicy rice
- 3/4 c long grain rice (basmati, jasmine, etc, but not instant)
- 1 can (156 ml / 5 1/2 oz liq) tomato paste
- 1 can (140 ml / 5 oz liq) harissa paste (or less if you want it less spicy)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- Water (according to package instructions, usually about 1 1/2 c)


Instructions
1. Begin with the rice, as this is the longest step. Mix everything and cook according to instructions on the rice package. We did ours in a rice cooker.

2. For the pico de gallo, simply mix everything. Adjust jalapeno, salt, coriander and lime to taste.

3. For the guacamole, mash everything together with a fork. Adjust salt, coriander and lime to taste.

4. On a tortilla, add guacamole, rice, meat, beans, and mozzarella cheese in layers, to taste (keep in mind that you'll still need to add some ingredients and to eventually close the burrito, so put the ingredients in the middle and don't overdo it).

5. Microwave the burrito at maximum power for 120 seconds (adjust if needed, the cheese should be melted and everything should be hot, but the tortilla shouldn't be dry - if this happens, you can slightly pre-wet the edges).

6. Add pico de gallo, thinned sour cream and feta, to taste.

7. Fold the lower part of the burrito, then the two sides. Add a bit of water with your fingers to the sides so they stick together. If the burrito is too unstable, it can be wrapped in aluminum foil.

Enjoy while hot and freshly made!

Some changes that can be made to this basic recipe include using pinto beans or mashed beans instead of whole black ones, adding lettuce (although, in our opinion, it wilts too quickly due to the heat), adding corn, substituting meat for sautéed vegetables, etc). The possibilities are endless!