Steak Burrito

A few weeks back, I challenged myself to learn something new. Being completely obsessed with bread, I landed on homemade flour tortillas. I wanted to make something that felt basic and easy, yet is something most of us eat at least once a week.

Safe to say, they turned out pretty well - so well, in fact, that my in-laws now put in a weekly order request. After plenty of testing, tweaking ratios and playing with hydration percentages, I finally landed on a winner, with stacks of homemade tortillas ready to be filled and celebrated.

And where better to start than a classic steak burrito, loaded with the most insane guac, Mexican chilli-spiced fries, punchy pico de gallo, and a dollop of sour cream to balance it all out.

How you cut your steak matters!

When it comes to how you like your steak cooked - you do you. But no matter your preference, there’s one simple rule you should always follow when slicing your steak: always cut against the grain. Words to live by.

You’ll notice the fibres in the steak all run in the same direction. If you slice with the grain, you’re left chewing through long, tough fibres. But when you cut against the grain, you shorten those fibres, making each bite far easier and more tender.

This simple (yet extremely effective) technique can make even a medium-well steak eat closer to medium-rare tenderness.

Make the Guac! Don’t buy it!

Listen - when it comes to making life easier, quicker, and more time-efficient, I’m all for it. I’ll happily tell you to use a stock cube or buy frozen chips instead of making everything from scratch. But I’ll also always show you how to make things yourself, just in case you feel like learning something new or playing around in the kitchen.

And then there are moments like this, where I’m going to plead with you: make your own guacamole.

Sure, there are store-bought options that “will do” or even quite nice. But they don’t come close to this. I promise you, once you make it this way, you’ll never look at store-bought guac the same again. Smashing the onion into a paste before mixing in the avocado creates a sweet, spicy depth that’s completely unbeatable when fresh.

• 4 White Tortilla Wraps

• 500g Rump Steak

• Oil for Frying

• 150g Cheese, grated

• Sourcream

Pico De Gallo

• 3 ripe tomatoes, finely diced (seeds removed)
  ½ small red onion, finely diced

• 1 fresh jalapeño or green chili, finely chopped

• A handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

• Juice of 1 lime

• 1tbsp/15ml Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper

Guac

• ½ small Onion, finely chopped

• 1 Jalapeno, finely chopped

• 2 ripe Avocados

• Handful Fresh Coriander, chopped

• 1 Lime, juiced

• Salt & Pepper

Spiced Fries

• 2 Potatoes

• Oil for Frying

• 1tsp/5ml Fine Salt

• 1tsp/5ml Pepper

• 1tsp/5ml Paprika

• 1tsp/5ml Cayenne Pepper

• 1tsp/5ml Garlic Powder

• 1tsp/5ml Onion Powder

• 1tsp/5ml Dried Oregano

• 1tsp/5ml Cumin

• 1tsp/5ml Chilli Powder

Pico De Gallo

1. Add all the chopped ingredients to a small bowl and mix together with the lime juice, olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Guacamole

1. In a mortar and pestle, mash the finely chopped onion with a pinch of salt until it is a paste.

2. Add the avocados and mash but not completely smooth.

3. Stir in the chopped coriander, chopped jalapeno and lime juice.

4. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Steak

1. Preheat a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat for 3–5 minutes.

2. Pat the steak completely dry and season generously with salt.

3. Add enough oil to coat the base of the pan, then let it heat for 1 minute.

4. Sear the fat cap first, allow it to render out some of its fat and become crisp and golden.

5. Lay the steak flat and cook for about 2 minutes per side, flipping every minute for an even sear.

6. Remove from the pan and let the steak rest for 5 minutes before serving.

7. Once rested and sliced, season the steak with some of the spice mix from the chips.

Spiced Fries

1. Into a small bowl mix together all the spices and set aside.

2. Slice the potatoes into 1.5cm thick cut sticks, rinse in an ice bath to remove the excess starch, then dry on a paper or kitchen towel.

3. Fry in 160°C oil for 4-5 minutes then remove and re-fry at 190°C for 3 minutes until golden and crisp.

4. Immediately add the fries to a large bowl after frying, then hit them with a few big pinches of the dry spice mix.

Build & enjoy

Matt x