Burritos with Tomatillo Sauce

A burrito is something of a perfect storm. A tortilla wrapped around loads of meat, veggies, beans, or even rice, it just makes sense. I would even call it better than a sandwich (but hey, I'm biased). The one thing we are lacking though, are burritos we eat with forks and knives. I'm referring to burritos served enchilada style, something fairly common in the Southwest, but not so much in other places. In fact, only one place I know of serves them this way in my area. Why? It's such an enticing concept, take a burrito, smother it in sauce and cheese, and bake it. I drifted away for a few seconds thinking about that last sentence. Seriously.

As with most burritos, you can fill them with almost anything and in this case, top them with what you please. I'm partial to green sauce, so I made a verde sauce to go on top of mine. As for the stuffing, well, I recommend the leftover pork from tingas or maybe some lightly spiced grilled chicken. Or even fajita steaks. I keep large flour tortillas in my freezer just for this purpose, they are a great way to utilize leftovers and make an easy meal. If you are in a hurry and don’t want to make your own sauce, I recommend using a salsa instead of an enchilada sauce over the top. Or spice up an enchilada sauce for your own use. Whatever you do, be creative!

If you are going for the more healthful approach, skip the cheese on top and instead add a little bit of sour cream after baking.

Burritos Enchilada Style

For the Sauce

1.5 pounds tomatillos, hulled

2 jalapenos

2 tablespoons cilantro

2 teaspoons sugar

Salt and pepper

For the Burritos
1 pound shredded pork, chicken, or whatever else you like
2 cups cooked white rice
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon cilantro
8 ounces cheese
4 large flour tortillas
Salsa, shredded lettuce, and sour cream to top

Preheat your broiler to low, spread the tomatillos and jalapenos on a sheet pan, douse with a small amount of canola oil, and place under broiler. Broil for 5 minutes or until starting to blacken, flip, and broil until slightly charred. Transfer the tomatillos to a food processor after they have cooled a bit. Peel and seed the jalapenos, add them to the food processor along with the cilantro, sugar, salt and pepper. Blend until combined and mostly smooth. Season to taste.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine the white rice, cilantro, and sour cream in a small pot, add the meat and place over medium heat until heated (alternatively you can do this in a bowl and microwave under medium power). Lay a tortilla on a flat surface, place 1/4 of the meat and rice mixture near one side of the burrito. Top with about 2 tablespoons of the sauce, roll up the burrito tightly and place in a baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour sauce over top of the burritos, top with cheese, and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot. Top with sour cream, salsa, and lettuce. Serve and enjoy.