Minced beef burritos

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Ready to roll

Minced beef for burritos

I decided to perfect this because I was fed up with buying a famous brand packet of spices every time I wanted to make tacos or burritos.

I think that this is a pretty close match. It works with chicken as well as beef.

Ingredients

• 1 packet of corn flour tortillas or wheat flour tortillas
• 225 g (1/2 lb) lean minced beef
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• Four spring onions, chopped on the diagonal
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree1
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped finely
• Juice from half an orange

to garnish

• Sour cream
• A few tablespoons of grated Cheddar

For the spices, use either:

burrito spice mix

• 1 teaspoon dried smoked chillies such as chipotle: the smoked jalapeno pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 5 cm (1/2") cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon white cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• Good pinch of salt or 1 tablespoon of juice from preserved lemons

or

• 3 tablespoons of Home made taco mix

or

• The cheat, a packet of El Paso taco / burrito spice mix

Method

1. Grind all of the dry spices in a coffee grinder
2. Tip the mince and the chopped red peppers into a bowl
3. Add the dry spices and mix them together by kneading the mince
4. Leave for 1 hour or more in a cool place for the flavours to mingle
5. Heat the ghee in a frying pan or wok
6. Add the mince and fry until done to your liking
7. Pour off any excess fat
8. Add the juice from half an orange, the tomato purée and the chopped spring onions
9. Stir fry for a few more minutes and pour away any excess liquid
10. Warm the tortillas (microwave for 15 secs, grill or barbecue or dry fry in a large frying pan )
11. Fill the tortillas with the minced beef and either roll them or fold them into an envelope
12. Optionally, sprinkle with grated cheese and grill until it bubbles

Serving suggestions

Serve with any or all of the following: sour cream, guacamole, pickled jalapeños, a green salad, grapefruit salsa, chopped tomatoes.

Variations

Try chicken fillets or shredded beef steak

Slice up a handful of mixed mushrooms, fry them first, discarding any liquid, then add them to the mince.