This pairing is all about nostalgia. Sometimes inspiration for culinary creations has more to do with memories and feelings rather than a flavor-based starting point. Many times these deeply embedded sentimental recipes are as delicious as they are comforting. While I didn’t grow up with these simple yet deeply satisfying burritos, I have very fond memories of eating them while on the road in Durango, taking in the impressive landscapes and enjoying what seemed like endlessly filled cups of delicious mezcal. These burritos were our fuel to keep the conversations going into the quiet hours of the night, blanketed with a tapestry of stars. The burritos, the mezcal, and the landscapes are great, but what makes the memories the most special is the company and the people you get to share it with. Just like tasting a certain dish can instantly transport you into the loving company of family, these burritos bring me back to fun times among great friends. Read on to learn how to make classic burritos norteños.
What are burritos norteños?
Burritos norteños are not like the classic burrito you’ll find in the US, even accounting for regional differences between east and west coast. The burritos of Northern Mexico are long and skinny, typically with just one type of filling, and almost always featuring freshly made flour tortillas. The ingredients are simple, and must be high quality. Do not make these with store bought tortillas full of preservatives–it will not hit. Common fillings are beans and cheese, chicharron prensado, which is a shredded and dehydrated chicharron, and deshebrada which is shredded and saucy beef. Wrapped in foil and packed into a cooler to stay warm for hours, they are tasty packets of joy and the best kind of energy bar.
Pairing Durango mezcal
Lágrimas De Dolores Cenizo is one of my all time favorite mezcals. Made by Fabiola Avila at Hacienda Dolores outside of Durango city from estate grown Cenizo Durangensis, it exemplifies the current high quality of mezcal from Durango. This Cenizo is simple, yet complex–carrying with it layers of tradition and innovation. It is made in a contemporary copper still from a first generation mezcalera. In addition to a career full of academic studies and certifications, she traveled throughout Mexico to connect with the soul of mezcal. Even without any backstory, the mezcal stands on its own as a delicious and clean expression of the region’s primary agave variety, showing off the rich character full of earthy, creamy, and lactic notes that make it so easy to pair Durango mezcal. This is my preferred house mezcal, and what I would offer to someone trying mezcal for the first time. Like the recipe, for me this mezcal is symbolic of deep connections to people and places.
The burritos are rich and dense, despite being thinner than typical tex-mex burritos, and the mezcal helps to cut through the heaviness. The creamy earthiness of the mezcal pairs well with a spicy filling and the fresh flour tortillas, allowing the flavor of the filling to be the star.
Burritos Norteños recipe
The first step is to have a grandmother or mother or auntie from the north of Mexico to make you fresh flour tortillas. If you missed that boat, you’ll have to make your own, they won’t be as good, but with a little practice you can get the hang of it. There are plenty of recipes available online, this is one I have used with good results. I prefer lard as the fat, but butter or oil also work well. If you don’t have the time, or the confidence, to make them from scratch, you can actually find decent uncooked flour tortillas at the grocery store; you just heat them up and it does the trick.
You’ll also need to make your filling, the easiest of which is beans. Ideally you have access to nice dry beans, which you soak overnight, then cook in a pot, in a slow cooker, or a pressure cooker with some onion, epazote, and dried chiles. Adding epazote to the beans while cooking them helps to reduce the gassy effect of the beans while also imparting a delicious subtle earthiness. Beans cooked like this end up creamy and smooth, with the aromatics laced throughout every bite. You can use canned beans, but in a recipe with very few ingredients, the quality of each element matters even more, so the more care you put into each component, the better.
Another easy filling is saucy meat–any combination of meat with your favorite salsa works well. An easy favorite of mine is to mix leftover shredded braised beef, like short ribs or chuck roast, with salsa verde. Ground beef works well too, with or without the addition of some diced potatoes and onions.
Once you have your filling and tortillas ready, it’s time to assemble. Both the filling and the tortillas should be warm. Take your tortillas and place a small amount of filling along one side of the tortilla. I like to add a little cheese on top of the beans at this point. Tightly roll up the tortilla to encase the filling–it should be long and skinny, no more than an inch or so in diameter, and the filling should not be spilling out of the ends. It may take a few tries to figure out just how much filling is needed in each tortilla. Wrap these burritos tightly in foil and, if needed, store in a cooler to keep them warm. Serve with a spicy salsa.
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