# Educate me about burritos, please **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [January 15, 2022, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849 "2022-01-15T14:55:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/41 "2022-01-15T19:05:15Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Not new… at least not here in Texas. They’ve been a thing for at least 40 years that I can recall The best breakfast burritos I’ve ever had were at a catering truck owned by a nice Filipina, which was parked across the street from my office near LAX. 12-inch tortilla, warmed on the flat-top, two over-easy eggs, hashbrowns, salsa, two strips of bacon, two link sausages, and ham. Not ‘deli-style’ ham; ham steaks that had been sliced into strips. I’d doctor them up with some of those pickled hot (spicy) vegetables, and give them a smear of Vegemite when I got back to my desk. I understand people may want to forego the Vegemite and maybe the veg; but the rest was outstanding. When I moved up here, nearly a decade after i changed jobs and lost my burrito connection, I asked the corner gas station to make one. It was OK, but not nearly as good. (They used sandwich ham, which they fried). They kept it on the menu as the ‘Meat Lover’s Burrito’. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/42 "2022-01-15T19:09:50Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > I’m always confused about the difference between burritos and enchiladas, so if I am at a Mexican restaurant, I always ask, because I prefer corn tortillas. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Enchiladas are literally en-chile-d. They are tortillas (usually corn, but can be flour) dipped in a chile sauce or covered and cooked in a chile sauce (or even the corn tortilla itself can be made with chiles in it, a la the San Potosi enchilada.) An enchilada is typically eaten with a knife and fork and cooked like a casserole. The burrito-style rolled enchiladas are a West Coast thing. In the Southwest, an enchilada consists of tortillas laid out flat, stacked like pancakes (alternating with layers of meat and/or beans, cheese, and lots of chile), and cooked like a casserole or a lasagna. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/43 "2022-01-15T19:10:22Z")
[hijack] Apparently if you ask for a tortilla in Spain, they bring you an omelette. > **[Spanish Tortilla Recipe](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8849-spanish-tortilla)** > > The Spanish tortilla has nothing in common with the Mexican variety except its shape and its name One is just a bread The other can be an appetizer, a snack, or even a light meal [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/44 "2022-01-15T19:16:20Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > The burrito-style rolled enchiladas are a West Coast thing. In the Southwest, an enchilada consists of tortillas laid out flat I’ve never been to the West Coast, but I’ve only ever seen enchiladas rolled. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/45 "2022-01-15T19:17:49Z")
Stacked enchiladas are a _New Mexican_ thing. Everywhere else in the world they are rolled as Og intended. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/46 "2022-01-15T19:18:01Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > In the Southwest, an enchilada consists of tortillas laid out flat, stacked like pancakes (alternating with layers of meat and/or beans, cheese, and lots of chile), and cooked like a casserole or a lasagna. That’s just wrong. ☹ To me, casserole, ‘layered’, ‘enchiladas’ are something a midwest housewife would make, with chicken and cream of mushroom soup. Not bad; but enchiladas have to be rolled, with the tortillas having been drenched in sauce before rolling. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/47 "2022-01-15T19:18:59Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’ve never been to the West Coast, but I’ve only ever seen enchiladas rolled. I think it depends on what you want. If you roll them, you can count and serve 3, calling it 3 enchilladas. But you can lay them flat and cut out a square, estimating. I imagine restaurants rolling them so they can portion consistently and home cooks taking the slightly easier way out. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/48 "2022-01-15T19:26:17Z")
God in heaven, no thread has ever made me as hungry as this one has. mmm ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/49 "2022-01-15T19:32:38Z")
The HRD Coffee Shop in San Francisco makes a delicious Kimchi Burrito. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/50 "2022-01-15T19:33:50Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Not new… at least not here in Texas Austin claims to be the birthplace of the breakfast _taco_, which is functionally identical to a breakfast burrito except it’s not enclosed (and even technical “breakfast burritos” are usually called “breakfast tacos” around here). It hard to find someplace that _doesn’t_ serve breakfast tacos around here. Off hand, I can think of a half dozen places within a couple miles if my house that have them. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/51 "2022-01-15T19:46:05Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Not new… at least not here in Texas. They’ve been a thing for at least 40 years that I can recall- first one I had was on a Boy Scout campout- scrambled eggs, sausage, cheese & Pace picante sauce on top. Not new in California either. This year will be the 40th year in a row I’ve been camping at Thanksgiving, and breakfast that morning has always been breakfast burritos, usually that very “recipe,” right down to the Pace. So easy to make on a camp stove. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/52 "2022-01-15T20:19:44Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > The burrito-style rolled enchiladas are a West Coast thing. In the Southwest, an enchilada consists of tortillas laid out flat, stacked like pancakes (alternating with layers of meat and/or beans, cheese, and lots of chile), and cooked like a casserole or a lasagna. Growing up in Las Cruces NM, this was my experience. Lots of confusion with different locales using the same name for various dishes. Also disconnects on the fillings/toppings expected. Generally I would expect to see a dish with roasted green chile (hatch, since it was less and 2 hours away), and or finely shredded pork simmered in a green chile sauce. Enchiladas were always stacked, and normally served with a fried egg on top, absolutely a fork and knife food. You _could_ get shredded or ground beef variants, but they were normally at places that adapted to gringo tastes. And I was there largely before the breakfast burrito became popular, the common breakfast option was buying a green chile and cheese tamale from various mamacitas selling by the side of the road or out the window of their house. Damn those were good. Thanks to my roots, I like my burritos made with flour tortillas, quickly warmed in a HOT cast iron skillet, understuffed with rice, refritos, lots of diced roasted chile, and normally shredded pork, baked, and then topped with a green chile sauce and a bit of cheese. But yeah, for the OP, I’d recommend trying a local restaurant with decent reviews and trying a few different options until they find something they like, then modify from there. I have NEVER found a satisfactory frozen or pre-prepared option I’d actually recommend to anyone other than a starving college student that wanted to get full and fed for $2. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/53 "2022-01-15T20:24:27Z")
Whoa, tons of great replies, and so fast! To start with the most common question: Mexican food really hasn’t played a role in my life, so to speak. My family moved from Alabama to Massachusetts when I was four or so, and I’ve lived in New England ever since. There are Taco Bells around, I’ve seen them, but they’re not that common and pretty much when we went for fast food it was burgers or pizza or chicken or sea food. I have had enchiladas once though, as a guest at someone’s house, and from some of the comments it sounds like that is almost the same, just drenched in a sauce and baked in a casserole after rolling. Anyway, I will definitely go get some plain wheat tortillas and give it a go, using all your useful hints. I think I will try a bean and cheese version to start with – we could use some more vegetarian-ish meals in our diet. Thanks for all the help! ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/54 "2022-01-15T20:32:53Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > There’s a place in Culver City called Tito’s Tacos. Their food is very simple. Their burrito fillings are any combination of beans, rice, beef, and cheese. If you’re in Southern California and want the absolute classic burrito, go to a Los Burritos (I preferred the one in La Canada - Flintridge) and get the bean and cheese burrito. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/55 "2022-01-15T20:48:11Z")
I lived in San Diego for a few years in the mid 90’s, and the had the best burritos of my life there. My favorite place was Bahia Burrito on El Cajon Blvd right around the corner from my house. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/56 "2022-01-15T20:51:33Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > [hijack] > > Apparently if you ask for a tortilla in Spain, they bring you an omelette. Some parts of Mexico, too. > [@ParallelLines](#): > > You _could_ get shredded or ground beef variants, but they were normally at places that adapted to gringo tastes. And I was there largely before the breakfast burrito became popular, the common breakfast option was buying a green chile and cheese tamale from various mamacitas selling by the side of the road or out the window of their house. Damn those were good. You’re reminding me of how long it’s been since I’ve had tamales, since I don’t know anyone who makes them any more. How hard are they to make oneself? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/57 "2022-01-15T20:54:00Z")
Labor intensive, but they freeze well so you can make a full batch and not waste ingredients. Plenty of recipes on the web, both Mexican and Delta types. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/58 "2022-01-15T21:03:51Z")
Getting a decent masa is a LOT easier than even 10 years ago, and yeah, depending on how ‘traditional’ you want to be they are very easy to make. It’s just that it’s generally easier to make a big batch and freeze, then steam to order. I will say that since tamales are a lot more basic, and the ingredients are very cheap, the store-bought varieties are a lot more palatable, and may be better for a small scale fix. If they satisfy an occasional craving they do fine. Or you can end up getting really into it, and having half a freezer full of different varieties of homemade. 😉 I generally do a biggish batch of prepped masa, then made a half dozen mix and match varieties. But the old school roasted green chile and cheese is what I always end up making (and eating!) the most of. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/59 "2022-01-15T21:33:40Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > While grocery shopping yesterday I happened to notice the rack of tortillas,. and realized I’ve NEVER eaten a burrito. Next time you’re there, go to the freezer section and look for these: > **[Flavor Packed Frozen Chimichangas - El Monterey](https://elmonterey.com/products/chimichangas/)** > > Our frozen Chimichangas are a family favorite. With our variety of flavors, El Monterey is guaranteed to deliver quality frozen Mexican food every time! Pretty good for what they are – $0.60 burritos & chimichangas. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/60 "2022-01-15T21:46:45Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I grew up (until I was 15) in San Diego, so I was weened on San Diego-style burritos. > [@silenus](#): > > Between San Diego and the Mission District in San Francisco, California rules the burrito world. > [@Paintcharge](#): > > I lived in San Diego for a few years in the mid 90’s, and the had the best burritos of my life there. My favorite place was Bahia Burrito on El Cajon Blvd GAH ! You people are Absolutely Killing Me. (half my life in San Diego. I miss almost nothing other than some people and …) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849.md?page=4)