Grilled-Beef and Bean Burritos With Chipotle-Jalapeno Sauce
Three main components make up this burrito recipe: meat, beans, and sauce. All are simple and easy to prepare, but the sauce is where the real flavor lies. Just drop the ingredients in a food processor, give it a few spins, and you’re done.
A word about the beans: We all know canned refried beans are readily available in grocery stores, but cooking dried pintos and giving them a quick mash takes very little effort. And the flavor and texture are worth it. Canned beans tend to have the consistency of pureed mush. Mashing cooked beans with a potato masher leaves a few lumps and little pieces of the beans intact-just the texture you want.
Makes 5 burritos
Ingredients
For the Beans
- 1 cup dry pinto beans
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 very small onion, chopped
- 2-1/2 cups chicken broth
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For the Sauce
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 jalapeno, chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tbsp adobo sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- sea salt
For the Grilled Beef
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chile powder
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 4-oz Kansas City steaks (or 2 thin, 6-oz rib-eyes)
- olive oil for brushing, plus 1 tbsp
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 5 burrito-sized tortillas, warmed
- shredded cheddar cheese and cilantro leaves, for serving (optional)
Preparation
For the Beans
- Place the beans in a medium pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let soak 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans in a colander.
- Heat the same pot over medium heat and add the oil. Add the garlic and onion and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the rinsed beans and broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly until the beans are tender, about 1-1/4 hours. (There should still be enough liquid in the pot to almost reach the top of the beans.)
- Use a potato masher to mash the beans, leaving some pieces of whole beans.
Make ahead: If you’re not using the beans right away, place them in a sealable container and refrigerate a few hours or overnight. (Warm gently over very low heat in a nonstick pan before using.)
For the Sauce
- Place the first 5 ingredients (through lime juice) in a food processor. Process until chunky smooth.
- Add the broth and season with salt. Continue processing until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
For the Grilled Beef
- Combine the cumin, chile powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with the spice mixture.
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Grill the steaks until charred on the outside and pink on the inside, about 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent and soft, 6-7 minutes.
- Slice the steaks very thinly and add to the skillet. Add the reserved sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook until slightly thickened, 10 minutes.
To assemble the burritos, lay the tortillas on a work surface and spread a generous amount of mashed beans down the center of each, leaving about a 1-inch edge on the bottom. Top the beans with the beef and sauce mixture. Top with cheese and cilantro leaves (if using). Fold up the bottom edge of each tortilla and fold the sides over, pressing gently to adhere. Serve right away.