Breakfast in a Tortilla
Dinora Guzman is a mobile truck cook, catering mostly to hungry workers from the garment district buildings in the Downtown area. During the morning, a lot of the early risers can be seen eating Guzman’s machaca burritos.
Guzman’s method for preparing machaca is to season diced round steak with mustard and cook it with a sprinkling of Worcestershire--Guzman calls it “black sauce.” The eggs are scrambled with sauteed onions, green pepper and tomato mixed with the meat, then wrapped in a tortilla; sometimes a topping of beans is added.
You can duplicate the machaca at home for a breakfast party. Arrange the filling, tortillas and toppings--beans, sour cream, cilantro and hot sauce--separately on a table, and allow each guest to created his or her own machaca burrito . It’s a complete breakfast in a tortilla.
MACHACA BURRITO
Lard, butter or margarine
1/2 pound round steak, diced
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Seasoned salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 small onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 tomato, diced
6 to 8 eggs, lightly beaten
6 to 8 flour tortillas
Mexican Beans, optional
Grease griddle or skillet with some of lard. Add beef. Season to taste with mustard, seasoned salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Worcestershire. Saute until browned and done as desired. Remove meat and set aside.
Melt 1 tablespoon lard in skillet. Add onion and green pepper. Saute until onion is tender. Add tomato and saute until tomato is tender. Add eggs and cook, stirring to scramble. Add meat mixture. Toss until heated through.
Heat tortillas on griddle to heat and soften. Top each tortilla with some of egg and meat mixture. Top with beans to taste, if desired. Fold in sides of tortilla and roll to make neat package. Serve like burrito to eat out of hand for breakfast or lunch. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Mexican Beans
1 cup dried pinto beans, well rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash ground cumin
Dash chile powder
1/2 cup oil
Place beans in water to cover generously in saucepan. Bring to boil. Gently boil, covered, 45 minutes. Add salt, cumin and chile powder and cook 15 minutes longer or until beans are tender. Drain beans and reserve cooking liquid.
To refry beans, heat oil in skillet. Add beans and some of bean cooking liquid. Mash partially, so some beans remain whole. Cook until mixture is thick, but still moist. Makes about 2 cups.
