Moosewood Restaurant Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito

Ingredients:
5 cups peeled cubed sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other vegetable oil
3-1/2 cups diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tablespoon minced fresh green chile
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
4-1/2 cups cooked black beans (three 15-ounce cans, drained)
2/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
8 eight-inch flour tortillas
Fresh tomato salsa or jarred

Procedures:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with the salt and water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium skillet or saucepan and add the onions, garlic, and chiles. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. (You can also mash the ingredients in a large bowl by hand using a potato masher. The result will be a less smooth but nicely textured filling.) Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large mixing bowl
and mix in the cooked onions and spices.

Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling in the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Chipotle Mexican Grill's Barbacoa Burrito

Ingredients:

Barbacoa:
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 to 4 canned chipotle peppers (no sauce)
4 garlic cloves
4 teaspoons cumin (toast and grind whole seeds)
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon clove (toast and grind whole cloves)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pound chuck roast
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 bay leaves

Pico de Gallo:
4 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup minced cilantro
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinto Beans:
3 15-ounce can pinto beans (with liquid)
3 tablespoons bacon fat (from cooking 3 to 4 pieces of bacon)
1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

Cilantro-Lime Rice:
3 cups water
2 cups converted rice
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup minced cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice

For Burrito:
8 12-inch flour tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
guacamole (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Procedure

1. Make adobo sauce by combining vinegar, lime juice, peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and clove in a blender or food processor and puree on high speed until smooth.

2. Trim the fat from the meat, and then slice the roast into 6 smaller pieces. Sear all sides of the chunks of meat in 2 tablespoons of oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat until browned. Add the adobo sauce to the meat, pour in the chicken broth, and add the bay leaves. Cover the pot, turn your stove to med/low heat and let the meat simmer (braise) for 5 to 6 hours or until meat easily flakes apart. Turn meat every 30 minutes as it cooks. After 4 hours, keep the lid off the pot. At the 5-hour mark, you should be able to tear meat apart into bite-size chunks with tongs.

3. As soon as your meat is in the pot, make pico de gallo by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill for several hours while the barbacoa is cooking.

4. Just before meat is done, prepare the pinto beans by combining beans with bacon fat and oregano in a medium saucepan. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone and beans are soft. Keep beans covered until the meat is ready.

5. Make the cilantro-lime rice by combining water, rice, and butter, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low, cover saucepan, and simmer for 20 minutes. When the rice is done stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Keep rice covered until you're ready to assemble the burritos.

6. Make each burrito by first heating a flour tortilla on a large skillet over medium heat, or wrapped in moist paper towels in the microwave. When the tortilla is warm, spoon a healthy portion of barbacoa meat into the tortilla, followed by the cilantro-lime rice, beans, pico de gallo, and your choice of cheese. You can also
add sour cream and/or guacamole, if you like. Fold in the sides, tightly roll the tortilla, and dig in.

Makes 8 large burritos.