Long time people who know me, especially on Twitter, will know that I like to talk about the food I make sometimes. Like, not cereal or anything that mundane (though I do like a good cereal), but more often than not, my constant foray into burrito making. You might be asking yourself now, “Is there anything Josh won’t write about?” The answer is no. Well, kind of yes. I wouldn’t write a manifesto declaring Adolf Hitler as the Coolest Guy Who Ever Lived & Also, Great Painter.
I like to make burritos because they are the perfect food. All of the things that I like wrapped into a tortilla that I can hold in my hands? It’s basically a long bowl I can eat. Miraculous.
Originally I would go to Safeway and buy the Taco Seasoning packets. I would do this a lot. Like, too much. I thought They’re only 99ยข! That’s a steal! Then my friend Will reminded me of spices, and how if you buy the spices you can make your own taco seasoning and it’s much cheaper overall. So I did that! I went with the McCormick seasoning because I liked it the best of the few seasoning packets I’ve tried. I use this recipe, straight from the McCormick website:
This is basically the packet of seasoning. Lots of paprika, but it’s mostly for color.
So I’ve been making my burrito meat with this seasoning a lot. It’s not bad but it’s missing something that tangy kick that I couldn’t figure out for the longest time until I remembered that phrase: Salt Fat Acid Heat. I had three out of the four, but was missing the acidity. Then it hit me, like a guy who barely cooks — limes! Lime juice!
The tacos I made for lunch today were made with two changes to the above: the addition of lime juice, and swapping garlic powder for garlic salt. The lime juice was a game changer, and I was being conservative with it. I think I could’ve added twice as much to really get that tang. The garlic salt was a good addition but because it’s the powder and the salt, I tried to adjust for taste and probably could’ve done 1/3rd less, maybe more. It was a little too garlicky. Which is something I never thought I would say.
OBVIOUSLY I needed more ingredients, I just didn’t have any. I needed crunch, like onions or bell peppers or even shredded lettuce. Also needed guac. Would’ve been killer with guac. Alas, I worked with what I had.
At this point I’m wondering why the hell I write posts like these which are probably very mundane to anyone who, say, makes any meal whatsoever. One of these days I’ll have an answer to that wonder, but today will not be that day.
