Hello, and welcome back to Will It Casserole?, the column where I take your delicious concepts and re-imagine them as delicious casserole creations. This week we are finally making the burrito casserole suggested by one very clever commenter, and we are the better for it.
I really only made two slight modifications to this original, iconic idea. I used skirt steak instead of ribeye, and I added some sautéed onions and bell peppers. You are of course free to omit these vegetables—just like at your favorite fast-casual burrito joint—but I think they add a nice bit of texture, and keep the whole thing from being too heavy. This dish is stoner food at its most refined and, unlike pot itself, it is truly addictive.
There are a lot of components to this one, but there are also a lot of potential shortcuts, which I will list alongside the ingredients list. It is worth noting that we are using a slightly smaller casserole pan this week (a 5x9 vintage Pyrex), which makes about six servings.
For the steak (Don’t shortcut this):
1 skirt or flank steak, weighing around 3/4-1 pound
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
The juice of one lime
2 tablespoons of orange juice
1 teaspoon salt
For the rice (Order it from Chipotle for less than two bucks if you’re truly lazy):
2 cups cooked long grain rice, cooked using your favorite rice method, be that on the stove, in your Instant Pot, or in a fancy rice cooker.
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
For the refried beans (Substitute in a can if you don’t feel like making your own):
2 tablespoons duck fat
2 cloves of garlic, peeled but whole
1 can of pinto beans, drained but not rinsed
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the vegetables:
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1/2 a white onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon of olive oil or duck fat
A couple healthy pinches of salt
CHEESE and other ephemera:
1 1/4 cups of a shredded jack and cheddar blend, divided
6 ounces queso fresco
Sour cream
Salsa verde
Make the marinade and pour it over the steak in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Let this tasty mess hang out for at least two hours in the fridge, overnight if you can. Once you’re approaching the end of your marination time, make the rice using your preferred method, then mix in your lime juice and cilantro.
If you’re re-frying your own beans—and you should, because of the whole duck fat thing—heat the fat over medium heat in a smallish sauce pan, and add the whole, peeled cloves of garlic to the cooking oil. Cook them until they’re well browned on both sides, then smash them into a paste with a wooden spoon. Add the beans, give everything a stir, and cook until the beans are starting to fall apart a bit. Using either a wooden spoon, potato masher, or immersion blender, fuck those beans up until you get your desired consistency and stir in your seasonings. Mix the beans and rice together, lay ‘em down in your casserole dish, and top with a cup of the jack and cheddar blend.
Cook the onions and bell peppers over medium-high heat in a large skillet using your desired cooking oil and a few pinches of salt. Make sure you get some good color on them—aim for “straight-off-the-fajita-platter-at-Applebee’s.” Once you’ve achieved that look and feel, pile them on top of your cheese.
Put four ounces of your queso fresco on top of that.
Remove the steak from the fridge and the bag, and let the excess marinade drip off. Turn the heat on your stove up to high and, using the same skillet you cooked your veggies in, sear the steak for five minutes each side. Let it rest for another five, then cut it against the grain into slices, then into bite-sized pieces. This meat will look quite raw, but that’s okay—it’s going to see more heat in the oven.
Put the meat on top of the cheese layer, and top your remaining cheese. Pop that a 375-degree oven for about 15 minutes, until things are bubbling on the sides and the cheese is a little browned.
Let it cool for a couple of minutes, dollop on sour cream and salsa, and take a look at your fine casserole craftswomanship.
Take big, hungry bites, and thank that lovely commenter for suggesting we explore this. Personally, this is one of my favorite casserole creations so far but, though he ate about five servings, Ofclaire was perplexed. “I don’t know if I want to wrap it in a tortilla or not; it’s good, but confusing,” he explained.
I explained I never meant to confuse him with my wily ways, to which he responded: “That’s okay. That’s what good art does.”