Griddle-Pressed Bean & Cheese Burritos

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The bean and cheese burrito done right: canned pintos fried in bacon-less seasoned oil until creamy and deeply savory, folded tight with a three-cheese blend, then pressed on a dry griddle until the tortilla blisters and the cheese welds the whole thing shut. Makes six, and they freeze beautifully for weekday lunches.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp neutral oil, lard, or bacon fat
• 1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 15-oz cans pinto beans (do not drain)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp pickled jalapeño brine or lime juice

• 6 10-inch flour tortillas
• 6 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
• 4 oz Monterey Jack, shredded
• 2 oz queso fresco or cotija, crumbled (optional)
• 2 tbsp pickled jalapeños, chopped (optional)

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup salsa roja or pico de gallo
• 1 lime, cut in wedges

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until soft and just starting to color at the edges.
2. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Cook 45 seconds, stirring constantly, until the spices smell toasted — this is where most canned-bean refries go wrong, so don't skip the bloom.
3. Pour in both cans of beans with all their liquid. Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a fast simmer.
4. Mash the beans directly in the pan with a potato masher or the back of a sturdy spoon, working for 2 to 3 minutes. Leave some texture — you want about 80 percent smooth.
5. Cook 8 to 10 minutes more, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the beans pull away from the sides of the pan and hold a line when you drag the spoon through. They should be thick enough to mound on a spoon, not loose. Stir in the salt and jalapeño brine, taste, and adjust. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes (hot beans steam the tortilla and cause blowouts).
6. Toss the cheddar and Jack together in a bowl. Warm the tortillas 15 seconds per side in a dry skillet or 30 seconds total in the microwave under a damp towel — pliable tortillas roll tight, cold ones crack.
7. Build each burrito: spread a scant 1/2 cup of beans in a horizontal band across the lower third of the tortilla, leaving 2 inches bare on each side. Top with a generous 1/3 cup shredded cheese, plus queso fresco and jalapeños if using.
8. Roll tight: fold the bottom edge up over the filling and pull it back toward you to compress the bundle. Fold both sides in over the ends, then roll the whole thing away from you into a snug cylinder. Set seam-side down.
9. Wipe the skillet clean and set over medium heat, no oil. Place burritos seam-side down, 2 or 3 at a time, and press flat with a spatula or the bottom of a smaller heavy pan for 2 to 3 minutes until deeply golden and blistered.
10. Flip, press again, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the second side is browned and the cheese is fully melted — squeeze the burrito gently; it should feel solid, not squishy.
11. Rest 2 minutes, then cut on a sharp diagonal and serve with sour cream, salsa, and lime wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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