Nevada Day and Beefy Wet Burritos

Nevada became a state on October 31, 1864. The 36th state joined the union in the midst of the Civil War. The only other state to be admitted during the Civil War was West Virginia, breaking away from Virginia in a declaration of loyalty to the Union.

Today is Nevada Day. Why not October 31? Hey, if you had a choice between celebrating Nevada Day or Halloween, which would you choose?

Banks in Nevada are closed on Admissions Day. Silly me, when we first moved to Nevada I thought what a strange place Las Vegas is that even the banks close for Halloween. Hey, Nevada has its share of strange laws, and in particular Las Vegas has a few. Case in point, when friends would come to visit we reminded them that unlike California where pedestrians have the right-of-way, in Las Vegas if you step off the sidewalk and are struck by a car while not in a crosswalk with the light in your favor, the driver of the car is not at fault for hitting you. Oh but there is more . . .

You are not allowed to hula hoop on Fremont Street. It is illegal because the street performers were blocking traffic in the area. Which makes me wonder, now that Fremont Street is closed to most thru-traffic, are hula hoops allowed?

In Eureka, if you have a moustache you aren’t allowed to kiss a woman. This law isn’t enforced, but it’s an old religious law from the 1800s that still exists.

You cannot pawn dentures in Las Vegas.

You cannot ride a camel on the highway anywhere in Nevada.

You can’t walk down the street in Elko without a mask on. This law is not Covid-19 related, but left over from the 1918 influenza pandemic.

On a final note, people in Nevada consume over 60,000 pounds of shrimp every day, which is more than in the whole rest of the country combined. Notice this fact says people in Nevada, not necessarily Nevada residents. Wonder if that’s due to the tradition of complimentary Casino Shrimp Cocktails.

Like California and Arizona, some of the best Mexican dishes in American can be had in Nevada. But you won’t find them on the strip. The best come from food trucks and local kitchens.

Beefy Wet Burrito
Filling
1/2 whole Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 (4.5 oz) can Diced Green Chile Peppers
1 can Refried Beans

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, set aside.

Cut onion from tip to root. Reserve half for another purpose. Peel and dice remaining half. Set aside. Peel garlic, mince and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Add onions, continue to cook until onions are translucent.

Drain well, return to skillet. Season with minced garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in green chilies and refried beans until well-blended.

Turn off heat, cover and keep warm.

Wet Sauce
1 can Condensed Tomato Soup
1 (10 oz) can Red Enchilada Sauce
Pinch Ghost Pepper Seasoning

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine tomato soup and enchilada sauce. Season to taste.

Mix well, heat until warm.

Burritos and Toppings
6 Flour Tortillas
1 cup Shredded Lettuce
2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1 cup Mexican Cheese Blend
Sour Cream as desired
Jalapeno Peppers as desired

Warm tortillas on a flat griddle until pliable. Working with 1 tortillas at a time, lay about 1/2 cup of filling down the center of the tortilla. Fold ends over filling to cover, place on the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down.

Repeat until all the burritos have been filled. Place in the oven for 5 or 6 minutes, just until warmed through.

While the burritos warm, shred lettuce and dice tomatoes, set aside.

Remove burritos from oven, sprinkle with cheese and return to oven long enough for cheese to melt.

Plate burritos, wet with sauce. Garnish with sour cream and jalapeno peppers as desired.