Gotta Love Tuesdays

Sometimes I wonder, just how many ways are there to create burritos? We have rice burritos, bean burritos, beefy burritos, pork, chicken, veggie burritos. If you can stuff it in a tortilla, you can create a burrito.

I can remember many an afternoon getting off the school bus, then heading over to a friend’s house to study and eat bean burritos. John was on the football team. We ran in very different circles on campus, yet I loved him like a big brother. We’ve even managed to keep in touch over the years. John is now a retired cop living along the Oregon Coast.

I can also remember when Jimboy’s Tacos was all the rage. They weren’t exactly an instant success in the restaurant business. First, they were selling Tacos something few had heard of in 1954. Second, Jim Knudson did so not from a sit down restaurant or even a road side taco stand, but from a food truck.

In 1949 Jim and his wife Margaret visited a friend’s home for dinner. It was the first time either of them had ever eaten a taco. Jim recognized the universal appeal a taco might have. So he created his own take on the taco and introduced it to the menu at his Grass Valley restaurant. In the beginning, customers weren’t too enthusiastic about trying something Un-American.

For whatever reason, Jim decided to convert a 16-foot trailer into a traveling kitchen. Then in 1954 he and his wife towed the converted trailer up to Kings Beach, California, on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. It wasn’t long before Jimboy’s Spanish Tacos became a popular spot with celebrities such as the cast of Bonanza, and the Rat Pack who frequently headlined the Tahoe Casinos. Eventually Jim expanded his menu to include my personal favorite, the burrito.

In my opinion there are two things that make Jimboy’s unique – the first is the orange grease the drips out from the meat, and the second is the coating of Parmesan Cheese designed to soak up the grease. It’s this powdered parmesan that made Jimboy’s a hit in my book.

So here it is another Tuesday in our house – and today we are honoring Jim Knudson’s very American take on Burritos with our own spin. Enjoy and have a blessed day.

American Style Spicy Grilled Burritos
1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Chorizo
3 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
6 Burrito Size Flour Tortillas
6 slices American Cheese
6 tablespoons Sour Cream
3 tablespoons Butter
6 tablespoons Cotija Cheese

In a cast iron skillet brown ground beef and chorizo together until cooked through, about 10 minutes or so. Break meat into small pieces as it cooks. Season with taco seasoning, drain well. Keep meat warm.

If necessary, warm tortillas to make them easier to roll. Cut cheese into narrow strips. Working with one tortilla at a time, first spread about a tablespoon of sour cream over the tortilla, then create a line of cheese strips down the middle. Top cheese with 1/6 of the meat, then more cheese. Tuck ends of the tortilla in toward the filling, then roll tightly. Set aside, repeat until all the tortillas have been filled.

Heat a large flat pan or griddle with a little butter. Grill burritos, brush with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle with grated Cotija Cheese just before serving.

Don’t forget the refried beans and margaritas!

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Blessed are You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
You have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.