I adore Mexican food with it’s bright colours and flavours. It is not too spicy and suits most palates which makes it a real crowd pleaser. In fact, it is my favourite food the morning after an indulgent night. A plate of Huevos Rancheros and I am good as new again. Well, a bit better anyway.

I know burritos are more of a Tex Mex invention but they are heavily influenced by Mexican flavours and are so good. Sometimes they can be a little stodgy and you just want something lighter. That’s where dishes like this Steak Burrito Bowl with Chipotle Dressing are great.

I don’t eat much meat any more, apart from bacon, that can be on every dish as far as I am concerned. When I do eat meat for dinner my preference is for lamb or beef. That may surprise you as there are so many chicken dishes on this blog. That is because himself loves chicken so I’ll just eat a little or make a veggie version at the same time for myself. I eat steak once a week and like to do it in different ways so this burrito bowl is my idea of heaven.

If you’re having a crowd over – whenever we can do that again! – why not do a burrito bowl bar with beef, chicken and veggies and have all of the sides in serving dishes for everyone to help themselves.

 

 

Useful tips & links:

• I cook my steak whole so that I can get a nice crust on the outside but keep it nice and pink in the middle, I don’t want it to over cook. If you prefer, slice it thinly before adding to the marinade and just flash fry when ready to eat.
• Feel free to add anything that you like to the burrito bowl, sweetcorn, kidney beans etc.. I’ve just gone with my preferences here.
• Chicken also works well here, you can use the recipe from my Chicken Fajitas instead of the beef.  Instead of buying steak just for this you can always use leftover Beef Chilli. Make it vegetarian by adding more veg or tofu instead of the meat or using Veggie Chilli.
• I like lime and coriander rice with the beef. To be honest I don’t follow a recipe, just cook some basmati and add lime juice and zest and fresh coriander to taste. If I was making a chicken bowl, I would use Mexican red rice. There is a recipe for that here on Lily Ramirez-Foran’s A Mexican Cook. Check out Lily’s wonderful shop too while you are there.
• I do make fresh guacamole without the tomato and pico de gallo to go with this. If my tomatoes are not great, I make the cooked tomato salsa from my Huevos Rancheros instead. Don’t feel you have to do everything from scratch, if you can buy guacamole or salsa that you like just use that.
• The chipotle dressing is really delicious so make double and keep it in the fridge to add to other salads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Steak Burrito Bowl with Chipotle Dressing

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 2 sirloin or striploin steaks
• 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
• The juice of half a lime
• 1 tablespoon of ancho chilli flakes
• 2 teaspoons of chipotle chilli flakes
• 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 1½ teaspoons of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• A good dash of Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 1 red onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• A tin of black beans, drained

For the dressing:

• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons of chipotle chilli paste, depending on your own taste
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• The juice of half a lime
• Salt and pepper

Serving suggestions (see useful tips and links):

• Avocado or chunky guacamole
• Pico de gallo or tomato salsa
• Lime and coriander rice or Mexican red rice
• Crunchy romaine or iceberg lettuce
• Sour cream
• Tortilla chips
• Fresh coriander and chilli
• Monterey Jack cheese or cheddar cheese

Method:

• Prepare the marinade for the steaks by mixing the oil, lime juice, both chilli flakes, cumin, oregano, paprika, garlic and Worcestershire sauce together and pouring over the steaks. Make sure the steaks are well coated in the marinade and cover and place in the fridge for a few hours. If you do not have that much time, allow the beef to marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• You can prep the other accompaniments while the steak is marinating. Make the dressing by putting all of the ingredients in a jar and giving it a good shake. Allow it to stand to develop the flavours while making the rest of the burrito bowl.
• Take the steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before you want to cook it to bring it up to room temperature.
• Heat a pan over a medium high heat, remove the steak from the marinade but keep the marinade for later. Season with salt and pepper and cook the steak to your liking and set aside to rest. I like it caramelised on the outside and pink in the middle.
• Add the onions and pepper to the pan with the marinade that you saved earlier and cook over a medium heat until soft. Discard the garlic.
• Slice up the cooked steak, either in thin slices or in chunks.
• In a bowl arrange the cooked rice, black beans, guacamole, pico de gallo or salsa, lettuce, onions and peppers and the steak. Give the dressing another shake in case it has settled and pour some over the different ingredients, particularly the black beans and rice to give them extra flavour.
• Top with plain tortilla chips for crunch, sour cream, grated cheese and some fresh chilli and coriander to garnish. Enjoy!