Never Skip This Step For Homemade Burritos

Homemade burritos are one of those things that seem really nice and ridiculously easy in concept, but come time of actual assembly, it can go south towards a territory of sopping spillage and disappointment. It's the kind of letdown you would hardly ever face at Chipotle, much less your favorite authentic Mexican restaurant, where the cooks so skillfully load up a tortilla with a mountain of fillings and bundle it up into a neat, tight roll — all without breaking a sweat. 

If only we had them on speed dial so we could phone a friend in times of DIY burrito crises, right? That would be great.

Coming to the rescue is an instructional YouTube video from user Internet Shaquille, which lays out a few helpful assembly tips. It might very well be the godsend for ambitious home cooks who want to have their restaurant-grade burrito and eat it too. And according to Internet Shaquille, the key step to achieving the ultimate burrito is (drumroll) to warm the tortilla before doing anything else.

Not only does lightly warming the tortilla contribute to a more pleasurable eating experience, but it actually strengthens the structural integrity of the burrito, thus safeguarding against the pitfalls of it completely unfurling upon one bite. For true restaurant-style burritos, Internet Shaquille recommends using thin, large-sized tortillas. These come pre-lined with striations of cold, rigid saturated fat molecules that simply require heating in order for a tortilla to lend itself to easy, pliable rolling once the fillings are added. Since there's plenty of fat inside the wrapper, all you need to do is cook it slowly on a nonstick pan over medium heat for two shakes of a lamb's tail. "If you take it too far [...] you'll crisp it up and you're back in breakable territory," explains Internet Shaquille. 

The same video demonstrates that a good way to gauge your tortilla's readiness is by placing cold shredded cheese on top, then waiting for it to melt completely. Now it's time to build your burrito!

At this stage, Internet Shaquille suggests collecting your fillings to form a "stubby line" in the center of the tortilla, fold in from every side, and remember to wrap tightly as possibly. This step, if done incorrectly, could create another potential danger zone where the heavyset of delicious fillings could break free. The final steps for burrito brilliance are to seal the envelope with a good sear back on the heated pan until it's browned and wrap it with thin foil.