Birthday Burritos

The Birthday Boy's choice, and seen as it was a special occasion I decided to step it up a little and forget the beef mince in favour of the shredded beef you find in authentic Mexican cooking, like when I've been to Wahaca.

It took a lot of hunting around on the net but then I finally came across a good recipe from The Food Network. It takes a while, but it is worth it as the taste and texture is something that can never be recreated with your standard beef mince. The term 'machaca' is used to describe this cooking process used across Mexico.

You have to marinade the braising steak overnight and then it requires 2-3 hours of slow cooking before you're at the burrito stage.

You then need to remove the meat, shred it, reduce the liquid before returning the meat to the sauce.

The machaca superbly shredded by Sean and Tom while I was sent on a beer buying mission.

Once it's cook for a further 4-5 minutes your ready to build your burritos. I made a simple tomato salsa and Jamie Oliver's guacamole (with coriander replaced with flat leaf parsley)to accompany the meat along with some sour cream, pickled jalapenos, tortilla chips and grated cheese.

I know it may seem like a lot of effort but I honestly think it's worth it.