There may be many ways to fold a burrito, and I've never seen one folded in Mexico (or wherever they originated), maybe I'm not being true to the art. But if you want a burrito that stays together and looks presentable, try these steps:
Warning: As far as I know, this is only for burritos
you will eat with a
knife and fork, depending on how large you make it. If you want to be able to
pick up the burrito, try using a
compact amount of
filling and a
very strong tortilla. Really,
Taco Bell and other
fast-food restaurants are the only places that make burritos you can effectively eat as
finger food. And in that case, you're getting
dicked on
quality and quantity of
ingredients.
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Begin with a fresh tortilla if possible. Should be thick, as to contain juices, and not too brittle, so that it will not break as you fold. Place this open tortilla on a round plate in the center. If you have an oblong or oval-shaped tortilla, this will work to your advantage. Put one edge at the top of the plateand let the other edge hang off the bottom.
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place ingredients horizontally on the tortilla. Placement is critical: too far up, and you won't have enough space for the burrito to roll over onto. To far down, not enough slack to fold over the top. To far to either side, and you will not be able to fold the sides up. Place fillings with care!
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Once all fillings and garnishes have been placed on the tortilla, take the bottom flap and pull it over the fillings, to the top of the tortilla. This is where the oval-shaped tortilla comes in handy, since you will have more slack on the bottom with which to fold over the other ingredients.
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Pull this flap tight over the fillings and then pull it towards you, creating a tightly wrapped pouch. If you were to put sour cream along the uppermost part of the filling, it will now create a very useful sealing effect.
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Fold the right and left ends up over the top to prevent filling from falling out.
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Now comes the tricky part. You may need to hold the two ends in place in order for this to work correctly. Grab the underside of the burrito, which is closest to you, and flip the burrito entirely over, pulling the top, open edge under the burrito itself. The side that was touching the plate should now be on the top, with neatly folded sides and no rips in the tortilla. If your thumb rips through the tortilla, it probably means it's not thick enough and too weak, or you're coming at it with too much pressure on one area.
Hope this was helpful and not too confusing. Good luck in all your burrito folding ventures.