Tortilla, high-street purveyors of superior burritos and other delicious Mexican fayre, launched their new ‘Smash range’ on Monday. Headlined by the Cheeseburger Smash Burrito, the idea is to introduce gourmet cheeseburger goodness to tortillas, tacos, nachos, and quesadillas.
So, how is it?
The Excellent news is that the Cheeseburger Smash Burrito is utterly delicious. The beef smash, a savoury blend seasoned with a tangy mix of ketchup, mustard and mayo, is the star. It pairs wonderfully with the Monterey jack cheese, piquant chipotle cheese sauce, and a generous helping of perfectly cooked Mexican rice. Completed with savoury chipotle mayo, fresh pico de gallo, tomatoey salsa ranchers and pickled onion, the result is a complete and very satisfying meal.
What is a ‘Smash Burger’ you ask? Well, you take a ball of seasoned beef and press it into a griddle pan to create a super-thin patty. The process sears far more craggy bits into the meat, resulting in super crispy, super juicy eating.
A large Cheeseburger Smash Burrito comes in at £10.00, and could easily make 2 very satisfactory meals. My good friend Andrew devoured one in about 3 minutes – I took about 6. We ordered two more to take away with us. These burritos are substantial but not heavy, meaning the ravenous will find room for extras. At £8.80, a Medium Cheeseburger Smash Burrito isn’t insubstantial (see the pictures above) – either. Andrew and I estimate the £1.20 difference to be around 4-5 mouthfuls, however, so you are getting a solid bang for your extra buck.
What’s that you say? Why not have some Smash Nachos Queso? We did! The beef smash works a treat here too. Accompanied by some zesty guacamole, more lip-smacking chipotle cheese sauce, and clean pico de gallo, each mouthful’s a treat. For £7.60, you get an ample, but not over-heaped plate of nachos, so that the chips stay crispy to the last bite.
“…the Cheeseburger Smash Burrito is utterly delicious.”
Those seeking something a little lighter still than a burrito might opt to try the Smash Tres Tacos, also for £7.60. The combination of beef smash, chipotle cheese sauce, crisp lettuce, chipotle mayo and pickled onions remains lovely. For me, the mini-tortillas were filled just right, easily nommed down in 2 or 3 bites with almost no risk of dripping. For my chum Andrew, they could have been filled a little more generously – though he had no complaints inhaling his.
This brings us to the Smash quesadilla containing Beef smash, Monterey jack cheese, pico de gallo, and served with sour cream and jalapeno dips. Whilst the combo remains tasty, the oils released by the toasting demand more spice than the sweet jalapeno dip provides. Stripped of the fresher ingredients found in the burritos, tacos and nachos, the result is a little dull. Nevertheless, the Smash quesadilla is nice and crispy plus the quartered tortilla sandwich holds together well while eating. At £9.80, I’d recommend trying the Cheeseburger Smash Burrito first.
Oh, and if you’re not driving, Andrew and I would heartily recommend indulging in a frozen margarita or two. We did, and well, the staff of the Forrest Road branch of Tortilla in Edinburgh certainly know how to mix a killer blend into their slush machine.
Keep in mind, that this new ‘Smash range’ is only available for 6 weeks, and the timer began on Tuesday the 3rd of September! Oh, and Burrito Society members, via the new Tortilla app, can get two smash tacos for the price of one if they visit after 3pm every ‘Taco Tuesday’ from September the 10th to October the 15th.
By
By
By
