Back where we lived in NW Indiana, there is a small restaurant chain called, “Hacienda“.  It wasn’t long after we moved there that we continuously heard, not only the name of the restaurant, but also their “famous specialty”, come up in conversation within every group of people and establishment we happened to be in. Mention the name “Hacienda“, whether in line at the local corner grocery store or amongst 3,000 people at a local venue for a sporting event, all heads would turn and agree that it was THE PLACE to go check out! 

Well, they were right. Craving their food in the middle of the night right! It truly was a fun place to go, and their famous “Wet Burritos” that everyone suggested, were something to behold and taste with your very own eyes!! They were incredibly huge, (that ultimately, and most happily, fed me for three days), but what surprised me the most were several elements and the way that they were presented, which I’ll explain in a bit. 😉 

I fell in love with one of their very first establishments in Michigan City, Indiana, and went to one of their other ones in South Bend as well. I especially loved the one in Michigan City, though, as the atmosphere was like you were visiting family or having a casual get-together at a friend’s house or favorite pub full of people that you knew and were happy to see you. Yeah. It was that kind of friendly place!

I’m a “booth person”, and the hostess was happy to seat us where we were comfortable. (The feeling of being “on display” in the middle of a restaurant has never been my cup of tea. I’m likely to spill everything in my lap and wear half of my meal if I think people are watching me eat. Strange pet peeve. I know.)

The place was huge,  (to accommodate the loving following of patrons), but didn’t have that “cold warehouse feeling”. It was very quaint and comfortable,warmly decorated in an authentic Mexican style, and broken up a bit into sections so that it made you feel at home. That alone was very important to me! I was already happy, which is highly unusual when it comes to most restaurants, and the food hadn’t even arrived yet!

And when it did, I wasn’t disappointed. Shocker, I know! Firstly, these burritos are HUGE. 3-day feasting huge. Secondly, I realized why they are called “Wet Burritos“! It simply means that they’re totally smothered in the secret sauce and cheese like you’ve never seen! I had died and gone to cheese heaven! 

And though this sounds silly now, back then, I was very surprised that they baked the lettuce and tomato inside instead of piling it on top after baking. I really enjoyed it very much baked all together and have been doing that myself ever since. 

They had wonderful flavor, and a unique “secret sauce” that I also had never had or heard of before. Everything was washed down with their amazing frozen margaritas and even their free chips and salsa made the grade! 

When we moved, I knew I HAD to come up with my own version. And that I did. I think mine are every bit as good and I’m sure you’re really going to enjoy these! 

This time I made them with pulled and shredded pork, but you can make them from pulled beef or chicken as well. Ground beef is equally delicious, too, so make these with whichever meat you prefer. 

The seasoned pulled pork:

Assemble in reverse order as you normally would:

Fold sides over and carefully turn over onto baking plate.

Ladle the “secret sauce” nicely over the top, then PILE on the cheese. I probably used three good handfuls as you want the cheese to melt and completely smother the burrito! (*It isn’t the same if you don’t, so don’t be shy!) 

Hacienda’s signature topping, is simply – 3 black olive slices. So olive slices it is! 😉 

You can, of course, make these monsters smaller, but they reheat easily in the microwave and when made smaller, they just lose that whole eye-popping “WOW” factor! So I just go all out and recreate what made this whole dish so much fun in the first place. Why not, right? 😀 

Then you just bake for 15 minutes, everything is heated through, and the cheese is fully melted! So the next time you’re craving Mexican take-out, but don’t happen to have a very good, if any, Mexican restaurant nearby, do keep these massive monsters in mind! You won’t be disappointed, either! 😉 Enjoy all and see you tomorrow! ~Kelly

—-> Liking the baking platter the burrito is on? Me, too!! It’s part of a set that I won from World  Kitchens and works beautifully for this dish! If you’d like one, too, you can order the set here ! 😀 (I’ll tell you all about the contest in a later post! 😉 )  

Disclaimer: This recipe is not Hacienda’s, but my own that I created and is my own interpretation of their “Wet Burritos“. 

*My recipe for Pulled Pork. (*Can also be used for beef chuck roast or boneless chicken breasts and thighs, or a boneless turkey breast.) 

Yield: 4 large servings

Copycat Hacienda Wet Burritos (Shredded Pork, Beef, Chicken or Ground Beef)

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs. cooked, pulled and shredded pork, chuck roast or chicken, or cooked and chopped ground beef, (*a rotisserie chicken can also be used in place of homemade pulled chicken)

Seasoning Mix:

• Dry:
• 2 tsp. seasoned salt, I use Johnny's
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 1/2 tsp. quality chili powder
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 Tbl. cornstarch
• 2 Tbl. flour
• Wet:
• 2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Beef Base for red meats, (Chicken Base for poultry and pork)
• 1 Tbl. ketchup
• 1/2 Tbl. Sriracha sauce
• 1 cup beer
• 1 1/2 cups water

Secret Sauce:

• 2 Tbl. butter
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 1 (10 1/2 oz.) can Campbell's Beef Consommé
• 1 (10 oz.) can Enchilada Sauce, I used Old El Paso's Mild
• 1/2 tsp. quality chili powder
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Rest of ingredients:

• 4 large burrito-sized flour tortillas
• 1 (16 oz.) bag shredded Mexi-blend cheese
• 1 large tomato, or 2 small, chopped
• 4-6 cups shredded lettuce, as desired
• salt and coarse ground black pepper
• chopped pickled jalapeño peppers, optional
• 1 (12-16 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained well, *or refried beans - see note

Extra Toppings:

• 12 black olive slices
• Sour Cream
• Guacamole
• Hot Sauce or Sriracha Sauce

Instructions

Add cooked pulled pork, beef or chicken, (or cooked ground beef), to a large frying pan.

In small to medium bowl, mix dry ingredients from seasoning mix well.Sprinkle over meat in pan and stir in to coat and mix.

Stir in wet seasoning ingredients. (*I like to dissolve the beef/chicken base in the water in the microwave so that it's easier to mix in.) Heat over medium-high heat until it comes to a low boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring as needed, until thick. *Stir often towards end to prevent sticking or scorching. Cover and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium saucepan, make Secret Sauce: Melt butter over medium-low heat, stir in flour and heat, stirring, until bubbly. Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes to cook out raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in beef consommé keeping mixture blended and smooth. Stir in enchilada sauce, and add chili powder and garlic powder. Heat to boiling, and low boil, stirring, for 3-4 more minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.

In four separate small, very shallow, baking dishes (ones you can eat out of), place a large flour tortilla.

Top each in order:

small amount of cheese

chopped tomato

shredded lettuce

sprinkle with salt and pepper

a handful of cheese

chopped pickled jalapeños, optional

a fourth of the meat (1/2 lb. each)

beans to taste

Fold edges over tightly and careful turn each over.

Ladle with sauce until each are completely covered.

PILE on the cheese!

Pop into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Top each with 3 black olive slices. Serve with extra toppings of choice.

Goes well with chips and salsa and Mexican red beans and rice.

Notes

*See my recipe for pulled pork in the search bar under "Route 66 Pulled Pork Manhattans". (*Do not make the gravy.)
**Extra beans can be used to make basic Mexican Red Beans and Rice as a side dish if desired.
***If desired, you can omit the red kidney beans and use spicy refried beans instead. Spread refried beans on tortillas first before anything else.