You Need To Eat This: Gobblerito
I have found the true reason for the season! Meet the gobblerito, Thanksgiving dinner + burrito.
It's a seasonal dish at Mad Mex and I will admit I ate it begrudgingly, despite my affinity for all foods Mexican and "Holiday."
I felt it my duty to try such a monstrosity, going into it highly doubtful that it would be tasty. In fact, I had spare guacamole on hand because I refused to believe it would be flavorful enough.
I will say, I love burritos and I love the traditional Thanksgiving foods. But Thanksgiving fare, although tasty in its own way, is often not as spicy and diverse in flavor as Mexican food, which made me think I was going to eat something that tasted as beige as it looked.
Alas, I was wrong.
I can not endorse the gobblerito enough, in fact. It was beyond delicious and extremely flavorful. I think what hooked me the most was the consistency.
But first, I'll tell you what's inside one of these things: it's a layer of turkey, followed by a layer of the creamiest mash potatoes, stuffing, corn and a few (and I mean a few) black beans sprinkled in, all wrapped up in a tortilla and topped with gravy – like a burrito that's served "wet."
As soon as I took the first bite, it was heavenly. This should especially appeal to you, if you're someone whose fork likes to take a trip around the plate to each food before you shovel it in your mouth.
And as I say, the consistency is what made the gobblerito for me. The mashed potatoes and stuffing inside were both so moist and so creamy, it almost stuck to the roof of your mouth in the most satisfying way. When you cut off each bite, the contents stuck together in one solid, delicious clump.
Sometimes Thanksgiving foods can be a little dry, the turkey a little flaky, the mashed potatoes in need of some more butter – but not here.
The turkey was moist and tender, the mashed potatoes were smooth creamy -- not a chunk to be found -- and the stuffing was delightfully mushy and perfectly seasoned. After weeks of demanding that I couldn't possibly eat it without guacamole, I had to admit I was wrong. It would have been weird.
That said, you must use the side of cranberry sauce. It's citrus-y, zesty and jelly-like to easily spread on top of each bite. I suspect it had some orange in it, I may have even seen a chunk of pineapple in mine, although I'm not positive.
The gravy on top was good too, not overpowering in flavor though. I would say it mostly contributed to the moistness of the gobblerito. MadMex says on its website that it's "doused in gravy," but I would say it has just enough. Enough to make it that much creamier, but it's not drowning a saucy death.
They're not trying to reinvent the wheel, it's just really good, high-quality Thanksgiving food wrapped in a tortilla. It's their version of when you make a sandwich with Thanksgiving leftovers all placed between your grandmother's handmade rolls. However, I suspect your Thanksgiving leftovers wrapped in a tortilla won't be as delicious as an authentic gobblerito.
And if you're looking for something to drink with it, Mad Mex also has seasonal margaritas – a cranberry and an apple cider. They're both good, but I preferred the cranberry, it was fruity, but still tasted like a margarita – almost like a slushy cosmo. The other was slightly overpowered by the taste of cider, which I didn't think meshed as well with the salty lime flavor.
So what do you think? Would you try the gobblerito, or are you a Thanksgiving traditionalist?
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