Beef Chimichanga

Chimichangas are like deep fried burritos.  So yum!  The exact origin of the dish is unknown, but it is a favorite at Tex-Mex restaurants and our house.  You can stuff a chimichanga with anything. Instead of beef tips you could use cooked ground beef, shredded chicken, or shredded pork.  Instead of rice, you could stir in diced boiled potatoes. I used rice, because I had some leftover.  I have even had chimichangas filled with meat, peas, and carrots-sort of like a Tex-Mex pot pie. You could even omit the meat and double the beans if meat isn’t your thing.

Servings: 6

Time:  Prep: 15 minutes   Cooking:  20-30 minutes
Hardware:  A cutting board and knife, measuring spoons and cups, 1 large bowl, a large spatula, tongs, toothpicks, a paper towel covered plate, a deep skillet

Beef Chimichanga

Ingredients

• 6 extra-large flour tortillas (I used El Banderito)
• 1 pound beef tips
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeño (optional)
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• ½ cup beef stock
• 1-15 ounce can refried beans
• ½ cup prepared rice
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup of your favorite salsa (I used Frontera Chipotle Salsa)
• Salt & pepper
• Oil for frying

1. Remove the tortillas from the fridge and allow them to rise to room temperature.
2. Chop the onion, garlic, and seed and chop the jalapeño.
3. Cover the bottom of the deep skillet in oil and heat over medium high.  Add onion, garlic, jalapeño and sauté until the onions are transparent, about 3-4 minutes. 
4. Add the beef tips and cook, stirring often until the beef is just browned, about 5-6 minutes.  Be careful to not overcook as the tips will get tough.  Add the cumin, chili powder, and salt & pepper.  Stir until there are no lumps.  Add the beef stock and bring to a boil.  Immediately remove from the heat.
5. Stir in the can of beans and the cooked rice.  Taste and adjust the salt & pepper. Place in a bowl and allow to cool slightly.
6. Wash the deep skillet and fill it half way up with oil. Turn the heat to medium
7. Only make two tortillas at a time because they will get soggy.
8. Off center of the tortilla spoon on  1/6 of the meat mixture.  Fold the burrito over the mixture and tuck in the two side ends.  Continue rolling until you have a secure package.  You may need to use a toothpick to secure the seam.  I have found that if you roll carefully, you don’t.
9. Place the chimichangas seam side down into the oil.  I find this is easiest to do with a wide spatula.  Do not crowd them.  You may need to cook them in batches.  Fry the chimichangas until they are golden brown. Flip them and fry until the other side is browned, as well.
10. Place the chimichangas on the paper towel covered plate and keep warm on the lowest setting in the oven.
11. Chop and seed the tomatoes.  To plate make a bed of shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.  Place the chimichanga on the lettuce.  Sprinkle with cheese and top with salsa and sour cream.  Serve right away.

Beef Chimichanga