BEEF CHIMICHANGAS

My family love these chilli beef crispy chimichangas loaded with refried beans, fresh jalapeños and lots of melting tex mex cheese makes every crispy bite a delight.  I always make a double batch as these go so fast and making a double batch of the chuck steak chilli beef filling gives another dinner done for the week ahead all in the same preparation that can be served as chilli con carne or a great filling for Taco Tuesdays.

Prep time 30 minutes / Chilli Cooking 2 hrs / Frying Chimichanga 15 minutes

Ingredients 

(as chilli con carne serves 6-8 people)

Chilli Beef

2 dried ancho chillies

2 dried de arbol chillies

2 dried guajillo chillies

olive oil or beef drippings

1 large white onion diced

1 large red pepper diced

2 fresh Fresno chillies

2 Anaheim peppers diced

3 tbsp masa harina 

1 kg ground chuck steak

1 kg chuck steak diced

4 cloves of garlic finely diced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp paprika (smoked optional)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp Himalayan sea salt (to taste)

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 bottles amber beer like blue moon

2 ltrs beef stock

Chimichanga Ingredients 

1 pack filo pastry

1 can refried beans

500g tex mex grated cheese mix

2 ltr vegetable oil for frying

First make the chilli beef…

Heat a good glug of olive oil or beef drippings medium hot in a deep saucepan, brown the diced chuck steak, remove then add the garlic to the pan along with the chuck steak mince and brown off, remove from the pan, while the chuck is browning in a dry pan toast the ancho, de arbol and guajillo chillies then take off the heat and cover with 250ml of boiling water and leave to soften for 10 minutes, add to a blender and blitz to a smooth sauce, next add some more olive oil or beef drippings to the pan, add the diced onion, pepper, fresno and Anaheim peppers to the saucepan and soften for 10 minutes then add the paprika, cayenne, oregano, cumin and masa harina to the softened onions and cook for a further five minutes, add the browned off chuck steak and mince to the pan along with the blitzed chillies, stock and beer, season with the salt and pepper.

Place in the oven in lidded casserole dish or cook on the stove over a medium low heat for 2-3 hours until the diced chuck steak is fall apart tender, season with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble the chimichangas…

Un roll the filo pastry and cover with a damp tea towel keeping damp, filo pastry dries out very fast and then cracks and can’t be used as easily.  Lay out one sheet, at the top in the centre place a spread a tablespoon of refried beans, a generous spoonful of chilli beef and top with grated cheese, start to roll over the pastry, when half way down the length of the sheet fold the left and right side over the centre, then finish rolling up the chimichanga, brush a little water at the end of the pastry to glue the seam, repeat with the remaining pastry.

Heat your oil to 180 C, and fry the chimichangas two at a time for 3-4 minutes until crispy golden brown, drain on paper towel, these are best served hot but can be served cold.