Shredded Beef Chimichangas with Green Chile Sauce

Prep Methods/Techniques , ,
Cuisine
Course
Servings 6
Description
No doubt about it, this is a project. But, very, very, very delicious. The prep should be spread out over a few days (recipes within recipes and all that) and any leftover beef filling can be repurposed as a filling for tacos or enchiladas. Serve with a pot of beans or maybe just some rice to soak up the (fairly mild) Green Chile Sauce
Ingredients
    Braised Beef
  • 4 lb beef (eye of round, or other cut suitable for braising)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
    • Beef Filling
  • 5 tbsp lard
  • Reserved, shredded beef
  • 1 1/4 cup reserved stock
  • 2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 6 green onions, sliced
  • 2 green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
  • 5 tomatoes, seeded and diced
    • Finishing the Chimis
  • 6 14-inch flour tortillas
  • Vegetable oil for deep-frying
  • Green Chile Sauce (see Cook's Notes)
  • Guacamole (see Cook's Notes)
  • 1 tomato, seeded and diced
  • 6 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Method
  1. Braising the beef:
    Place the braised beef ingredients in a stockpot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 3 hours. Keep the ingredients covered with liquid, but just.Remove the beef and allow to sit until cool enough to handle. Reserve 1 1/4 cups of the stock for use later in this recipe and freeze the rest for future use. Shred the beef.
  2. Making the filling:
    Melt 3 tablespoons of the lard in a large sauté pan or skillet and add the meat, beef stock, herbs and spices. Simmer for 15 minutes to reduce.While the meat is simmering, heat the remaining lard in another sauté pan and sauté the vegetables for 5 minutes; they should remain firm. Add the vegetables to the meat and simmer an additional 5 minutes.
  3. Make the Chimichangas:
    Place a scoop of the meat mixture in the center of a tortilla and roll it like an eggroll, tucking in the ends. Secure with toothpicks and repeat with the remaining tortillas.Heat the oil to 375°F in a deep, heavy pan and add the rolls, not crowding them in the pan. Holding them submerged in the oil with tongs, fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Keep warm in at a low temperature in the oven while frying the remaining chimichangas. To serve, place on plates with dollops of the sauces and a sprinkling of the other garnishes.
Cook's Notes
The hardest thing about this recipe is rolling up the tortillas. Fresh tortillas make the job much easier. It also helps to warm them slightly in the microwave just before filling.
Find the recipe for Green Chile Sauce here.
Find the recipe for Guacamole here.
Advance Prep
This is an easy recipe but time consuming. The filing can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. The Green Chile Sauce can be prepared a month ahead and frozen. Make the chimis and fry just before serving.
Variations
You could use avocado slices in place of the guacamole to make things a bit easier.