There are many states who claim to have the best Tex-Mex food but Tex-Mex cuisine started in Texas when Texas was part of New Spain and later became Mexico. The regional people, called Tejanos, spread their cuisine from the border states to the rest of the country and made Tex-Mex a popular cuisine of a lot of Southwestern areas.
Cumin was introduced by Spanish immigrants to Texas from the Canary Islands. Use of shredded cheddar, jack and pimento cheese, beans, fajitas, chile con queso, nachos, meat such as chicken, beef and pork, chili peppers as well as flour tortillas are very characteristic of Tex-Mex cuisine.
Chimichangas are one of the popular Tex-Mex dishes. They were thought to be invented at El Charro Cafe in Tucson, Arizona in the 1920s. The story is that Monica Flin accidentally dropped a burrito into a deep fryer and instead of throwing it out, served it to her customer, who loved it. The name was created when she swore profanity after dropping the burrito into the deep fryer (the word is “chingada”) but stopped herself and called her dish chimichanga instead, which translated means “thingamajig.” Today, it is typically made with a flour tortilla, filled with beef or chicken, beans, cheese, and then fried until crispy.
America’s Test Kitchen cookbook, ‘The Best Mexican Recipes,’ says to prevent leaky chimichangas this is the foolproof method:
1. Cook the rice on the stovetop until it is tender. Let the cooked rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Plain rice is bland but adding subtle flavorings like fresh herbs keeps the filling lively and vibrant.
2. Coarsely mash half of the beans and add to the filling mixture. Mashing just some of the beans ensures that the filling holds together but doesn’t become pasty.
3. Wrap the flour tortillas in a damp dish towel and microwave until warm and pliable, about one minute. Microwaving the tortillas before filling them ensures that they are soft enough to roll without cracking.
4. Mound the rice, filling, and cheese across the center of each tortilla. Brush the edges of the tortillas with flour paste. The flour paste helps glue the chimichangas closed.
5. Wrap the top and bottom of each tortilla tightly over the filling and press firmly to seal.
Brush the ends of the tortillas thoroughly with flour paste, fold into the center. Press firmly to seal. Brushing the ends with extra flour paste is essential to keep the filling from leaking out the ends.
6. Add the chimichangas to the hot oil, seam side down. Fry, turning on all sides, about 4 minutes. Starting the chimichangas seam side down ensures a firm seal.
Chicken
Chimichangas
Serves 4
Bring to boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat:
1 cup water
1/2 cup long grain white rice, rinsed
1/4 teaspoon salt
Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Remove rice from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Add and fluff with a fork to incorporate, cover to keep warm:
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 green onion stalk, sliced thin
Meanwhile, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet, add and cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced fine
Stir in and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute:
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Stir in and bring to a simmer:
1 cup chicken broth
Nestle into sauce, cover and reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes, until chicken registers 160 degrees, flipping halfway through cooking:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Transfer chicken to a cutting board, let cool slightly, then cut crosswise into very thin pieces. Continue to simmer the sauce until thickened and measures 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes; remove from heat.
Coarsely mash with a potato masher:
1/2 can (7-1/2 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed
Add to sauce with:
Remaining 1/2 can pinto beans
Sliced chicken
Whisk together in a small bowl to make a paste::
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons water
Wrap in damp dish towel and microwave until warm and pliable, about 1 minute:
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Lay warm tortillas on the counter. Mound rice, chicken-bean mixture, and:
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, 1 cup
Across the center of the tortilla. Working with one tortilla at a time, brush edges of the tortilla with flour paste, then wrap top and bottom of the tortilla tightly over the filling and press firmly to seal. Brush ends of the tortilla thoroughly with flour paste, fold into the center, and press firmly to seal.
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a plate with several layers of paper towels. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet.
Heat in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 325 degrees:
3 cups vegetables oil
Fry, turning as needed, until well browned on both sides, about 4 minutes, adjusting burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature between 300 to 325 degrees. Let drain briefly on paper towels, then transfer to write rack and keep warm while frying the remaining 2 chimichangas. Serve hot.
HCC’s Culinary Arts program:
The I Ola Ke Kino short order menu is being served out of the Main Cafeteria. Hours are 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Call 808-934-2559 to place an order.
The Bamboo Hale is open today through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Call 808-934-2591 to make reservations.