Monday, December 14, 2015

Recipe Advent Calendar - Day 14 - Mexican Meat Mix and Chimichangas

Any missionary who has served in Mount Airy has been served Chimichangas at least once.  It's a favorite recipe of many of them and I've been asked for the recipe many times over the years.  The Mexican Meat Mix recipe came from the Make-a-Mix Cookbook, which sadly is no longer in print.  I don't put as much salt as they call for in their recipe, but otherwise it's mostly the same. Just know that amounts in this recipe are pretty fluid.  Sometimes I'll have 5 lbs of roasts, sometimes up to 7 lbs.  I just add things as needed to make it look and taste right.

Mexican Meat Mix
Makes about 9 cups of mix that can be used for Chimichangas, Enchiladas, Tacos or Burritos.  We even like it on salad.

5 lbs. beef roasts or a combination of beef and pork roasts, which is what I use.
3 Tbsp.vegetable shortening
3 onions, chopped
1 4-oz. can chopped green Ortega chilies
2 7-oz. jars mild salsa (the recipe really calls for green chili salsa, but I like the flavor of the mild red kind better)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (this varies, sometimes I add a lot, or a couple of cloves of minced garlic)
4 Tbsp flour
2 or 3 tsp salt (the recipe calls for 4 tsp, but that's too much)
1 tsp ground cumin
juice from the roasts

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Place roasts in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven.  Do not add salt or water.  Cover with a tight lid and roast about 12 hours, until well done.  You can also cook the meat in a pressure cooker with 1 cup water for 35-40 minutes, but it doesn't get the great flavors.  Drain meats, retaining the juice.  Cool meat, then remove bones and fat.  Shred meat and set aside.  Melt shortening in a large skillet (I just usually use corn oil), add onions and green chilies, and garlic if using fresh.  Sauté one minute.  Add salsa, garlic powder, flour, salt and cumin.  Cook one minute over medium low heat.  Stir in reserved meat juices and shredded meat.  Cook 5 minutes until thickened.  Cool.  Put about 3 cups of mix each into 3 1-qt. freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top.  Seal and label containers.  Freeze.  Use within 6 months.  I am usually making so many of these at one time that I don't have any mix to freeze.

Chimichangas
From the Make-a-Mix Cookbook
Makes 6 chimichangas

6 large flour tortillas
3 cups Mexican Meat Mix, thawed
Vegetable oil for frying
shredded lettuce
1 7 oz. jar of green chili salsa or mild red salsa
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup guacamole
1/2 pint sour cream

Warm the tortillas in a low oven for about 5 minutes (or microwave for about 30 seconds).  Heat the Mexican Meat Mix in a small saucepan or skillet if not using immediately after making.  Heat 1-inch deep oil in Dutch oven or deep skillet, deep fryers work well, too.  Lay a tortilla down and spread about 1/2 cup of meat mix down the center of the tortilla.  Fold up the bottom edge over the filling.  Do the same with the top edge.  Fold the left edge across the meat mix, then roll toward the other side and secure with a toothpick.  Fry in hot oil about 2 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve hot over shredded lettuce and top with salsa, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream.

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