Chuys Fajita Recipes

CHUY'S BURRITO

Steps:

• For the carnitas: Add diced pork to a medium stockpot along with the lard, onion, beer, orange juice, salt and garlic and stir ingredients together. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then allow pork to cook, stirring every 10 minutes, until tender and golden brown, about 2 hours.
• For the chile relleno: Meanwhile, set a large skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 cup lard. Add Anaheim chiles and fry until skin begins to separate from the peppers, about 5 minutes; transfer peppers to a container that contains 2 liters water. Allow chiles to cool, then remove the skin. Make a small 1/2-inch opening on each chile (by the stem).
• Cut block of cheese into 2-inch-long strips and stuff each pepper with 2 or 3 strips of cheese. Roll the stuffed chiles in flour until fully covered (reserve 1 teaspoon flour). Set aside.
• Separate egg whites from egg yolks. Whisk egg whites with an electric mixer until you have a cloudlike substance, about 10 minutes. Add reserved teaspoon flour, then add all 6 yolks one at a time.
• Add remaining 1/2 cup lard to a large skillet over high heat. Dip each chile individually in meringue, then slowly lay chile in skillet. Cook each side until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove stems from all chiles and set aside.
• For the guacamole: Peel and mash avocados in a medium bowl, then stir in lime juice and salt. Set aside in refrigerator to cool.
• For the pico de gallo: Mix tomatoes, onion and cilantro in a medium bowl. Add salt to taste.
• For the burritos: Heat a tortilla in a griddle over medium heat; set aside. Add about 18 ounces carnitas to a large skillet and fry until crispy. Add a chile relleno to the same skillet and cook until the cheese is melted and the outer part of the chile relleno is crispy. Transfer chile relleno and carnitas to the center of the heated tortilla. Evenly spread guacamole and pico de gallo to taste. Fold burrito in half, then bring in the sides and roll into a burrito. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

CHICKEN AND BEEF FAJITAS

Steps:

• For the marinade: In a blender, combine the olive oil, chili powder, Worcestershire, cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic and lime juice. Next add the sugar, salt and pepper and blend the marinade until it's totally combined and smooth.
• For the meat: Place the chicken and beef in separate 2-quart baking dishes or large resealable plastic storage bags. Pour the marinade over the chicken and beef and rub the marinade all over the meat. Give your hands a good wash, and then cover the dishes with plastic wrap and let them marinate in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours.
• For the pico de gallo: Chop the tomatoes, jalapenos and onion into a very small dice. (Leave the seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico. Adjust the amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature.) Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping. No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely. Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir. Squeeze the juice of half a lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again.
• For the fajita vegetables: Throw the onions and bell peppers into a bowl and toss with the olive oil and some salt and pepper.
• When ready to cook, preheat the grill to high heat.
• Cook the chicken on both sides until completely cooked through (or to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F), about 4 minutes per side. Remove it to a platter to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Grill the beef on both sides until completely cooked through, about 5 minutes in total. Remove it to a platter to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Tip the fajita vegetables into a grill basket and grill until cooked, tossing occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• To put it all together: Pile the veggies on a platter. Slice the chicken and beef.
• For the fixins: Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm through on the grill. Serve the chicken, beef and veggies with the warm tortillas, Fiesta Beans, grated cheese, sour cream, lime wedges and pico de gallo.
• Place the beans in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Set them aside and let them soak for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.
• Drain and rinse the beans, and then place them in a large pot. Add the garlic, green, orange and red bell peppers and the onions. Cover them with about an inch of water, and then add the ham hock or bacon. Next add the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the beans until tender, about 2 hours. Check the liquid level about halfway through the cooking process; if you'd prefer the beans to be less soupy, you can ladle off about a third of the cooking liquid.

CHEVY'S CHICKEN FAJITAS

Steps:

• Place all marinade ingredients except bay leaf in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
• Add bay leaf and reserve.
• Mix spice rub ingredients.
• Wash chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels.
• Transfer 2 TBS of the spice rub to a small bowl. Rub the breasts on both sides with the spice rub. Save remaining spice rub in an airtight container.
• Put the coated breasts in a plastic bag and pour in the reserved marinade. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
• Prepare an outdoor grill or grill pan. Spray the grill or pan with cooking spray.
• Grill the breasts until cooked through.
• Serve with sauteed green, red, and yellow peppers and white onions seasoned before cooking with one TBS of the spice rub.