Southwestern Regional Cookery: Modern Southwest

By the mid-twentieth century, machaca appeared in chimichangas, a dish popularized in Arizona. Based on burros, the packets of meat or beans rolled up in the large, thin flour tortillas popular in the area, chimichangas are deep-fried versions filled with machaca and spread with guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and garnishes of lettuce, onion, and tomato. Flour tortillas also are the base for cheese crisps, a flour tortilla topped with cheese, baked until the tortilla is crisp, then topped with guacamole, salsa, or other toppings. Generally Arizona cuisine continues to use more beef, milder chilies, and greater amounts of cheese and sour cream than appear in neighboring New Mexico.