Chuy's Creamy Jalapeno Dip. Maybe.



Image via BBC News

Way back in the Miami Vice days of the mid- 80's, I spent plenty of time at the original Chuy's Mexican Restaurant in Austin, Texas on Barton Springs Road. I was working for the city Parks Department and our office was in Zilker Park, just up the road from Chuy's. Great margaritas. Fabulous chili rellenos- my favorite, though the Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom was pretty outstanding as well.

Anyway, Chuy's has this great Creamy Jalapeno Dip and you can imagine how delighted I was recently when I came across a recipe for it on 2 crafty r's. Now, this may or may not be the original recipe. I looked around a bit and some of the versions call for Ranch dressing, some for mayo (which I simply am not going to try because of my thing about mayo), and some call for tomatillos, which I might try because it's been so long since I've made anything with tomatillos. And to be honest, it's been a few years since I was in Austin and I just don't remember exactly, except that I liked it. So what the heck, this is the version I'm going to call home.

Gather up:

16 oz of sour cream
1 packet of Ranch dip mix
2-3 jalapenos, finely chopped (1/2 cup) *
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped*
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of a lime*
Milk, otional (I did not use since I like a thicker dip)

*I used canned jalapenos, though they aren't nearly as good, because I just can't be bothered with all the special precautions for chopping fresh jalapenos. I always forget and sear my eyeballs when I take my contacts out in the evening. An 8 ounce can equals 1/2 cup of j-peppers. I like garlic so 3 cloves it is. Finally, I used a couple squirts of bottled lime juice- not too much because it thins out the dip.

OK- now comes the really hard part. Pay attention here gang-

Mix the first 6 ingredients together. Add milk if you want. Serve with tortilla chips.

Whew! Take a break. Chips, dip, and a beer. Mmmmm- love me some Chuy's. This is best if you let is cool in the 'frig for a couple of hours so the flavors, especially the fresh cilantro, work together to create muy deliciouso happiness on a chip. And if you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the original, real Chuy's dip is made with mayo--- please don't tell me.


Thanks for visiting today. Next time we'll do our birthstone for October. See ya then.

(Y'all have that Miami Vice theme song pounding through your head now, don't you?)