Enchiladas
Serves 4 to 6
Enchiladas are a popular Mexican dish in the US as well as Mexico. Unfortunately, many of the sauces leave much to be desired. Canned sauce is available in the supermarkets, but make sure it is a chile-based sauce, not
a tomato-based sauce, as many of them are. Below is my own recipe for the sauce if you cannot find a good one. In Europe, flour tortillas are readily available but corn tortillas much less so. Unfortunately,
enchiladas made with flour tortillas are just not the same.
Sauce:
|
15
|
each
|
Dried Pasilla or Ancho chiles
|
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
cloves
|
garlic
|
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
Tbs
|
oil
|
|
|
30
|
ml
|
|
2
|
tsp
|
ground cumin
|
|
|
10
|
ml
|
|
2
|
tsp
|
dried oregano leaves, crushed
|
|
|
10
|
ml
|
|
4
|
Tbs
|
vinegar
|
|
|
60
|
ml
|
|
1
|
cup
|
chicken broth
|
8
|
fl. ounces
|
125
|
ml
|
|
1
|
tsp
|
salt
|
|
|
5
|
ml
|
|
Filling:
|
2
|
Tbs
|
oil
|
|
|
10
|
ml
|
|
1
|
dozen
|
corn tortillas
|
12
|
each
|
|
|
|
1
|
lb
|
meat (beef or chicken, see below)
|
16
|
ounces
|
484
|
grams
|
|
1
|
small
|
onion, chopped finely
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
lb
|
cheddar or jack cheese
|
16
|
ounces
|
484
|
grams
|
|
1
|
can
|
black olives, chopped
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sauce:
Rinse chiles well in cold water to remove all dirt and dust.
Tear open and remove seeds and ribs, throwing them away.
Set all cleaned chiles in a bowl and cover with very warm water.
Let soak 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Pour chiles and liquid into blender and blend until smooth.
Cook with other ingredients, simmering for ½ hour.
Taste and adjust seasonings as the sauce is cooking.
If the sauce tastes bitter or harsh, try adding a little Worcestershire sauce or Ketchup to taste. The Worcestershire sauce will
add body while the Ketchup will mellow out the sauce and add a little sweetness. Be careful not to add to much Ketchup or the sauce will begin to taste like a BBQ sauce.
Making the Enchiladas:
Preheat oven to 350°F [175°C].
Select a glass or steel (not aluminum) baking pan, about 9” x 13” [23 cm x 33 cm].
For the meat, you can use shredded beef, ground beef, or shredded chicken.
Have the meat cooked and prepared before you begin assembling the enchiladas.
As you will be warming the enchiladas in the oven, the meat does not have to be hot.
Heat the oil in a small frying pan, about the same diameter as the tortillas.
Briefly warm a tortilla in the hot oil, just until soft, about 3 seconds. It will get hard if cooked too long.
Dip the tortilla in the finished sauce then lay it on your work surface.
Place several tablespoonfuls of meat along the center.
Sprinkle some of the chopped onion and olives on top of the meat.
Cover with a couple tablespoonfuls of cheese.
Roll up the tortilla to encase the filling and place in a baking pan, with the edge of the tortilla underneath to keep it from unrolling.
Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
When the dish is full, pour additional sauce over the enchiladas, almost covering them.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.
Warm in the oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
Serve with Spanish rice and a green salad.
You may also top the enchiladas with sour cream and/or avocado slices.
|
