Mexico Enchiladas
Enchiladas are corn tortillas wrapped around a filling, topped with cheese, and covered in a spicy sauce. The filling is usually cheese or seasoned beef or chicken, but it can also be vegetables or beans. Enchiladas are baked before serving and garnished with sour cream, cilantro, and chopped tomatoes.
Recipe Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 15 chilacate peppers, seeded and de-veined
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 6 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp (5 ml) dried oregano
- Salt, to taste
- 2½ cups (600 ml) corn oil
- 2 lb (1 kg) corn tortillas
- 2½ cups (600 ml) cotija cheese
Directions
- Cook peppers in 1 cup (250 ml) water until just softened. Drain well.
- Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add peppers and sauté a few minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, and salt, and fry until tomatoes are soft.
- Grind mixture in a blender until perfectly smooth. Add water as needed to make a thin, smooth sauce.
- Return to frying pan and keep warm over low heat.
- Oil a non-reactive baking dish and spread a little sauce in the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Heat corn oil in frying pan. Dip a tortilla into the oil just to soften, and then dip into the warm sauce.
- Place sauced tortilla on a work surface and sprinkle cheese down the middle.
- Roll up and place in prepared pan, seam side down.
- When all the enchiladas are filled, sprinkle any leftover cheese over the top.
- Drizzle with remaining sauce. Bake about 20 minutes, until all enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is completely melted.
- Serve immediately, accompanied by garnishes such as sour cream, cilantro, and chopped tomatoes.
Notes
Different types of peppers are used to make enchilada sauce depending on desired flavor. Serranos, anchos, and other peppers may be substituted. Enchilada sauce is also often made with dried peppers, particularly chipotles. Add ¼ cup (60 ml) dried, powdered chile pepper and 1 Tbsp (15 ml) flour to the onions instead of the fresh, cooked peppers. For an even spicier sauce, include some or all of the pepper seeds.
Enchiladas may be filled with chicken or beef. After preparing the sauce, sauté 1 clove garlic and 1 onion in 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil. Add 1¼ lb (565 g) ground or finely chopped beef or chicken. Fry until meat is thoroughly cooked. Beef or chicken enchiladas may also be sprinkled with ¼ cup (60 ml) Cotija, queso blanco, or queso fresco before baking.
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