This is one of my favorite comfort foods. Depending on how you make them, they can be a little bit more culturally authentic to Mexico or you can land in the realm of Tex-Mex cuisine. With this recipe I wanted to honor both flavors by making a sauce thats quite similar to most Mexican salsas using plenty of dried chilis. I also kept those comforting Americanized flavors with seasoned ground beef and gooey shredded cheese.
1 lbs 80/20 ground beef
1 serrano pepper, diced
1 white onion, split
8 garlic cloves, split
1/2tbsp Mexican dry oregano
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp beef bouillon, split
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
6 guajillo chiles, de-seeded
2 ancho chiles, deseeded
3 chile de arbol
2 roma tomatoes
3 cups beef stock
salt & pepper to taste
shredded pepper jack, to taste
shredded sharp chedder to tast
cotija cheese
mexican crema
corn tortillas
canola oil for frying
shredded iceburg lettuce for garnish
begin by starting your sauce. In a lightly oiled cast iron pan on high heat, toast your dry Mexican chiles. Once toasted, transfer to a cold medium sized pot. In that same cast iron on high, char your tomatoes and 3/4 of the white onion. Once charred, add that to the pot with the chiles. To that pot you will also add 6 garlic cloves, 2 tsp of beef bouillon and 2 cups of beef stock. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low. Simmer until Vegetables are softened, roughly 15-20 minutes.
On medium-high heat, bring back the cast iron to temperature. Add some canola oil and sear off the ground beef. Add cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, paprika, oregano. Cook until slightly crispy then remove and drain over paper towels. In the same pan sweat the serrano pepper, 1/4 of the onion and 2 diced garlic cloves. Once the veg is softened add the beef back, mix and set aside.
Once the stewed tomatoes and chiles are softened, add to a blender and adjust consistency by using beef stock a little bit at a time. Once smooth taste, for seasoning. mix in about 1/4 cup of the sauce to your beef mixture.
Now that you have all your components ready, in a frying-safe pan, bring canola oil to 325F. Fry the tortillas for about 20 seconds, you still want them to still be pliable, then set aside. Once tortillas are lightly fried, dip them in your enchilada sauce then roll them up with some ground beef and shredded pepper jack and cheddar. Place the stuffed enchiladas in and oven safe casserole or tray. Top with extra enchilada sauce and shredded cheese then broil on high until cheese has melted. Serve on a plate with Mexican crema, Cotija cheese and shredded lettuce- Enjoy!
