This recipe is updated to reflect how I make enchiladas if I’m serving more than about 6 persons. I have a newer recipe still, however. Figure 1 oz. enchilada sauce for each enchilada you make. This includes the dipping and having some for it to soak in afterward.
| — | meat (beef, chicken or pork, etc.) | |
| — | cumin, salt, pepper | |
| — | jack cheese, grated | |
| — | enchilada sauce, 1 oz per enchilada | |
| — | corn tortillas | |
| — | sour cream |
1. If using chicken breast, brine for 30 minutes, then brown and chop or dice.
If using dark chicken or pork, brown well in oil, cut into cubes, then into oven covered at 300° for 30 minutes. This should soften the meat and start the colagen process tenderizing it. You can substitute 30 minutes in a good covered pot for the trip to the oven. Be sure to keep it moist.
For beef, brown well, then put into crock pot for several hours; do not exceed 210°. If the beef cut is good grade steak, brown and cook only a few minutes.
Prepare the meat basically by browning it in oil with a bit of fresh-ground cumin, salt and pepper.
2. Fry tortillas in a good inch of oil until nearly crisp. Dip them immediately (before they harden) into enchilada sauce (green for chicken or pork, red for cheese, beef or pork), fill with a little meat and cheese, then roll with the ends open and place in a 13 × 9 Pyrex pan.
3. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the pan. Place it with a little cheese on top in a 350° oven for 10 minutes. Serve hot with additional cheese sprinkled over.
I used to lightly warm my tortillas in a few drops of oil, but they always stuck together. I asked a Mexican friend about this one day and she told me about frying them completely which keeps them safe from sticking together in the oven later. (A fact I've verified although it's not a complete panacea—or do I still not fry long enough?)
Top with more jack cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc. and serve with rice and beans.
If serving small crowd, plate the enchilada after removing from the oven along with a chili relleno, some rice and beans. Return to oven to melt cheese over the top, then garnish with sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, etc.