Enchiladas--Cook-Off 46

[nickrey]

Thank you everyone for this thread.

Spurred on by the descriptions, I decided to give enchiladas a go beyond the normal add meat to tortilla, roll, top with salsa and cheese and put under the broiler.

The filling I used was inspired by David Ross' post.

I took a lovely piece of chuck steak and cut it into largish piece. This was then marinated for around eight hours in the contents of a small bottle of beer, mexican oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and some water that ancho chilis had been soaked in.

After the marinating, I diced a medium sized onion and softened and slightly browned it in some grapeseed oil. This was done in a pressure cooker to which I then added the whole of the beef/marinade mix. The lid was placed on and the cooker brought up to pressure. Because I was making shredded beef, I left it at full pressure for slightly over an hour and let it cool down naturally. I then took the lid off and boiled the contents down, stirring vigorously to break up the beef. The resulting shredded beef was moist but not sufficient to make the dish soggy.

The sauce that I used was Rick Bayless' (Mexican Kitchen) simple red mole. All I can say is that if that mole was simple, the 'complex' one is likely to be a challenge.

Preparing the corn tortilla comprised frying them individually in a layer of hot oil sufficient to cover them. I first took David Ross' advice and cooked them very briefly. Being distracted a bit later, I left one a bit longer. It wasn't deep fried but was starting to get a crunch. This turned out to be the texture that I preferred, particularly with the softened beef.

On having fried each one, I blotted off the excess oil, filled it with the shredded beef, rolled it and placed it on a heated service plate. When the serve size was complete, I covered them with liberal amounts of the mole. No queso -- perhaps next time?

They were delicious and quite unlike any enchiladas I've ever tasted. Mind you we don't have the range of south of the border places in Australia that you do in the US, although I've definitely tried most here.

Next time they will be served with Mexican rice/beans/salad or some combination of these.

[David Ross]

Thank you everyone for this thread.

Spurred on by the descriptions, I decided to give enchiladas a go beyond the normal add meat to tortilla, roll, top with salsa and cheese and put under the broiler.

The filling I used was inspired by David Ross' post.

I took a lovely piece of chuck steak and cut it into largish piece. This was then marinated for around eight hours in the contents of a small bottle of beer, mexican oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and some water that ancho chilis had been soaked in.

After the marinating, I diced a medium sized onion and softened and slightly browned it in some grapeseed oil. This was done in a pressure cooker to which I then added the whole of the beef/marinade mix. The lid was placed on and the cooker brought up to pressure. Because I was making shredded beef, I left it at full pressure for slightly over an hour and let it cool down naturally. I then took the lid off and boiled the contents down, stirring vigorously to break up the beef. The resulting shredded beef was moist but not sufficient to make the dish soggy.

The sauce that I used was Rick Bayless' (Mexican Kitchen) simple red mole. All I can say is that if that mole was simple, the 'complex' one is likely to be a challenge.

Preparing the corn tortilla comprised frying them individually in a layer of hot oil sufficient to cover them. I first took David Ross' advice and cooked them very briefly. Being distracted a bit later, I left one a bit longer. It wasn't deep fried but was starting to get a crunch. This turned out to be the texture that I preferred, particularly with the softened beef.

On having fried each one, I blotted off the excess oil, filled it with the shredded beef, rolled it and placed it on a heated service plate. When the serve size was complete, I covered them with liberal amounts of the mole. No queso -- perhaps next time?

They were delicious and quite unlike any enchiladas I've ever tasted. Mind you we don't have the range of south of the border places in Australia that you do in the US, although I've definitely tried most here.

Next time they will be served with Mexican rice/beans/salad or some combination of these.

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Your enchiladas sound delicious. Thanks for sharing. I think next time I'll try your method for the tortillas and leave them in the oil a bit longer-I like the idea of a slightly crunchy texture yet still allowing the tortilla to be soft enough to roll-up with the filling. Thanks for the tip.

[rancho_gordo]

I think there's a standard "tooth" to enchiladas. The tortillas should be stale so they don't absorb as much oil and the oil should be hot and the bath brief. Then you can take your time with the trip to the chile sauce. I've heard of chile sauce first then oil but that sounds more oily than delicious to me. I don't think I've ever had it.

I've had old tortillas start to break but just soften them up on a hot comal or wrap a stack in a moist tea towel and microwave.

Not that you shouldn't go all out with what you cook, but I think the star of the dish should be the chile sauce. And clearly this is a "leftovers" dish. You make it with old tortillas, boiled potatoes, sauteed greens, maybe some chicken you poached earlier in the week, the ends of some cheese; whatever you have on hand. If you make a good chile sauce, I love them best with just cheese and raw white onion:

My basic chile sauce is:

Clean and the toast on a hot dry skillet 4 ancho chiles and 2 guajillos. Soak in warm water for about 20 minutes and then place the chiles in a blender with enough of the soaking liquid to keep the blades moving. Add a small chopped onion, Mexican oregano and some garlic. Blend well and the fry in some fat for 5 minutes. Thin with chicken stock or water and cook another 15 minutes or so. Add salt as needed and a touch of sugar if the sauce is bitter.

That's my 2 centavos worth!

[JAZ]

Rancho, that sounds similar to the sauce I've been using, but I've also seen sauces that start with frying the chiles in oil before rehydrating. Any reason why one method is better than another?

[rancho_gordo]

Rancho, that sounds similar to the sauce I've been using, but I've also seen sauces that start with frying the chiles in oil before rehydrating. Any reason why one method is better than another?

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I've done it more for moles, and not for chile sauces, but I guess it's mostly out of habit. Cristina?

This method, with the fried puree and the oil dipped tortilla and finally the cheese makes me feel like I'm fat enough!

[brucesw]

I think I may have experienced the enchile first-fry last method at a taqueria this past week. I had Enchiladas Michoacanas de Cordoniz and noticed when the dish was brought to the table the tortillas looked drier; I sampled them and they were al dente, not crunchy, kind of toasty tasting like a tostada although still completely flexible, no more oily than any I've had before it seemed to me.

I liked the slightly different taste and textural contrast they brought to the dish and will be trying to duplicate it when I get around to experimenting with this.

I think the thing is not many restaurants do this because the oil doesn't last as long if you're putting in enchilied tortillas.

Edited April 7, 2009 by brucesw (log)

[Chris Hennes]

Last week I had some (ok, like 100) tortillas I wanted to use up, so I went into an enchilada-making frenzy. By way of filling, I made two kinds, pork and chicken. First, I had some BBQ pork ribs leftover that I reheated and let saute in their own fat until they were well glazed with juices and pork goodness, then cut that 50/50 with some black beans I had cooked. I added some chopped green chiles and some cheddar once it was cooled back down, and then, to help bind it together, the heavily-reduced bean-cooking liquid (based on pork stock). For the chicken I roasted a chicken, then shredded it, made a highly-reduced stock with the bones, mixed that 50/50 with the remaining black beans, and again added some chopped green chiles and cheddar.

For the chile sauce I cheated a bit. I sauteed a couple onions in pork fat until soft, then added a jar of chile powder. I let that cook in the fat a few minutes to "toast," then added some chicken stock and a can of whole tomatoes, pureed. After a few minutes I whizzed it with the immersion blender and let it cool a bit while I worked on the tortillas.

The tortillas were around a week old, which IMO is still just great for enchiladas. I sprayed them on both sides with cooking oil and popped them in the oven to heat and soften a bit. Not the same as frying, but since most of them are going to be frozen and reheated it doesn't make much difference.

Which brings me to the last step: I obviously couldn't eat 100 enchiladas in one sitting, so most of them got frozen. I first froze them individually on sheet pans, then vacuum sealed them in sets of six. To reheat them, I put a batch in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes, then sprinkle with cheese and give them another 15. The texture is a bit different than when fresh, they get crispy edges from the dry oven heat, but they are still mighty fine.

[Chris Amirault]

I'm not asking about the 100 tortillas. However:

The tortillas were around a week old, which IMO is still just great for enchiladas. I sprayed them on both sides with cooking oil and popped them in the oven to heat and soften a bit. Not the same as frying, but since most of them are going to be frozen and reheated it doesn't make much difference.

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More detail please. 350F oven? How long? Wrapped?

[Chris Hennes]

This is a technique stolen from an old Cook's Illustrated issue: you spray both sides of the tortillas lightly with oil, then pop them in the oven to soften. The exact temperature isn't critical, just pull them out when they get soft. Because I was doing so many I used 200°F, but I usually go with 350°F because that's what I bake the enchiladas at. Once they are soft, you run them through the chile sauce, fill 'em up, and roll.

ETA: No, not wrapped. They are only in for a few minutes.

Edited April 20, 2009 by Chris Hennes (log)

[Jmahl]

This is a technique stolen from an old Cook's Illustrated issue: you spray both sides of the tortillas lightly with oil, then pop them in the oven to soften. The exact temperature isn't critical, just pull them out when they get soft. Because I was doing so many I used 200°F, but I usually go with 350°F because that's what I bake the enchiladas at. Once they are soft, you run them through the chile sauce, fill 'em up, and roll.

ETA: No, not wrapped. They are only in for a few minutes.

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Sounds like a plan.

[rancho_gordo]

I made them with chicken and some leftover tortillas I'd made over the weekend with purple corn. The purple corn is denser and chewier.

Poached chicken and imported cotija cheese from Jalisco are ideal fillings.

Edited April 22, 2009 by rancho_gordo (log)

[jsmeeker]

I made some chicken stock over the weekend and have plenty of left over breast meat from some of the chickens I used. It's been a while since I have made enchiladas, so I figured they would be a great way to use up some of the lefotver chicken. I am going to make this in stages. First, I will make the sauce tonight. Tomorrow, I will assemble and bake

The recipe I will use is from Rick Bayless' 'Mexian Everyday'. I've made it before. It calls for dried guajillo chilis. I have some of those, but will also toss in some arbols for a bit more heat. Some canned fire roasted tomatoes, some of that chicken stock, garlic, cumin in there too. I think that's everything, but can't recall without the book infront of me. It gets cooked down. I'll do all that tonight and save for tomorrow.

More details later.

[rancho_gordo]

Some canned fire roasted tomatoes, some of that chicken stock, garlic, cumin in there too.

Have you made it without the tomatoes? It's pure chile heaven.

I find the guajillos can be plenty hot. I'd add some anchos for body.

Just some thoughts. I know tomatoes are delicious, but it's fun to see how far you can go without them.

[jsmeeker]

Some canned fire roasted tomatoes, some of that chicken stock, garlic, cumin in there too.

Have you made it without the tomatoes? It's pure chile heaven.

I find the guajillos can be plenty hot. I'd add some anchos for body.

Just some thoughts. I know tomatoes are delicious, but it's fun to see how far you can go without them.

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I have not. I'll have to try that one time.

This time, I think I'll go with tomatoes. But maybe next time. I also want to try to make enchiladas verde. To do that, would I make a salsa verde with tomatillos, or some other way (fresh green chilis??)

[jsmeeker]

My sauce is simmering away. here is what went into it

guajillo chiles

arbol chiles

garlic

onion

fire roasted tomatoes (canned)

salt

cumin

pepper

mexican oregano

chicken stick

Combine all but stock in blender. Process well. Strain into a sauce pan on med-high heat with some olive oil. reduce down until thicker

add in chicken stock simmer. taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

I am going to make a small batch of chicken enchiladas with this sauce tomorrow. I should have enough to freeze for later. Really, thinking beef enchiladas would be great with this. But that is another day.

[jsmeeker]

I made the enchiladas tonight.

To soften to tortillas, i did the spray oil and in to the oven thing. But I must have over done them. After I filled, rolled and baked, they totally fell apart and were all mushy. They tasted good, but didn't hold up. This is usually the problem I have when I make enchiladas. What am I doing wrong? it was so bad, I didn't even want to take a picture.

I also notice that a lot of people here aren't baking their. If I simply dip in oil, then dip in sauce, how do I fill and roll without making a huge mess? Should I forgo baked enchiladas all together??

[carp]

I made the enchiladas tonight.

To soften to tortillas, i did the spray oil and in to the oven thing.  But I must have over done them.  After I filled, rolled and baked, they totally fell apart and were all mushy.  They tasted good, but didn't hold up. This is usually the problem I have when I make enchiladas.  What am I doing wrong?  it was so bad, I didn't even want to take a picture.

I also notice that a lot of people here aren't baking their.  If I simply dip in oil, then dip in sauce, how do I fill and roll without making a huge mess?  Should I forgo baked enchiladas all together??

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I've had good luck frying tortillas to a crisp using the CI method, but not much luck using it to get tortillas right for enchiladas. I tried and either the tortillas were not quite fried enough and they separated or fell apart or they were too stiff to roll. I have better luck using hot oil and frying the tortillas just long enough to soften them.

[Jaymes]

I made the enchiladas tonight.

To soften to tortillas, i did the spray oil and in to the oven thing.  But I must have over done them.  After I filled, rolled and baked, they totally fell apart and were all mushy.  They tasted good, but didn't hold up. This is usually the problem I have when I make enchiladas.  What am I doing wrong?  it was so bad, I didn't even want to take a picture.

I also notice that a lot of people here aren't baking their.  If I simply dip in oil, then dip in sauce, how do I fill and roll without making a huge mess?  Should I forgo baked enchiladas all together??

←

The thing about enchiladas that many folks don't get is that you should make them with all cooked ingredients that don't require additional baking. When I make a large number for dinner parties, I do bake them, but just so that enchiladas for, say, ten folks all arrive hot at the table at the same time, not because I want them to do any more cooking. If I'm preparing enchiladas for just a few guests, I don't bake them at all.

I don't know about the CI oven method, but for my chicken enchiladas with red sauce, which I do make for a lot of dinner parties and want them to all arrive hot at the table at the same time, I do stick them in the oven to heat up. Whether you roll the enchiladas or just fold them over and put them into your baking dish, you definitely are going to make a mess, but it's not a "huge mess" as you say.

What I do (as I said upthread) is to get my large shallow baking/serving pan and set it on the counter beside my stove. Then I have my skillet on the closest burner to the counter, the sauce simmering in a pan just behind it. I get a glass pie pan and put it on the counter directly in front of me. And I have the bowls with all the "fixin's" right there handy, too.

I ladle some sauce into the pie pan, and also smear some around on the bottom of my baking dish. Then I take the tongs and assemble my enchiladas, one at a time, thusly: Dip one tortilla into the skillet with the hot oil, let it sizzle a few seconds (say 4 or 5), then into the pie pan where, with my fingers, I smear the sauce around to be certain the tortilla is completely sauced. (Cooks more deft than I simply hang onto the tortilla with their tongs and dip it first into the hot oil and then into the saucepan. I can do it if I focus, but invariably at least one or two will soften too much and tear apart in the sauce. With the 'pie pan' method, I don't have to worry about it.) Then into the baking dish, where I add my filling, fold the sauced tortilla over it, and snuggle it up next to the side of the pan, or next to the previous enchilada. You can roll them if you'd like, and sometimes I do. I repeat these steps until the pan is filled. Then I ladle more sauce over. Sometimes I sprinkle with a little white cheese, or some onions, or whatever. If I'm doing this right at dinner time and I have my large and hungry family waiting, I'll go ahead and stick the dish into a hot oven for about 15 minutes just, as I say, to heat through while I finish preparing the rest of the meal. That's simply because it's easier for me to have the enchiladas all arrive at the table at the same time so I can sit down and eat, too, rather than standing over the stove making them for each individual person. It's not because the enchiladas actually require any more cooking. If I'm making them for a party, I'll often make them a day ahead, then cover the dish tightly with plastic and put it into the fridge to wait for serving time. Then into a hot oven for 20 minutes or so, just to heat through. There is no heavy gloppy sauce or anything else that requires extensive baking.

Yes, I've made something of a mess, but it's no worse than the mess from any multi-step cooking. My spaghetti sauce usually requires more cleanup than the enchiladas.

Edited April 23, 2009 by Jaymes (log)

[Jaymes]

This time, I think I'll go with tomatoes.  But maybe next time.  I also want to try to make enchiladas verde.  To do that, would I make a salsa verde with tomatillos, or some other way (fresh green chilis??)

You can go either way. I do love the tang of tomatillos.

But here's a quick and simple green chile sauce:

Green Chile Sauce

12 medium green chile peppers (of course, fresh are way best, but if you must....), peeled, seeded, deveined and chopped

2 medium tomatoes (or 1 cup canned tomatoes), chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 small garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

1 tsp salt

Roast chiles over gas burners, or on outdoor grill, or under broiler until blistered. Put into plastic baggies and allow steam to permeate. This makes the chiles easy to peel. Remove peel, core, seeds, and visible veins. (Edit: Should have added that if you are using canned green chiles, you don't have to take this step of roasting, peeling, etc.) Chop into half-inch pieces. Place into saucepan and add tomatoes, onion, salt and garlic. Pour in enough water just to cover and simmer ten minutes. (If you wish, in addition to roasting the chiles, you can roast or grill the tomatoes, onion and garlic to give the whole thing a more smoky flavor.)

[jsmeeker]

All of my ingredients were cooked. The chicken filling was a mixture of poached chicken breast (from when I made stock on Sunday), some of the sauce I made, and some cheese.

FWIW, Rick Bayless also suggested the oven method for softening. But he called for brushing oil on instead of spray oil, and also called for stacking them two high.

Maybe part of the problem I had was that it took a lot longer than 15 minutes to get everything hot. The sauce and chicken came straight from the fridge. By the time the oven heated and what not, they warmed up a bit, but were still cool. Maybe some of the components need to be pre heated?

[rancho_gordo]

FWIW, I never bake.

I have a small cast iron skillet of hot oil, just a bit larger than the tortillas, a small skillet of the gently simmering chile sauce and the warm ingredients at hand. Dip in oil, shake excess, dip in chile, plop on plate, add filling, roll and repeat. I wipe the tongs so the chile sauce doesn't splatter in the oil on the next go round. I normally do three per person and top off the dish with more hot sauce and some grated cheese and onions.

[jsmeeker]

FWIW, I never bake.

I have a small cast iron skillet of hot oil, just a bit larger than the tortillas, a small skillet of the gently simmering chile sauce and the warm ingredients at hand. Dip in oil, shake excess, dip in chile, plop on plate, add filling, roll and repeat. I wipe the tongs so the chile sauce doesn't splatter in the oil on the next go round. I normally do three per person and top off the dish with more hot sauce and some grated cheese and onions.

←

I think this is the method I need to try next time I make enchiladas. Which could actually be soon. I still have sauce. And tortillas. And even some chicken.

If I get a good smooth workflow, this may actually be better than baking since it should yield a plate of food in less time.

[Jaymes]

FWIW, I never bake.

I have a small cast iron skillet of hot oil, just a bit larger than the tortillas, a small skillet of the gently simmering chile sauce and the warm ingredients at hand. Dip in oil, shake excess, dip in chile, plop on plate, add filling, roll and repeat. I wipe the tongs so the chile sauce doesn't splatter in the oil on the next go round. I normally do three per person and top off the dish with more hot sauce and some grated cheese and onions.

←

I think this is the method I need to try next time I make enchiladas. Which could actually be soon. I still have sauce. And tortillas. And even some chicken.

If I get a good smooth workflow, this may actually be better than baking since it should yield a plate of food in less time.

←

Yes. However, it doesn't work when enchiladas are your main course at dinner for ten. And up.

That'd be 30 enchiladas at minimum. And as much as I adore Ranchito, and Dios knows I do, I think even at his house, the frijoles would be cold by the time the last guest got his enchiladas.

I routinely had dinner parties for 10, 20, 30, and more. Way more. I suppose if you want to do enchiladas and didn't want to put them in the oven, you could do them as an appetizer rather than the main. But that's still a lot of time-consuming enchiladas to be standing there frying while your guests are out on the back patio sucking down the margaritas and having a good time.

[Chris Hennes]

Jaymes: are you able to get good texture for your tortillas as those massive dinner parties? It seems to me that rancho_gordo is right, that if you want to have some bite to the tortillas you have to sauce and serve quickly, with no baking step.

[jsmeeker]

FWIW, I never bake.

I have a small cast iron skillet of hot oil, just a bit larger than the tortillas, a small skillet of the gently simmering chile sauce and the warm ingredients at hand. Dip in oil, shake excess, dip in chile, plop on plate, add filling, roll and repeat. I wipe the tongs so the chile sauce doesn't splatter in the oil on the next go round. I normally do three per person and top off the dish with more hot sauce and some grated cheese and onions.

←

I think this is the method I need to try next time I make enchiladas. Which could actually be soon. I still have sauce. And tortillas. And even some chicken.

If I get a good smooth workflow, this may actually be better than baking since it should yield a plate of food in less time.

←

Yes. However, it doesn't work when enchiladas are your main course at dinner for ten. And up.

That'd be 30 enchiladas at minimum. And as much as I adore Ranchito, and Dios knows I do, I think even at his house, the frijoles would be cold by the time the last guest got his enchiladas.

I routinely had dinner parties for 10, 20, 30, and more. Way more. I suppose if you want to do enchiladas and didn't want to put them in the oven, you could do them as an appetizer rather than the main. But that's still a lot of time-consuming enchiladas to be standing there frying while your guests are out on the back patio sucking down the margaritas and having a good time.

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fortunately (or maybe unfortunately??) I am usually cooking for one.

Still, I'm sure there are ways to get some "bite" to the tortilla in a baked enchilada. I've actually pulled it off my self in the past. I think the amount of oil and time in the oven is pretty critical. Also, the brand of tortilla could make a difference. And as suggested by others above, the freshness probably matters (fresher actually makes it harder )