Enchiladas are a traditional dish that consists of corn tortillas filled with various types of meat and cheeses, all covered in sauces. This food has deep ties to the influences of meso-Americans and Spanish combination.
Ingredients :
- 2 1/2 pounds of Roma Tomatoes
- Vegetable oil ( 2 Tablespoons)
- ½ a white or yellow onion
- 2 large chipotles minced
- Kosher salt
- Minced garlic 1 ½ teaspoons
Red tortillas :
2-4 ancho chilies cleaned, deseeded and destemmed
Kosher salt
Cup of water
1 ½ dried masa
Topping
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
Chipotle Sauce
- Preheat oven to 360 F
- Place the tomatoes on a single layer of aluminum foil and place in the oven. Roast and turn so heat is even distributed. Wait until the skins start to burst. This will range from 15- 25 minutes.
- Switch to broil on the oven and blacken the skins in spots. Take it out and let it cool.
- Place oil in a saucepan to cook the onion a little. Be careful not to brown the onion too much.
- Add the garlic, and chipotles and cook for an additional minute
- Place the mixture and tomatoes in a blender. Run until it gives a puree consistency.
Red Tortillas
- Place the chilies in a large bowl to submerge them in hot water. Wait until they have softened then drain any excess water.
- Take the new softened chilies and place them in the blender
- Add salt and some warm water to get the right color
- Add dried masa and knead in the pureè until smooth. You may need to add more water to make it easier.
- Let the dough rest before separating it into balls
- Divide the dough into 10-14 balls and cover with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel to prevent any drying.
- Next using a press flatten each ball in between each layer of plastic. If you don’t have a press utilize another flat item in the kitchen.
- Keep the tortilla in a plastic sheet and peel off one side to reuse the plastic for the remaining tortillas.
- Holding the tortilla flat in the hand with palm up, gently place the tortilla on the medium heat set comal or iron griddle. Cook for about 30 seconds -1 minute on each side.
- Place tortillas in a tortilla warmer or basket and cover with a cloth to keep tortillas warm.
Adding Red Sauce with Queso
- Heat red chipotle sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce to low and let simmer.
- Set aside cheese and garnish aside, ready to add.
- Pour cooking oil ½ inch into the pan on medium-high heat to fry the tortillas.
- Place each tortilla in oil and lightly fry to get crisp edges.
- Place a handful of queso asadero inside the tortillas and drizzle chipotle sauce over.
- When the enchiladas are prepared with queso asadero filling, pour the remaining chipotle sauce and garnish with queso fresco.
*This recipe is a compilation of various sources, drawing from several authors and culinary traditions.*
