Classic Enchiladas Food

THE BEST PORK ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Rinse the red onion in cold water, breaking up the rings and removing any white membrane between the layers. Drain well. Toss the red onions, vinegar, 1 1/2 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt and the sugar in a medium bowl until the sugar and salt dissolve. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until ready to serve.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the pork, turning once, until golden brown on two sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add the yellow onions to the same pot, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until the paste is brick red and the mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ancho and pasilla chiles, bay leaves, raisins, broth and 1 tablespoon salt. Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover and simmer until the pork is falling apart and easily shreds, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Remove the bay leaves and discard. Transfer the pork to a medium bowl. Reserve the cooking liquid.
• Let the hot cooking liquid cool for 5 minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender, filling no more than halfway. Remove the center cap from the lid and place it on the blender. Cover the lid with a folded kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth. Pour the sauce into a medium bowl and repeat with any remaining cooking liquid. Season with salt.
• Pour 1/2 cup of the chile sauce over the pork. Use a potato masher to smash the pork into the sauce; it should fall apart completely. Remove any remaining large pieces of fat and discard. Stir to combine and season with salt if necessary.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• Heat the remaining 1 cup oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it bubbles immediately when the edge of a tortilla touches the surface. Working one at a time, fry the tortillas until just starting to brown and crisp, about 10 seconds per side (they should still be somewhat pliable). Drain on paper towels.
• Dip both sides of each tortilla in the chile sauce just to coat and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Spread 1/2 cup of the chile sauce in a 6-inch strip down the center of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
• Spoon 1/4 cup shredded pork across the center of a tortilla. Fold one side over the filling, then roll up the tortilla. Place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with more sauce and remaining tortillas (the enchiladas should be nestled right up against each other in the pan). Top with any remaining sauce in your bowl or leftover on the baking sheet. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the sauce bubbles, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the cheese and bake until the cheese is melted but not brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes.
• Top the enchiladas with the pickled red onions. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

SIMPLE PERFECT ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the canola oil and flour. Whisk together and allow to bubble for 1 minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
• While the sauce is simmering, brown the ground beef with the onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the fat, add the salt and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• In a small skillet over medium heat, heat some canola oil. Lightly fry the tortillas just until soft. Do not crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all the tortillas have been fried.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Next, one at a time, dip each tortilla into the sauce. Set the sauce-soaked tortilla on a plate. Place on some of the meat mixture, chilies, green onions and black olives. Top with a generous portion of grated Cheddar. Roll up the tortilla to contain the filling inside.
• Place the tortilla seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and pour the remaining sauce over the top. End with a generous sprinkling of cheese and any other bits of chiles, green onions or olives you have left over from the filling.
• Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and serve.

VALERIE'S CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
• Add the tomatoes, poblano, onions and garlic cloves to the prepared baking sheet. Toss with the oil to coat, and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove the garlic, flip the poblano over, and continue roasting until the poblano and onions are charred and the tomatoes are soft and beginning to split, another 15 minutes. Let cool for at least 20 minutes.
• Peel the garlic and remove the skin and stem from the poblano (remove the seeds, too, for a milder sauce).
• Adjust the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• In a food processor, combine the roasted vegetables, cilantro, vinegar, adobo sauce, coriander, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process until evenly combined but still with some texture, similar to crushed canned tomatoes. Pour into a large saucepot and stir in the tomato puree and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just to combine the flavors. Remove from the heat and season with salt.
• Place the shredded chicken in a bowl, mix with 2 cups of the enchilada sauce and let marinate for at least 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt as needed.
• Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and place in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until softened.
• Spread 2 cups of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch broiler-proof baking dish. Remove the tortillas from the oven. To the center of each tortilla, add 1/4 cup of the marinated chicken, a sprinkle of Monterey Jack, and some enchilada sauce. Wrap the tortillas around the filling (they should be about the size of a cigar) and place seam-side down in the baking dish.
• Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining Monterey Jack and the olives. Bake on the center rack for 20 minutes, until the sauce just begins to bubble up around the edges. Turn the oven to broil and cook until the cheese has browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
• Serve the enchiladas with queso fresco, sour cream, avocado, cilantro and lime wedges.

ENCHILADA LASAGNA BAKE

Steps:

• For the queso béchamel: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in the onion and pickled jalapeños if using and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour. Slowly whisk in the milk, whisking until no clumps remain. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the cheese and cumin, season with a pinch each of salt and pepper and stir until the cheese is completely melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, placing the plastic directly onto the surface of the sauce, and refrigerate while you prepare the enchiladas.
• For the enchiladas: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roast the poblano peppers, holding them with tongs, over an open flame on the stovetop until heavily blistered and charred, about 2 minutes per side (see Cook's Note). Place the poblanos in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let steam until cool enough to handle, 10 to 15 minutes.
• When the peppers are cool enough to handle, cut in half and use the back of a knife or a spoon to scrape the seeds and the skin off the peppers. Roughly chop the peppers and set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until fully cooked, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat from the pan. Stir one 10-ounce can of enchilada sauce into the beef.
• Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of the remaining can of enchilada sauce over the bottom of an 8 1/2-by-11-inch baking pan. Layer tortillas over the bottom of the dish so it's covered, overlapping as necessary. Spoon in half the beef mixture to cover, top with about 3/4 cup béchamel sauce, and sprinkle with half the poblano and 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese. Repeat the layers again, ending with a layer of tortillas.
• Cover the top layer with enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup cheese. Bake until browned and bubbling, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the crushed tortilla chips and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
• Allow the casserole to cool 15 minutes before serving. Slice into pieces and serve with the toppings of your choice for diners to garnish their servings. Enjoy!