Enchiladas Rojas Recipes

ENCHILADAS ROJAS

Steps:

• Toast chiles in a dry medium skillet over medium-high until fragrant and blistered, 1 to 2 minutes a side. Wipe skillet clean. Remove and discard chile stems and seeds; transfer chiles to a bowl. Cover with 3 cups hot water and let soak 15 minutes. Remove chiles, reserving liquid.
• Blend chiles, cinnamon, clove, oregano, thyme, peppercorns, sesame seeds, peanuts, onion, and 1 1/2 cups reserved liquid until smooth. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium-high. Add sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 5 minutes. Add 1 cup reserved liquid; bring to a boil. Season with salt; keep warm.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in another skillet over medium. Gently fry tortillas one at a time, using 1 tablespoon oil for every 3 tortillas, until pliable, about 30 seconds a side. Remove each with tongs, letting oil drip back into skillet, and dip into sauce, turning to fully coat. Transfer to a plate.
• Place a heaping 1/4 cup carnitas in center of a tortilla. Roll tightly and place, seam-side down, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, arranging them in dish in 2 rows. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Top with queso fresco, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro; serve.

ENCHILADAS ROJAS, RED CHILE ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Prep the chile sauce. Start by taking the stems off and opening the chiles to shake out the seeds. Flatten them as best you can. Heat a cast iron skillet or better yet, a Mexican comal over high heat. When it is blazing hot, toast the chiles. Press them down with a spatula for just a couple seconds: When they blister, flip them and do the other side. Remove to a bowl.
• When all the chiles have been toasted, char the quartered onion and the garlic cloves on the comal or skillet. You want some blackening. The garlic cloves will blacken first, so watch them.
• Now that you have everything smoky and charred, tear the chiles in pieces. Chop the onion. Peel the garlic. Heat the lard or vegetable oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the chiles, onions and garlic and saute for a minute or two. Pour in the stock, add the cumin and oregano and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste and simmer gently until the chiles are soft, about 20 minutes.
• Puree the sauce in a blender. This sauce can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge.
• Make the filling. Cut the meat into pieces about the size of your fingernail. Salt well. Mix with about 1/4 cup of the red chile sauce, the chopped sage as well as about 5 ounces of cheese and the minced white onion.
• Prep the tortillas. Heat the tortillas on a comal or other heavy skillet until they blacken a little. Then put them in a tortilla warmer, or stack on a plate and put a bowl over them. Let them steam a few minutes before building the enchiladas.
• Build the enchiladas. Pour a little red chile sauce into a casserole dish. Dip a tortilla in the red chile sauce briefly and shake off the excess. Fill a tortilla with a little of the filling and roll it up. Place seam-side down on the casserole. Repeat until you're done. You should get about 15 tortillas.
• Pour more red chile sauce over the enchiladas and top with lots of the shredded cheese. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes and serve.

AUTHENTIC ENCHILADAS ROJAS

Steps:

• Remove all seeds and stem from the peppers then rinse under cold water to remove any dust.
• In a medium pot, add the chiles, onions and garlic clove. Add enough water to cover the chiles.
• Cover and cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until very soft and pliable. Rest chiles in the water for another 10 to 15 minutes to cool off and finish hydrating the chiles.
• Transfer chiles to a blender or food processor and add 2 cups broth. Puree for about 1 minute. Note: you can do this in two different batches if the blender isn't big enough for all the ingredients at once.
• Strain the pureed chiles to remove the remaining seeds and skins (tip: push the chile mix with a spoon to get the most out of them).
• In a large saucepan, heat the 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the pureed chiles and tomato sauce. Cook, stirring often for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.
• Add about ¼ cup of oil to a small or medium skillet. Heat on medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot (but not smoky), add one tortilla at the time and cook each side for about 4 to 5 seconds or until tortilla is lightly fried (See notes section)
• As you fry each tortilla, drain any excess oil by tapping it into the pan then place on a plate with a paper towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas and add more oil if necessary.
• To assemble the enchiladas rojas, dip each tortilla into the warm sauce and place on the serving plates.
• Fill with your favorite filling. In this case we're using crumbled queso fresco but you can use shredded chicken, beef, beans or your favorite cooked vegetables.
• Either fold the tortilla like a taco or roll them as pictured below. I like to add a little more sauce on top for extra flavor.
• Sprinkle with queso fresco and other toppings you choose. I like to squeeze some lime juice to balance all of the flavors.
• Buen provecho!

ENCHILADAS ROJAS

Steps:

• THE SAUCE: Heat a dry skillet or griddle over medium. Tear the chiles into flat pieces, then toast them a few at a time: Use a metal spatula to press the chile pieces flat against the hot surface, skin side up, until they are aromatic and have lightened in color underneath, about 10 seconds. (If heat is right, you'll have a slight crackle when you press them down, but you shouldn't see more than the slightest wisp of smoke.) Place in a bowl, cover with about 3 cups very hot tap water, lay a small plate on the chiles to keep them submerged and soak for 20 minutes.
• Use a pair of tongs to transfer the rehydrated chiles to a food processor or blender. Measure 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid and add it to the chiles along with the garlic. Blend to a smooth puree, then push through a medium-mesh strainer into a pie plate. The consistency should be like that of canned tomato sauce. Taste (the sauce will be a little rough on the tongue at this point) and season highly with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon.
• OTHER PRELIMINARIES: Set out the grated cheese and sliced onion. If using the optional chicken, warm it in a microwave or in a small skillet over medium-low heat (for stove-top heating, you'll want to dribble in a little water to keep it from sticking).
• FINISHING THE ENCHILADAS: Heat the oven to 350°F Place the sauce and tortillas near the stove, with a baking sheet beside them. Set a small (8-inch) skillet (preferable nonstick) over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil or lard. When the oil is hot, dip both sides of a tortilla into the sauce, then lay it in the oil. Let is sear and sizzle for about 20 seconds, then use a small spatula to flip it over. Sear the other side for about 20 seconds. Transfer to the baking sheet, folding it occasionally and then heating another tablespoon of oil or lard to fry a new batch. Arrange the fried, folded tortillas in groups of three, overlapping them. Pop them into the oven to heat through, about 5 minutes.
• While the enchiladas are heating, in a small bowl, toss the lettuce with the vinegar and a good sprinkling of salt.
• Divide the warm enchiladas among four dinner plates and sprinkle liberally with the grated cheese. Top with the sliced onion, chicken (if you are using it) and a generous portion of the dressed romaine. These wait for no one.

ENCHILADAS ROJAS MEXICANA (CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Boil the whole chicken with 1/2 onion, garlic cloves and salt in water to cover for one hour over medium heat. Let cool enough to handle. Remove chicken meat from bone and shred. (Can use left over chicken meat, or a rotisserie chicken if desired.).
• Chop the white onion and set aside. Chop the cilantro and set aside.
• Heat a little olive oil in a skillet, and quickly fry the tortillas, one at a time, until soft and pliable. You will need to add a little olive oil from time to time. Drain the tortillas on paper towels.
• Heat the salsa. One at a time, dip the soft tortilla in the salsa and place it in the baking pan (a 13x9 baking pan works well). Place a heaping spoonful each of shredded chicken and cheese in the middle of the tortilla. Add a little chopped onion and cilantro. Fold or roll the tortilla and move it to the side of the pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas until the pan is full. Top with the remaining salsa, sprinkle with remaining cheese, cilantro and onion.
• Bake at 350ºF until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS ROJAS

Steps:

• Toast the chili peppers; remove the seeds and veins; soak in lukewarm water for 20 minutes.
• Roast the tomatoes and peel.
• Roast the quarter of onion and garlic.
• Put soaked guajillos and pasillas in the blender; add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chicken broth; blend until smooth.
• Warm up the oil in a frying pan, add the puree and cook for 10-15 minutes on medium heat; season to taste with salt.
• Soak each tortilla in the sauce and place on a plate.
• Put a little chicken in each tortilla and roll.
• Put more sauce on each tortilla, and top with chopped onion and shredded cheese.
• If you wish you can add cream and reheat in the oven.
• Serve.