Recipe#12500

Title: Beef Enchiladas

From: Margarita riita@REMOVETHISearthlink.net 
 Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes 
 Subject: Beef Enchiladas 
 Date: 21 Aug 1998 06:24:15 -0600 
 Message-ID: <35D7F44D.456F@REMOVETHISearthlink.net> 

6 medium dried ancho/pasilla chiles
 1 cup boiling water
 1+1/2 cup fresh water or broth
 1 small onion, chopped fine
 3 cloves garlic, smashed 
 1/2 cake Mexican chocolate 
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon cumin 
 1 teaspoon oregano
 2 tablespoons corn oil
 1 tablespoon flour or dry masa
 1 pound chuck or beef stew meat
 1/2 small onion
 1 clove garlic
 1 bay leaf
 1 dozen corn tortillas 
 corn oil
 1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated 
 1/2 cup green onions/chives, chopped fine
 Sour cream for topping
 Use some dried chiles, like anchos/pasillas. You can mix in chipotles
 (these are hot), and/or New Mexicos chiles. Toast them in a hot
 oven for a few minutes, until you can smell them, remove the stems
 and seeds, then cover them with boil- ing water. Put a bowl on top
 to keep them submerged. They should be soft in about 20 minutes.
 Drain them thru a strainer as the water may be bitter. Puree them
 with a cup of fresh water or broth.
 Sautee some chopped onion a little corn oil and a pinch of salt
 until somewhat caramelized, then add the garlic and saute just
 until flavorful. Now add 1 Tblsp flour or dry masa to make a roux.
 Add the chile puree and some Mexican chocolate. The chocolate along
 with the sauteed onions help counteract some of the bitterness of
 the chile. You can add cumin or Mexican oregano.  Bring this mixture
 to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes. If the sauce is too
 thick use more water or broth to thin it.
 Roughly chop the onion and garlic. To a crockpot or pot add the
 meat, onion, and garlic and cover with fresh water or broth. Cook
 overnight in the crockpot on low), or simmer in the pot for a few
 hours until meat is tender. Do not boil the water as this can cause
 the meat to become tough.  Add salt after the meat is tender to
 the point of falling off a fork.  Strain the meat juices (which
 can be reserved to make gravy later by boiling with 1 Tblsp of
 flour until thick). Shred the meat and place in a covered container
 and refrigerate until ready to use.
 In a non-stick pan, saute one tortilla at a time in corn oil until
 limp.  (use tongs to turn them). Next place the limp tortilla into
 a large fry pan with the sauce. Coat both sides of the tortilla in
 the chile sauce and place in a flat dish or flat pan to do the
 rolling, which can be messy.
 Fill tortilla with beef, cheese etc. Roll it up and place seam side
 done on a baking tray that has been lined with foil (easy cleanup).
 Repeat for about a dozen tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese and bake
 at about 250-F until the cheese is melted on the top. Serve with
 rice and beans and top the enchiladas with sour cream and chopped
 green onion/chives.  Yield: About a dozen enchiladas