Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Enchiladas

From Cook's Country (America's Test Kitchen). I rarely do all the work for the beef ones, but I do like the sauce. You can see my faster chicken version underneath.

Beef Enchiladas
1 1/4 lbs top blade steaks, trimmed
salt
1T veggie oil
2 onions, chopped (I use less)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3T chili powder
2t coriander
2t cumin
1t sugar
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1/2c water
2c shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
1/3c chopped fresh cilantro
1/4c canned pickled jalapenos, chopped (I skip this)
tortillas

-Pat meat dry, brown in hot oil in dutch oven at medium-high heat on both sides, about 6 min. Transfer to plate.
-add onions to oil and cook until golden, about 5 min. Combine the garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, sugar, and 1t salt in a small bowl, then stir mixture into the pot. Cook until fragrant, about 1 min. Add the tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil. Return the meat and juices to the pot, cover, and reduce heat to low, gently simmer until the meat is tender and can be broken apart with a wooden spoon, abut 1.5 hrs.
-Strain the beef mixture over a medium bowl, breaking the meat into small pieces, reserve the sauce. Transfer the meat to a bowl and mix with 1c cheese, cilantro and jalapenos.
-Spread 3/4c sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Spread 1/3c beef mixture in a tortilla, roll and place in baking dish seam side down. Repeat. And again. And some more. Pour the sauce on top, coat evenly. Sprinkle remaining cup of cheese on top, cover with foil, bake at 350 for 20-25 min until heated through. Remove foil and brown slightly, 5-10min. Yummmmm.

***Chicken version
Replace the steaks with 2c cooked, cubed chicken breasts, 1-2c cooked rice and a can of refried beans. Make the sauce as listed, beginning with the onions and skipping the long cooking step. Mix some of the sauce with the chicken, rice, beans and cheese. Proceed as directed.

I like to serve it with:
Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream
Process 1c sour cream, 1/4c chopped fresh cilantro, 1t grated fresh lime zest, 1/4t pepper, 1/8t salt in a food processor until smooth.

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