This post, written by Arturo, is about one of his favorite dishes from home, as well as mine. Seriously, guys this is a “last supper” kind of meal for me!
(Some of the New Mexico staples we keep on hand. From left to right red chili, pinto beans and green chili.)
I grew up in Moriarty, New Mexico, which is an agricultural community right in the center of the state. New Mexican food isn’t by any means complex, in regards to using an entire pantry’s worth of ingredients to prepare a meal, but I think that there are a few things, that separate New Mexican food from Mexican food. Two of the ways in which the two foods differ are we use green chili peppers, preferably from Hatch, New Mexico, rather than jalapenos and we prefer flour tortillas almost exclusively over corn tortillas, unless you are making enchiladas. We have a few staple ingredients that are bought once a year and stored to use throughout the year. Each fall my mom, Juana, buys green chili, which comes in 50 lb. sacks. She roasts it to charr the skins and then removes the skins from the “meat”. She then divides it into portions and freezes it. You can use the stored chili in a variety of ways, from adding it to breakfast burritos, sauces, stews and for a snack, you could just wrap it in a fresh tortilla, but only if you have a “cast iron gut”! Mom also buys a 50 lb. sack of pinto beans once a year in October from Schwebach Farms, who is a local farmer. And yes, a family of three boys will go through a sack of green chili and beans in a year! Another New Mexican staple is red chili powder. Red chili powder is made from the same green chili but in this case the pods are allowed to ripen on the vine to a deep red color. Then it is dried and ground into a powder which is used as a seasoning. We buy red chili throughout the year, as it is always available at the local grocery store, that is, if you live in New Mexico. It is this red chili that is the key ingredient in my mamma’s nearly famous stacked enchiladas. It is easily Wrenn’s and my favorite dish that my mamma makes and it is usually the first supper she makes us when we go home for a visit. The preparation is simple and it is definitely “comfort food” to me.
Stacked Red Chili Enchiladas
1 pound ground beef
12 corn tortillas
3 tbs flour
2-3 tbs red chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp oregano leaves
Salt and pepper
About 2 cups of water
Oil to fry tortillas in
Shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Diced onion
Pre heat your oven to warm or its lowest setting. Next, start browning your ground beef in a heavy deep sided pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. And when I say brown, I mean brown! All the moisture will cook off, even most of the fat and the color will be very dark. This is a key step in developing the flavor of the red chili sauce. Once the meat is nicely browned, add the chili powder and stir to combine, continue cooking 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from burning the chili. In this step, you are trying to develop the flavor of the chili and also, for some reason if you don’t cook the chili a bit, the ending result is a slightly bitter sauce. Next, add the flour, garlic, powder and oregano, stirring to combine. Let the flour brown about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently as though you were making gravy. Again, be sure to brown the flour well or the sauce will have a starchy texture. Next, you slowly add the water, again, as you would, if you were making gravy. Bring to a simmer and let the sauce thicken. You will want to simmer the sauce for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors combine. If you think you added too much water, don’t panic, just let it simmer until it reduces to the right consistency. You’re aiming for a texture that still spreads slightly on its own when spooned on a plate but not so thin, it immediately runs to the edges of the plate. While the chili simmers, you can begin prepping your tortillas for assembly. Place another pot over medium heat and add about ½ inch of oil to the pot. When the oil is heated you are ready for assembly. Start by asking each person that will be eating with you, how many tortillas they want. This will make sense in a second. Frying one tortilla at a time for about 5-10 seconds, you are just trying to get the tortilla pliable but not crisp. Take the tortilla out of the oil with tongs or a slotted spoon and hold over the pot of oil to let excesses oil drain back into the pot. If your tortilla falls apart you need to fry it just a little longer. Immediately place the fried tortilla into the pot of chili and spoon more chili over the top to coat the tortilla. Then carefully take the sauced tortilla out of the chili and spread it flat on the plate. Then spoon about ¼ cup more chili over the tortilla and if you like onions, sprinkle with onions and top with cheese. For a 2 tortilla enchilada, repeat the first step and stack it on top of the first tortilla. Place the first plate in the warmed oven while you prepare the rest of the plates, placing them in the oven to keep warm as you continue with assembly. A 2 tortilla enchilada will generally be enough for those with lighter appetites, if you’re feeding ranch boys that have been working all day, they will likely need at least 3, maybe 4 layers. Once all the plates are assembled, garnish to taste with the lettuce and tomatoes. Mama always serves these with pinto beans, Spanish rice and soppapillas. We hope you like it as much as we do!
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