Beef Enchiladas
Tender beef - with just enough heat that lingers - gently rolled in tender corn tortillas, smothered in a rich, spicy sauce and topped off with creamy Monterrey Jack cheese.
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- Immersion blender or standard blender
- Large, deep skillet
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2-½ cups chopped onions, about 1 large onion, divided
- ½ cup chopped poblano pepper, about 1 small pepper
- 2-½ teaspoons chopped garlic, about 2 to 3 cloves, divided
- 4 cups tomato sauce, divided
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 5 tablespoons chili powder, divided
- 1 tablespoon honey chipotle spice*
- 3 teaspoons cumin, divided
- 1-½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2-½ teaspoons sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 12 to 14 corn tortillas, 6" diameter
- 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- For the red chili sauce:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Add 1-½ cups of the onions, the poblano pepper and 1-½ teaspoons garlic. Cook until the onion and poblano are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in 3 cups of the tomato sauce and the chicken stock. Blend in 2 tablespoons of the chili powder, the honey chipotle spice, 2 teaspoons cumin, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and 2 teaspoons sugar. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until fairly smooth. Add the cocoa powder, stirring to combine with the sauce.
- For the meat filling:
- In a deep skillet or stockpot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef, the ground sirloin along with 1 cup of the chopped onion and 1 teaspoon chopped garlic. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Season the meat with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 3 tablespoons of the chili powder, and 1 teaspoon cumin. Stir in 1 cup of the tomato sauce and ½ teaspoon sugar.
- To make the enchiladas:
- Heat the tortillas in a skillet over medium heat, for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side until the tortillas are tender and pliable. Keep warm, wrapped in foil, while you cook the remaining tortillas.
- Spread about ½ cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a baking dish that has been sprayed with a cooking spray.
- Place about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the meat sauce in each tortilla, roll up, and place seam side down in the baking dish. Tuck the enchiladas close together.
- Spoon the enchilada sauce over the top, sprinkle with 2 cups of the shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes.
Notes
*Honey chipotle spice can be found online and in specialty food markets. If you can't locate it, use plain chipotle spice or add extra chili powder to suit your taste.