Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa Roja
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS:
SALSA ROJA:
3 medium plum tomatoes (about 8 ounces), cored
1 serrano chili, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
¼ medium white onion, peeled, layers separated
1 guajillo chili, stemmed, torn in half and seeded
½ teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon neutral oil
ENCHILADAS:
¼ cup finely chopped white onion (from ¼ medium onion), plus more to serve
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Kosher salt
Eight 6-inch corn tortillas
Neutral oil, for brushing
4 ounces queso Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
4 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (¾ cup), plus more to serve
Chopped fresh cilantro, to serve
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high until water flicked into it sizzles, about 2 minutes. Place the tomatoes, serrano, garlic, onion pieces and guajillo chili in the pan; cook, turning the ingredients, until spottily charred, 3 to 5 minutes. If the guajillo chili toasts too quickly, remove the halves as they are done. Let cool for a few minutes off heat.
2. Carefully add 1 cup water to the pan. Add ½ teaspoon salt and the guajillo halves, if removed. Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce to medium-low and cook, occasionally stirring, until the guajillo is fully softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender, add the oregano and let cool for 5 minutes; reserve the pan.
3. Blend on high until smooth, about 1 minute. In the same saucepan over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Carefully add the puree and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the foaminess has dissipated and the sauce is slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Off heat, taste and season with salt and pepper; you will have about 1¾ cups salsa. Cover to keep warm while you make the enchiladas.
4. To make the enchiladas, heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle position. In a small bowl, stir together the onion, vinegar and ¼ teaspoon salt; set aside. Brush both sides of the tortillas with oil, then arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet (overlapping slightly is fine). Cover tightly with foil and warm in the oven until pliable, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven; leave the oven on.
5. Lay 4 tortillas on a cutting board; keep the remaining tortillas covered. Distribute 2 tablespoons Chihuahua cheese across the center of each. Sprinkle with 1½ tablespoons queso fresco, then scatter on a generous 1 teaspoon pickled onion. Roll up the tortillas. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheeses and pickled onion. Place all 8 seam side down in a row down the center of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
6. Cover with the foil used to cover the tortillas. Bake until heated through, 5 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, if needed, rewarm the salsa, covered and stirring, over medium-low. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Uncover and spoon the salsa onto the enchiladas. Sprinkle with chopped onion, additional queso fresco and cilantro.
Chorizo and Potato Enchiladas with Salsa Roja:
1. Make and set aside the salsa roja.
2. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil until shimmering. Add 8 ounces russet potato (peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes) and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add 8 ounces Mexican-style chorizo (casing removed) and ¼ medium white onion (finely chopped); cook, stirring and breaking up the chorizo, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1½ cups water and scrape up any browned bits. Reduce to medium and simmer, uncovered and stirring, until the moisture has cooked off, about 15 minutes. Taste and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper; set aside off heat.
3. Follow the recipe to heat the oven and oil and warm the tortillas. Lay 4 tortillas on a cutting board; keep the remaining tortillas covered. Distribute 2 tablespoons of chorizo mixture across the center of each tortilla. Roll up the tortillas. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and chorizo mixture. Place all 8 seam side down in a row down the center of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil, then bake until heated through, 5 to 8 minutes. Spoon the salsa onto the enchiladas. Sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco, thinly sliced white onion and chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes: Don’t bypass the step of brushing the tortillas with oil and warming them in the oven. This ensures they are pliable so they won’t crack or split when rolled. Also, don’t use tortillas made with a blend of corn and wheat. Though they are more supple than corn tortillas, they take on an unappealing gumminess in the finished dish.
At Nicos restaurant in Mexico City, chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo taught us that enchiladas can be a simple affair, inspiring us to create our own version paired with an easy, blender-blitzed red salsa. As a filling, Vázquez Lugo used a cheese called queso de ocosingo; we chose easier-to-find and melty queso Chihuahua, with Monterey jack as a good stand-in. At Nicos, the enchiladas are filled and sauced to order so there is no need to bake them. But at home, it makes sense to assemble them all at once, then warm them in a baking dish in the oven. For make-ahead convenience, the salsa can be cooled and refrigerated for a few days; reheat in a covered saucepan when ready to use.
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Recipes provided by Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television; used with permission.
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