I finally found another cookbook addict like myself! Hard to believe, right? I have regular syncs with coworker in Texas who faces a similar affliction. Our meetings are maybe 25-50% work then segue into politics, finally settling on cookbook recommendations. I look forward to them all month!
When I mentioned my love of Mexican food, he said, vehemently, that I needed this book. Flipping the pages, there are only about 3-4 recipes that I wouldn’t try, given the time. This time, I selected beef enchiladas smothered in chili gravy with homemade flour tortillas (my husband doesn’t like corn tortillas…it’s a struggle) and Mexican rice.
Ingredients:
Beef Picadillo:
2 TB vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped [I used plum tomatoes]
1 TB chili powder
1 TB cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 c. dark beer, plus more as needed [I couldn't find Negro Modelo so used Grolsch]
Standard Chile Paste:
1 c. vegetable oil
3oz dried guajillo chiles (~20), stemmed
1oz dried chiles de arbol (~35), stemmed
4 garlic cloves
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp chicken bouillon
Chili Gravy:
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
10 garlic cloves
1 lb ground beef
½ c. vegetable oil
½ c. flour
½ c. Standard Chile Paste
1 ½ tsp beef bouillon
5 TB chili powder
1 TB cumin
1 tsp Mexican oregano
½ tsp ground cloves
1 ½ TB kosher salt [Next time I’d cut this back a bit]
1 TB black pepper
Enchilada Assembly:
Vegetable oil
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
4 oz Chihuahua cheese, grated
¼ c. onion, finely chopped
Mexican Rice:
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 TB tomato bouillon (Knorr)
1 tsp chicken bouillon [I ended up using tomato for this too]
1 TB vegetable oil
1 c. long-grain rice [I used basmati]
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
3TB onion, finely chopped
3TB carrot, finely chopped
1 TB jalapeno, minced
1 TB raw/fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 whole jalapeno, roasted and coarsely chopped
1 TB roasted tomato salsa, store bought or homemade
Gird yourself! Making all of these elements will turn your kitchen into a chaotic mess!
Let’s start with the Chile Paste. Heat the oil in a heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the guajillos, chiles de arbol, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the chiles turn slightly darker in color, 30-40 seconds.
Discard the oil from the pan then carefully add water to just cover the chiles. Return pot to high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook until the chiles have softened, 5-7 minutes.
Drain the chiles in a strainer set over a bowl; reserve the drained liquid. [I forgot to stem them...don't be like me...I burned my fingers pulling them off after!] Transfer the chiles to a blender and add 1 cup of the reserved liquid, the salt, and the bouillon. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Chile paste will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
For the beef picadillo, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat as you go. Drain the mixture, if needed, return to the skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, chili powder, and cumin, season with salt and pepper and cook until fragrant (4-5 minutes).
Pour in the beer, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce begins to thicken, 15-20 minutes. If the meat looks dry, add a bit of beer. You want the beef to be wet.
Now, for the least photogenic part of this meal…the chili gravy. In a blender or food processor, combine the onion, garlic, and 3 cups of water. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan or medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and bring to a simmer, breaking up the meat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until beef is cooked through and the mixture is almost dry (45-50 minutes).
In a separate saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the flour and oil. Cook, whisking continuously, until the roux is blonde, 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the roux, chile paste, bouillon, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cloves, salt, pepper, and 3 cups of water to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook until the flavors meld and the mixture has the consistency of thin gravy, 5-10 minutes. [Note: mine stayed nice and thick, despite adding about another cup of water].
Start the Mexican Rice by combining the cumin, salt, bouillons, and 1 1/2 water. Bring the mixture just to a boil. Remove from heat.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add the rice and cook, stirring frequently until it turns from opaque to to translucent (2-3 minutes). Add the tomato, carrot, onion, minced jalapeno, and corn and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3-4 minutes.
Add the bouillon mixture, roasted jalapeno, and salsa. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated and small holes form in the surface of the rice, about 15 minutes. Cover the pan, remote from heat, and set aside for 25 minutes to finish cooking with residual heat.
Assemble the enchiladas by preheating the broiler with the rack about 6-8 inches from the heat source.
[If using corn tortillas] Fill a Dutch oven with oil an ½ inch depth to 350F. Using tongs, dip a few tortillas at a time into the oil, until softened (3-4 seconds). Stack on a plate and cover to keep warm.
Place a [softened] tortilla on a clean work surface [if you have one at this point!]. Spoon 2 TB of the picadillo down the center, and roll it up. Place seam side down in a baking dish big enough to hold the tortillas [I used an 8x8 pan for 5 flour tortillas’ worth]. Repeat. Ladle 2 cups of chili gravy over the top, top with cheese and onions. Broil until hot and bubbly.
This meal was fantastic. There are so many layers of flavor. Next time, I'd want more cheese involved and maybe do cheese enchiladas instead of the beef picadillo. Or, maybe just add cheese into the roll up. Tex Mex to me should be super gooey and cheesy with beautiful crispy edges. The Mexican rice was way better than my usual Bird Martinez recipe [But, if you haven't seen her cooking YouTube videos, you haven't lived - NSFW]. You might notice that I don't give instructions on the flour tortillas...they weren't my best. Not sure if it was me or the recipe, but they tasted like unrisen floury biscuits.
Ratings:
Beef Enchiladas - Excellent
Mexican Rice - Excellent
Flour tortillas - ok
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