Beef Enchiladas

Memo with Abuelita in the New York Harbor cerca 1986.

This dish is named this way for my American friends since this is really an American remake of a Mexican dish. In Mexico, there are beef empanadas, a ground beef with seasoning and some vegetables laid on top of an uncooked corn tortilla or corn masa, folded over and then deep fried. There are beef tacos. The beef is cooked many different ways and then put inside corn or flour tortillas with condiments and eaten as a snack or meal. But here in the US we make things into neat packages and that it what this is.

Beef Enchiladas:

Beef Mixture:

1-2 lbs flank steak, round steak, etc - thin sliced
1 large onion sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
16 ozs diced tomatoes (fresh or in a can)
2 - 3 jalapeno or serrano chiles - leave the seeds in or remove
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp salt

In a deep pot (pressure cooker or dutch oven is fine) add olive oil heat on medium high heat and add the sliced onion for about 1 minute and then add the sliced beef. Saute for about 5 minutes constantly stirring so as NOT TO BURN. Then add the garlic, tomatoes, chilies and spices. Mix together cover and cook for about an hour on medium to low heat or until the beef is tender and there is a film of oil and tomato on the top of the mixture. Pull off stove and allow to cool so you have handle the mixture.

Enchiladas: 


Place tortillas in a clean towel in the microwave for about 1 minute - no more than 3 at a time. On a plate place a tortilla, scoop out some the beef mixture onto the tortilla and roll it up either on to a serving plate or a dish to be reheated later. Repeat this until desired number of enchiladas are made. Then scoop the meat mixture sauce over the top of the tortillas and sprinkle with shredded jack cheese, sour cream and scallions. Serve hot with red rice and refried beans.

Casserole style: Spray the bottom and sides of the casserole dish with Olive Oil. Add some of the beef mixture to the bottom of the casserole dish. Place each enchilada rolled up with flap towards side or previously laid enchilada. Fill up casserole dish. Pour beef mixture over the beef roll ups and then sprinkle with lots of Jack cheese, cheddar or whatever you want. Bake at 350* for 1 hour or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. You may need to cover for the first 30 minutes so as to NOT burn the cheese. Or take out at the 30 minute mark sprinkle the cheese and place uncovered for another 30 minutes - totally up to you. Serve with dollops of sour cream and scallions, along with red rice and refried beans.

PS: I sometimes cheat! I buy a couple of cans of RED ENCHILADA SAUCE and use that along with the pressure cooker and have my meat mixture done and ready in about 30 minutes!