Enchiladas De Ternera Con Mole Coloradito (Beef Enchiladas with Mole Coloradito)
Servings 6 people
Equipment
- casserole dish
- skillet
- Blender
- broiler safe pan
- measuring cups and spoons
- saucepan
- cutting board
- chef knife
- rubber spatula
Ingredients
Reconstituted Chiles
- 3 oz ancho chile, dried (seeded/stemmed and reconstituted in hot water)
- ¾ oz guajillo chile, dried (seeded/stemmed and reconstituted in hot water)
Beef Filling
- 2 tbsp oil, vegetable/avocado, or any neutral-tasting oil
- ½ whole white onion, minced
- 4 whole garlic, minced
- 1 whole poblano chile, fresh, seeded, and diced
- 2 lbs ground beef You can substitute ground chicken, pork, or turkey
- 1 tbsp cumin, ground
- 1 tbsp Oregano (preferably Mexican, but any oregano will do)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, coarse grind
- ¾ cup Oaxaca cheese, shredded can substitute Monterey Jack
Mole Coloradito Sauce
- 2 tbsp oil, avocado, or vegetable
- 3 whole Tomato, plum, cored, and cut in half
- 5 whole Garlic roasted with husks
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds toasted slightly brown in a dry pan
- ¾ oz Mexican chocolate, roughly chopped I used sweetened Goya chocolate
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground clove
- 4 oz chilies, reconstituted
- 1 cup reserved soaking liquid from chiles
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, coarse grind
Refrying Mole Coloradito Sauce
- ⅓ cup lard or vegetable oil
- 3½ cups Mole Coloradito
Assemble Enchiladas
- 3 cups Mole Coloradito Sauce, warm
- 12 each corn tortillas, 6"
- beef filling
- ¾ cup Oaxaca cheese shredded for topping
Garnish (optional)
- ⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup Mexican crema/sour cream or plain yogurt
- ½ cup guacamole (see Molcajete Guacamole recipe in this blog)
- ½ cup Additional diced sweet or white onion
Instructions
Roast Chilies
- Dry-roast chiles in a hot iron skillet over medium-high heat. To speed up the process, use a spatula to press down on the chiles as they roast. Cook until fragrant and slightly charred from the heat.
Prepare dried chilies
- Cut open the tops of the dried ancho and guajillo chiles. Remove the stems and seeds. Place the dried chiles in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Heat 3 cups of water to just boiling and pour over the chiles. Place a medium-sized plate on top of the chiles to ensure they stay submerged in hot water. Soak for about 30 minutes. After the chiles have softened, pour off 1 cup of the soaking liquid and reserve for sauce. Add the chiles to a blender.
Prepare Beef Filling
- While the chiles are soaking, chop and mince the garlic, poblano, and onion. Heat a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Once the oil is brought up to temperature or shimmering (never smoking), add the vegetables and cook until just done or soft.
- Add the ground beef and seasonings (cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper). Cook the meat until done, mixing with the onion mixture. Strain this mixture to remove excess fat and place it into a mixing bowl. Allow cooling. Once the meat is cooled, add Oaxaca cheese, incorporate and reserve.
Prepare Mole Coloradito
- Preheat the broiler oven (500°F or 260°C) and position an oven rack on the top shelf or as close as possible to the broiling element.
- To start the sauce, return to the chiles, and once they have softened, pour off 1 cup of the soaking liquid and reserve for sauce. Next, add the chiles to a blender.
- Broil the vegetables on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up). Core and slice the tomatoes in half and add the garlic clove (still in the paper tunic). Drizzle a little oil on the tomatoes. Cook under the broiler until charred, about 7-10 minutes. After the tomato and garlic are cooked, lower the oven to Bake at 350°F or 175°C).
- Peel the garlic cloves and tomato and add to the blender with the reconstituted chiles. Add the toasted sesame seeds, chocolate, ground clove, and cinnamon. Add the reserved chile soaking liquid and the chicken stock. Process the mixture in a blender.
- Once the mole mixture is smooth, strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer over a mixing bowl. Reserve.
- Heat the lard or vegetable oil in a large skillet until hot or shimmering over medium-high heat. Slowly add the strained mole sauce, which will instantly start to sizzle. Continue adding until it is all in the pan, and keep heating until it cooks thoroughly. Reduce the heat and partially cover with a lid. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring often.
Assemble the Enchiladas
- With a large (1/2 sheet pan), one dozen corn tortillas overlapped, brush on a scant amount of oil over each tortilla. Heat in (350°F or 175°C) oven for 3 or 4 minutes until just soft.
- While the tortillas are heating up, add ¾ cup of the Mole Coloradito to a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
- Using a scoop/large spoon or set of tongs, add about 3 tbsp of the meat filling to each tortilla. Roll up each tortilla with the meat mixture and place it into the casserole dish.
- Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and spread out with a rubber spatula to ensure all the tortillas are completely covered. Next, add a layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper, followed by a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the foil and plastic wrap. Top with Oaxaca or Monterrey Jack Cheese and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes more until the cheese is melted and slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5-8 minutes.
To Serve
- For service, plate two enchiladas per plate and garnish (optional) with additional diced onion, Mexican crema (sour cream), guacamole, and fresh chopped cilantro.
Notes
I used sweetened Mexican chocolate by Goya. You can use unsweetened chocolate as well. Just add 1/8 cup of Piloncillo Mexican brown sugar.
If you are fortunate enough to have leftover enchiladas, reheat them in a microwave or hot oven and try them with two eggs over easy or sunny side up for breakfast. Spectacular!