Chipotle Pork Enchiladas
The best American name for this vegetable would probably be “Mexican green tomato”, but they actually taste nothing like regular tomatoes, In fact, the tomatillo is not a tomato at all. The tomatillo has a tart, lemony flavor that is enhance when cooked (especially roasted) and is an excellent base for salsas. While salsa (salsa verde) is the most popular way to enjoy tomatillo, they can be used in other ways. Tomatillos contain high amounts of vitamin A&C. Tomatillos are our #2 sales item!
Ingredients:
For the Pork:
1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin, shredded (see instructions below)
1 (8 ounce) beer
1 bay leaf
For the Sauce:
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (7 ounce) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 can (8 ounce) tomato sauce (depending on spice tolerance you may need an extra can)
2 roma tomatoes, roasted (see instructions below)
4 tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and roasted (see instructions below)
½ large white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon flour
½ cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt (to taste)
For the Enchiladas:
½ cup canola oil, for frying
12 – 18 corn tortillas, preferably white
1 medium white onion, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (preferably Enchilado or Muenster)
1/2 cup crema Mexicana or sour cream, for topping
Instructions:
Shredded Pork:
Place the pork tenderloin and bay leaf in a slow cooker, and pour the beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6-8 hours. Discard the bay leaf. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred the meat. Set aside for assembly.
Roast Tomatoes and Tomatillos:
Arrange tomatoes and tomatillos on a baking sheet. Place your oven rack as close to the broiler as possible. Broil the tomatoes and tomatillos for about 20 minutes until softened, turning over after 10 minutes. If the skin has blackened remove it. Set aside.
For Sauce:
In a blender place the can of diced tomatoes, chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, tomato sauce, roasted tomatoes and roasted tomatillos, chopped onion, garlic cloves, flour, and water. Puree until smooth.
Heat olive oil in large skillet. Pour mixture into skillet and stir. Taste and season with salt, usually about 2 teaspoons. If sauce is too spicy, add an additional can of tomato sauce and stir. If sauce is too thick, add water until desired constancy is reached, making sure to add more salt if necessary.
Assembly:
In a large skillet, heat canola oil until hot. Fry tortillas until softened. Drain on paper towels. Place lightly fried tortillas, one at a time, in pot of warm red sauce, turning to coat. Place coated tortillas on serving plate. Layer each tortilla with cooked pork, grated cheese, and onions. Repeat layering until stacked three to four tortillas. Serve with a dollop of crema or sour cream and your favorite side dish.
Our family prefers our enchiladas stacked, but if you are cooking for a large group, oven style might be the way to go.
Oven Style:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1 cup of the sauce in an ungreased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Fry tortillas in hot oil just until softened. Drain on paper towels. Fill with cooked pork, cheese, and onion. Roll, placing seam side down in baking dish side by side in a single layer and pour 2 cups of the sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with more grated cheese and bake until warm, about 15 – 20 minutes. Garnish with a dollop of crema or sour cream and your favorite side dish.
Makes 4-6 servings.
From whiteonricecouple.com