Most Gringos, ourselves included, don't know much about Mexican food. The elaborate preparations and regional intricacies are usually lost in the typical, one-size-fits-all "joints" one finds north of the border. It's a shame. Mexican food: the soulful child of European and Mayan parents, rivals any cuisine in assertive style and compelling flavor. Lizzie and I are two certified "Gringos" from the tri-state area and have begun the journey into our southern neighbor's cuisine with Rick Bayless, author of Everyday Mexican, as our guide. We have customized one of his recipes for Enchiladas from Mexico City, for our Enchiladas De Dos Gringos.
- 1 pound pork cubes
- 4 poblano chilies
- 6 jalapeno chilies
- 2 cups Mexican crema
- 2 cups roughly chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon annatto seeds
- 3 pounds tomatillos
- 2 cups Queso Oaxaca Cheese
- 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds toasted
- 8 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 cup canola oil
- 9 corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorn
Grind the annatto seeds and black pepper and mix in with the pork. Add this pork to a pressure cooker. Pour enough water to cover the pork and close the pressure cooker. Let this cook for 25 minutes. If you don't have a pressure cooker, consider acquiring one. For less than $50, you can stew tough cuts of meat in a fraction of the time it would take with a crock pot or pan.
While the pork is cooking prepare the sauce for the enchiladas. Turn the oven on high broil to roast the peppers and tomatillos.
Once the skin has blistered and browned take these out of the oven. This should take around 10 to 15 minutes. Let these cool and peel off the skin then chop these into large chunks. Leave the seeds from the jalapenos to add a kick to the sauce. Put these vegetables into a blender along with the Mexican Crema, cilantro, cumin, garlic, lime juice, 1 cup of boiling water, salt, and pepper. Puree until smooth. Set this aside for enchiladas.
Once the pork is done cooking it should shred easily. Shred 3 cups of the pork.
Place pork in a bowl and toss with 1 cup enchilada sauce until evenly coated.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas in oil for about 1 minute. Transfer them to cool.
Divide the sauced pork evenly among the tortillas, and roll tortillas tightly around pork. Pour 1 cup of enchilada sauce on bottom of deep baking dish and place tortillas seam side down.
Chop the Oaxaca cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.
Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the Oaxaca cheese. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake enchiladas until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted on top. This should take around 25 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve this with rice and beans. ENJOY!