It is possible to make enchiladas with a myriad of different fillings: cheese, sliced chicken, pulled pork, vegetables, even fruits for sweet enchiladas. In the United States, particularly in the Southwest, the saying “the whole enchilada” means “everything”.
Because making enchiladas is such an easy process – made even simpler here– there is a saying in Mexico “estas no son enchiladas” (these are not enchiladas) meaning that something is difficult.
Enchiladas are a complex and incredibly versatile dish you can make differently each time for friends and family. The following recipe is one of the most popular versions of enchiladas, but you can really fill them with anything you can imagine. For this recipe you can substitute the pork for chicken quite easily.
Salsa Verde Pork Enchiladas (can be prepared ahead of time)
Ingredients:
- 10 anaheim chilies
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 lbs. pulled pork (substitute 2 lbs. browned pork shoulder cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- water
Process:
- Remove the skins from the chilies the same way you did for the enchilada salsa. Basically: char, bag, peel.
- Toast cumin seeds in a frying pan until the flavors (and smells) start coming out. You are not cooking the seeds, just warming them to release the flavorful oils. Grinding the seeds at this point is preferable with either a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, but leaving the seeds whole will provide differently flavored bites than others.
- In a frying pan fry onions, chilies, cumin, pork until the vegetable are translucent and meat is brown.
- Add 4 cups of water and allow to simmer for about an hour. You may need to add water during this time to make sure your filling does not burn. The idea here is to reduce the liquid to a think sauce and have the meat tender.
Assembly
Ingredients:
- 2 cups asadero cheese (or subsitute)
- Desired filling
- Desired sauce
- 12 (or more) tortillas
Process:
- Coat bottom of a baking dish with some of your desired sauce.
- Wrap a couple tablespoons of your desires filling in a tortilla and place in baking dish.
- Repeat until dish is full or you run out of ingredients.
- Sprinkle cheese on tops.
- Place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
- You can serve the enchiladas with extra crema and salsa verde. Top with extra cilantro and diced tomatoes and olives for a little extra color.
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