berry@zinfandel.UUCP (Berry Kercheval) (09/02/84)
When I read a recipe for 'Browning Chicken Curry' and facetiously threatened to post recipes for 'Smith and Wesson Enchiladas' and 'Winchester Chiles Rellenos', I didn't expect a vast horde of requests (well, I got three). Those aren't the REAL names of these recipes, but here they are anyway: EARLY CALIFORNIA ENCHILADAS HAMILTON This recipe comes from my step-father-in-laws family, which has lived in California since around 1840 or so (before the Gold Rush, anyway). It has been handed down for quite a while, and was modified when decent canned enchilada sauce became available, as it's a real pain to make the sauce. It can be made vegetarian by omittng the meat, or you can substitute chicken for beef, or add extra chopped chiles, or whatever. Ingredients: (Amounts are not critical) A piece of beef roast, preferably rump roast, about three pounds. Two 28-ounce cans Enchilada sauce, preferably 'Las Palmas' brand. Buy the degree of 'heat' you prefer. Don't make to too hot if you are serving the Rellenos too. Two to six large onions, depending on how much you like onions, chopped. About a pound and a half coarsly grated cheddar cheese. One or two cans whole ripe olives, pitted. An appropriate number of fresh flour tortillas (possibly the most difficult item to obtain outside the southwest.) The number needed varies depending on the size of tortillas used. They must be dipped in the enchilada sauce, so get a size that will fit into, say, a large frying pan. At least a couple of dozen will be needed. Method: At least a day before serving, put meat into a pot with at least three cups water. If the meat fits into the pot fairly well, you may cover it with the water. Simmer till tender, 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Poke it occasionally to see if it be enough done. Drain the meat, reserving the broth. Put the meat and the broth into the refrigerator to cool overnight. Next day, shred the meat by hand and remove the fat and grease from the broth. The fat should have congealed and will ift right off with a slotted spoon. Grate the cheese, chop the onions and drain the olives. Put a can of the enchilda sauce in a pot or frying pan large enough to hold your tortillas. Put about half as much reserved beef broth into the pot, and heat to simmering. Now assemble the enchiladas. First, grease the pan you will be baking them in -- something like a 9 by 13 2 inch deep baking pan, a Lasagne pan, or some relative of the above. Take a tortilla and place it into the simmering sauce to heat and soften. If it is not left long enough the tortilla will not fold well; if left too long it will turn into mush. You may ruin a few the first time you make this recipe, but tortillas are cheap. When the tortilla is at the right stage, remove it to a plate with a spatula or pancake-turner. Place beef, onions cheese and two or three olives in a line down the center. The amounts vary according to the size of tortilla, and it is hard to describe and not very important anyway. Now fold the tortilla edges over the filling, or roll up and secure with toothpicks. Transfer to the baking pan with a spatula or pancake turner. When all the enchiladas have been formed in this way, cover the pan with foil. They can be refrigerated at this point, and extras freeze very well. Alene suggests reaching this point at least two hours before any guests arrive, so as to leave time to clean up and rest before continuing. Just before baking pour a little extra sauce over the enchiladas, and bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the onions are cooked through. Uncover during the last ten or fifteen minutes. Serve them forth. CHILES RELLENOS Ingredients: Jack cheese Whole green chiles, such as Anaheims, roasted peeled and seeded. Canned work well, wear rubber gloves if using fresh. Whole chiles are vital, do not use chopped. Flour Beaten egg Oil for frying. Lard may be more authentic, but we've never used it. Bacon fat loses. Method: If using fresh chiles, char the skin over a flame, peel and seed. (This is a lot of work, and not recoommended for your first attempt or if under time pressure. Make sure you finish the enchilada assembly (and compile) in plenty of time.) Check canned chiles for seeds, sometimes the get left in. Slice jack cheese not more than a quarter-inch thick, and fit into the whole chiles. You may have to shape the slices to fit. You can use several pieces of cheese per chile, but don't let them overlap too much inside,or the finished chile relleno will be too runny. Heat the pan, and put about an eighth of an inch of oil in. Dip each stuffed chile in flour, then beaten egg, flour again, and beaten egg again. Place into the hot oil in the pan. Turn when brown on the bottom, cook until brown again, and serve immediately. Not very good cold. Some people put a sauce on these, but we prefer to just eat them as is. A sauce just makes the crust soggy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Both of these recipes are really easier to do than to explain. Give them a try and see how they go. Once you grasp what's going on, it will be simple. Enjoy! -- Berry Kercheval Zehntel Inc. (ihnp4!zehntel!zinfandel!berry) (415)932-6900
clark@aurora.UUCP (Clark Quinn) (09/05/84)
Barry's article on enchiladas covers most of the high points of what I consider to be the proper way to make enchiladas. I have a couple of historical notes and some alternatives. First, I was surprised by the use of flour tortillas. I always use corn tortillas for enchiladas. Is this a new idea? I may have to try it. Second, I have read that the authentic way to soften the tortillas is to dip them in sauce, and then into hot oil. This is a mess, and I usually use Barry's method. (Besides the health considerations). As an aside, vegetarians should be careful to look for unlarded tortillas to make these recipes. As for the meat, I use a crockpot, cook the meat in the enchilada sauce, then drain and shred the beef, reserving the sauce for dipping the tortillas in. I usually use one can and one package of enchilada sauce mix, and use at least some good mexican beer instead of water in the crockpot. On assembly, I use no toothpicks, letting the weight of the enchilada keep the roll closed. -- Clark Comida superior!