Spring Hill Ranchs New Mexico Red Enchilada Sauce Recipes

NEW MEXICO STACKED ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Brown ground beef and onion in a fry pan until done. Drain excess grease, stir in the Hatch Green chile and set aside.
• In a fry pan, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. The oil should be hot enough that the tortillas bubbles as its lowered into the oil. Fry corn tortillas one at a time 30 seconds each. Place tortillas on a plate that's been lined with a paper towel. Place another paper towel on top of the tortillas as you cook them to help keep them warm.
• To build the enchiladas. In an oven proof dishes, I use my Comal, place one tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup ground beef and 1/4 cup New Mexico Red Chile Sauce and a good sprinkle of the shredded cheese and fresh tomato. Place a tortilla on top of of that and another layer of the ingredients. Place the third tortilla on top and sprinkle with cheese and sauce. Use three tortillas for each stack.
• In the meantime, fry two eggs until over easy.
• Bake or broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately topped with more fresh tomato, chopped lettuce and fried egg. If you want add a dollop of sour cream to the top and diced raw onions (after baking)
• This served the two of us with plenty of leftovers.

SPRING HILL RANCH'S NEW MEXICO RED ENCHILADA SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, bring the broth to a simmer.
• 2. Meanwhile, remove the stems from the chiles and shake out the seeds. Place them in a medium-sized skillet, about 10" wide and 2 1/2" deep. Once the broth is hot, pour it into the chile skillet and place it over very low heat to allow the chiles to steep. Place a plate over the chiles to keep them submerged. Steep the chiles until they have softened and are quite pliable, about 20 minutes.
• 3. (This step will net between 3 and 4 cups of hot enchilada sauce, so if your blender is not large enough, do it in batches.) Place the softened chiles in a blender, packing them in snugly but not to pack very tightly. Pour in enough of the broth to come half way up the chiles. Add the onion, garlic, oregano and cumin. Blend on medium-high speed until the sauce is very smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add additional broth or some water.
• 4. If an ultra-smooth sauce is desired, in a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl, strain the sauce.

NEW MEXICO STYLE ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• 1. Heat the lard in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the diced onion until it begins to turn translucent and soften. Add the shredded meat and enchilada sauce. Bring to a simmer, turn the heat down to low and simmer 15 minutes, stirring often.
• 2. In a separate small skillet, warm a tortilla just until it becomes soft. Slide the tortilla through the meat mixture to coat with the sauce, then lay it on a plate. Place a scoop of meat mixture, a little shredded lettuce and a little shredded cheese on the tortilla. Repeat with another tortilla, stacking it on top of the one you've already completed; a typical enchilada plate will have two or three layers. Top with a fried egg. Garnish with the cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, some guacamole and/or salsa or pico de gallo. A big ol' serving of frijoles refritos (refried beans) goes really well on the side, too!

SPRING HILL RANCH'S NEW MEXICO RED CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. In a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat, heat the lard until it is shimmering but not yet smoking. Sauté the onion until it has softened and become translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until it is nice and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour. Stir gently but constantly until the roux reaches a medium brown ("peanut butter") color, about 2 minutes. Add the chile powder or chiles, garlic, chicken broth, oregano, salt and cumin (if using). Simmer, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Add a little water if needed for proper consistency. Blend or process if desired for a smoother texture.
• 2. Slather the hot (temperature-wise) sauce over or under your New Mexican or southwestern dishes. Kept in an air tight container, this should stay fresh for at least a week in the refrigerator.