Adam Roberts

Instructions In a dry skillet heated on high heat, toast the ancho chiles on each side for about 10 seconds or just until they start to puff. Fill the skillet with enough water to cover the chiles (it’ll sizzle). Leave the heat on until the water begins to boil and then turn off the heat and let the chiles soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Once hydrated, discard the soaking water and rinse the chiles. Place in a blender. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or lard, and cook 1/2 of the onions with a pinch of salt, occasionally stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Place cooked onions and garlic into the blender, along with the cumin, oregano, allspice, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and 1 cup of water. Blend until smooth. In the same pot that you used to cook the onions and garlic, on medium heat brown the ground beef (add a little salt), stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the chile puree and the beef broth, heat on high until boiling, and then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, adjust seasonings and add salt, black pepper, and cayenne to taste. To make the enchiladas, first preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a large baking dish (I used 9 X 13). In a skillet, heat up the oil or lard on medium-low heat. One at a time, heat up the tortillas in the hot oil. Keep them wrapped in a cloth or tortilla warmer until all the tortillas are heated. Take a heated tortilla and use tongs to dip it into the sauce. Shake off most of the sauce, but make sure that it’s moist enough to be pliable. Lay the tortilla on a plate or clean cooking surface, add 1/4 cup of the grated cheese down the center of it, along with a few of the diced onions. Roll the tortilla. Place rolled enchilada in the greased baking dish and repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining grated cheese and diced onions. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbling.Instructions In a dry skillet heated on high heat, toast the ancho chiles on each side for about 10 seconds or just until they start to puff. Fill the skillet with enough water to cover the chiles (it’ll sizzle). Leave the heat on until the water begins to boil and then turn off the heat and let the chiles soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Once hydrated, discard the soaking water and rinse the chiles. Place in a blender. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or lard, and cook 1/2 of the onions with a pinch of salt, occasionally stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Place cooked onions and garlic into the blender, along with the cumin, oregano, allspice, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and 1 cup of water. Blend until smooth. In the same pot that you used to cook the onions and garlic, on medium heat brown the ground beef (add a little salt), stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the chile puree and the beef broth, heat on high until boiling, and then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, adjust seasonings and add salt, black pepper, and cayenne to taste. To make the enchiladas, first preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a large baking dish (I used 9 X 13). In a skillet, heat up the oil or lard on medium-low heat. One at a time, heat up the tortillas in the hot oil. Keep them wrapped in a cloth or tortilla warmer until all the tortillas are heated. Take a heated tortilla and use tongs to dip it into the sauce. Shake off most of the sauce, but make sure that it’s moist enough to be pliable. Lay the tortilla on a plate or clean cooking surface, add 1/4 cup of the grated cheese down the center of it, along with a few of the diced onions. Roll the tortilla. Place rolled enchilada in the greased baking dish and repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining grated cheese and diced onions. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbling.