Chicken or Pork Enchiladas

Prep Methods/Techniques , ,
Cuisine
Course ,
Servings 8
Description
Who doesn't love enchiladas? This is my favorite recipe for them. It can be made from scratch with all the calories and time consuming preparation, or, try some of the variations and shortcuts.
Noted on: 2/15/2012
Ingredients
    Chicken Filling
  • 2 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • 3 jalapeño chiles (or more, minced)
  • 1 large onion (diced)
  • 6 large tomatoes (diced)
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
    • Pork filling
  • 1 1/2 lb Carnitas (see notes)
  • 4 oz cream cheese
    • Enchiladas
  • 16 corn tortillas (possibly more)
  • Vegetable oil (for frying)
  • Red Chile Gravy (see notes)
  • Salsa Verde (see notes)
  • 1 lb Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 pt sour cream
  • 2 avocados (peeled, pitted and sliced)
  • 1 white onion (sliced into rings)
Method
    For the chicken filling:
  1. Place the chicken pieces in a pot with water to cover. Simmer until just cooked. Remove with tongs and, when cool enough to handle, shred the meat and set aside
  2. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan and, when warm, sauté the jalapeño and the onion over medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and cooked chicken. Season with salt and pepper and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Set aside.
    3. For the pork filling
  3. Mix the carnitas with cream cheese and set aside.
    4. To make the enchiladas:
  4. Your filling, Red Chile Gravy and Salsa Verde should be warm or at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  5. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, hold a tortilla in the hot oil for about 10 seconds to soften. Drain on paper towels.
  6. Place a couple spoonfuls of the filling in the center of the tortilla. Roll it and place in a baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
  7. Pour enough Red Chile Gravy on top of the filled enchiladas to provide a nice blanket. Next, pour some salsa verde on top. Finally, sprinkle cheese on top of the sauces. Place in the oven and bake until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is bubbling.
  8. Serve garnished with sour cream, avocado wedges and onion rings.
Cook's Notes
Find the recipe for Salsa Verde here.
Find the recipe for Red Chile Gravy here.
Ingredient Notes
If available, a Mexican melting cheese could replace Monterey Jack cheese.
Carnitas are damn good. But, you can use leftover pork chops or roast, shredded. I've used leftover smoked pork shoulder with great success.
Any combination of white and dark meat chicken can replace the chicken breast.
Tomatoes may be canned if the fresh ones are awful. You will need a large can.
Short Cuts
Use canned Chile Colorado or enchilada sauce in place of the Red Chile Gravy.
Use canned salsa verde in place of the homemade.
Advance Prep
Make the carnitas up to 3 days ahead.
The sauces can be made the day before and so can the chicken filling.
Variations
If you must cut some fat or calories, here are some places to do it.
Skip the cream cheese in the carnitas filling.
In the chicken filling cut the butter to 1 tablespoon. It will be missed but not too much.
Go easy on the cheese.
Skip the sour cream and/or avocado.
Don't skip the frying of the corn tortillas or you will have soggy enchiladas.
Try making stacked enchiladas. This works best with the chicken filling. Have your sauces and fillings hot. In a dry skillet heat the tortillas one at a time until they get browned in spots. Keep these warm. Place a warm tortilla on a plate, spoon on some filling, add another tortilla on top and so on, as many as layers as the eater requests. Top with sauces and a little cheese. Serve immediately.