Beef Enchiladas with Homemade Mexican Red Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

For Mexican Red Sauce:
8 dried ancho chiles (also called California chiles, as I discovered during emergency Googling in the international aisle at Wegmans)
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon cumin (or ground cumin)
a small pinch of ground cloves (traditional but optional)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups soaking liquid (from soaking peppers)
¼ cup vegetable oil
For meat enchiladas:
20 soft corn tortillas
1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups grated cheese; I like a mix of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese
3-4 cups enchilada sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400. Bring a kettle or small pot of water to the boil. Prepare the chilies by pulling or cutting the stems and shaking out as many of the seeds as possible. It’s okay if they separate, they’ll all mix together later. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.Place the peppers in a large heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Let them rest for 1-2 hours. The water turns a deep red color and the peppers become very soft.
Next, place the peppers, two cups of soaking liquid, garlic and spices in a blender and puree until completely smooth. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the puree mixture, vinegar and chicken stock.Cook over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. You should have about 3 ½ cups. In this point
You can let the sauce cool, transfer to a container, and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to make enchiladas.
To prepare enchiladas:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Using tongs, toast the corn tortillas over a gas burner until golden brown in spots. If you don’t have a gas stove or don’t want to live dangerously, roast in a hot, dry skillet (I recommend a nonstick or cast iron skillet). Stack them on a plate and cover with aluminum foil or a clean kitchen towel to allow the tortillas to steam and soften.This step is important for two reasons: it adds flavor to the tortillas and prevents them from bursting when rolled later. Most traditional recipes require each individual dish to be quickly fried in oil. In my opinion this is easier and much less greasy!
While the tortillas are steaming and cooling slightly, prepare the meat mixture. Fry the onion, garlic and meat until golden brown.Season with salt and pepper. Add ½ cup enchilada sauce and cook a few more minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, add ½ cup cheese to meat and stir. Allow to cool slightly.
Spray the bottom of a large baking dish (mine is 9 x 13 inches) with nonstick cooking spray and top with a very thin layer of Mexican red sauce.Save a cup of sauce for sprinkling later and place the rest on a flat plate. Set up an assembly line with shredded cheese, beef, tortillas and salsa. Take a tortilla and dip both sides in the sauce, add about 2-3 tablespoons of meat mixture and a pinch of cheese, carefully roll it up and place it seam side down in a baking dish. Repeat with the rest. I use my hands for the entire process, including removing the meat.It’s worth getting dirty and your hands will be covered in sauce. So using a spoon is a bit silly (plus it’s fun to play with food!).
Pour the rest of the Mexican red sauce over the enchiladas and top with lots of cheese (as much as is left, plus a little more if you like…)It can’t hurt, can it? Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese begins to brown in spots. About 5-10 more minutes.
I like to serve it with plain white rice, black beans cooked with garlic and cumin, shredded lettuce, sour cream, cilantro, pickled red onions and hot sauce.A few slices of avocado or some guacamole always taste good too.