Picadillo Enchiladas

Over the years, my love for cooking, (mixed with my desire to learn more about half of my ancestry), has led me on a journey exploring the food traditions of Mexico. Some of the discoveries I've made include: homemade tortillas are infinitely better than store-bought, you can never have too many helping hands when making tamales, and serving a bubbling pan of enchiladas is like a hug from the kitchen. The endless variety of fillings and sauces that can be made into enchiladas add to their near-universal appeal. Here, corn tortillas are rolled with a zesty beef picadillo filling, before being smothered in a classic red sauce.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 small green bell pepper, diced

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 pound ground beef, 80/20

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground chipotle or ancho chili (or to taste)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 large russet potato, peeled and ½-inch diced, about 1 cup

One 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

½ cup chicken stock or water

3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 corn tortillas

2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, (about 8 to 10 ounces)

3 ½ cups (28-ounce can) red enchilada sauce

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over moderate heat. Cook onions with green pepper until translucent and soft, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the beef and break up with spoon, stirring to incorporate with the onion mixture. Add the oregano, cumin, chili, cinnamon, and allspice to the beef. Then season to taste with salt and black pepper. Continue to cook for 5 to 8 minutes until the beef is browned.

Next, add the diced potatoes and stir them into the meat mixture. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock, turn up heat and bring to a simmer. Then cover the pan, lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove lid, raise heat back to medium, and simmer uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Picadillo is done when the potatoes are tender, and the liquid has reduced and thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning. Take off heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, quickly fry tortillas, one at a time, until soft, about 5 seconds per side. Add more oil to pan halfway through, if needed. Be gentle to prevent tortillas from ripping. Drain on paper towels, then stack cooked tortillas on a plate and set aside.

Pour a thin layer of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Spread about ¼ cup of the picadillo down the center of a tortilla, and top with a spoonful of the cheese. Carefully, roll from the side closest to you, tightly packing the filling, to make enchilada. Place seam side down in the pan and then repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour a generous amount of remaining enchilada sauce over the tops, making sure to get sauce in between and all around each enchilada. Top with thin layer of cheese and set in a hot oven on the middle rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned. Allow pan to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

Picadillo is a beloved dish, with versions found across Latin America. Some versions use lots of tomatoes, while some use barely any at all. In Cuba and Puerto Rico, instead of potatoes, they add green olives and raisins, a nod to Spanish cuisine. In Mexico, picadillo is often simply served as a stew with rice, or as a filling for tacos, tostadas, and enchiladas. In South America, it is often made with shredded beef and used as a filling for empanadas.

When assembling the enchiladas, sometimes I will arrange them in two pans to avoid overcrowding. Rotate the pans halfway through baking, and cover with foil if the top is browning too fast. You can also freeze half of the unbaked enchiladas, for a future dinner. When baking from frozen, cover with foil for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through.

This week I served these enchiladas with sour cream and chopped cilantro garnished on top. A bright salad of cabbage, red onion, radish, pepitas, and lime juice was refreshing on the side. Buen provecho. Enjoy!