There are a few cool tricks to this Enchiladas Con Carne recipe, one of which Sam Sifton picked up from an old issue of Bon Appétit, one he learned from Robb Walsh, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur who runs El Real Tex-Mex in Houston, and a final one Sifton learned by happenstance. First, for the thickening agent in the chile sauce, toast raw all-purpose flour in a pan until it is nutty and golden brown, then reserve it to stir in with the browned beef later in the recipe. Second, if you like truly melty cheese in the classic Tex-Mex tradition, use a mixture of American cheese, like Velveeta, with the Cheddar you use inside and on top of the finished enchiladas.

cooking.nytimes.com

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CHILI CON CARNE
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola
1 pound ground chuck beef, ideally 20 percent fat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño pepper or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and chopped
1 cup chopped or canned crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons chile powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano, ideally Mexican
2 cups chicken stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium if store-bought

FOR THE ENCHILADAS
½ cup neutral oil, like canola
12 yellow corn tortillas
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of 1½ cups Cheddar cheese and 1½ cups American cheese, like Velveeta
1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the chili con carne: Put flour in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty, then pour it onto a plate to cool.

Wipe out sauté pan and return it to high heat with 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot and shimmery, add ground beef to pan, and cook, breaking it up with a fork and stirring, until it is well browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a bowl, leaving drippings behind.

Add onion, garlic and jalapeño to pan and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits of meat, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes and cook until their liquid has evaporated, then add chile powder, cumin and oregano and stir to combine. After a minute or so, when mixture begins to turn fragrant, return browned meat to pan, along with toasted flour, and stir well to combine.

Lower heat to medium-high and slowly stir in chicken stock, ½ cup at a time, until mixture has thickened and started to simmer. Lower heat again and allow chili to cook slowly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is tender. Add more stock or water if needed. Use immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a few days.

When you are ready to cook the enchiladas, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat ½ cup neutral oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.

Assemble the enchiladas: Using a ladle, put about ½ cup chili in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of cheese into each tortilla, along with a tablespoon or so of chili, then place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle remaining chili over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped onions over the top, if using, and serve immediately.

Almendrado with Chicken recipe from Pati Jinich’s Mexican Table Season 6, Episode 7 – The Art of Mole

Serves 4-5

patijinich.com

INGREDIENTS
1/2 large white onion cut into pieces
6 cloves garlic unpeeled
2 pounds (about 7 or 8) roma tomatoes
5 whole cloves
12 black peppercorns
1 1-inch stick ceylon cinnamon or canela
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 3-pound chicken cut into serving pieces (wings removed for later use and breasts cut in half)
1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
2 cups chicken broth divided
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup black raisins
1/2 cup manzanilla olives stuffed with pimiento sliced
1/4 cup capers chopped
1/2 cup pickled jalapeño rajas or slices

INSTRUCTIONS
Place onion, garlic and tomatoes under the broiler, or on an already heated skillet, griddle or comal set over medium heat. Roast or char for about 10 minutes, flipping in between, until ingredients are completely charred, cooked and mushy. Set aside and peel the garlic cloves when cool enough to handle.

In a small skillet set over medium heat, toast the cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon stick for a couple minutes, moving and flipping them around to toast evenly. Set aside. Toast the oregano for 10 to 15 seconds and remove from the heat.

In the jar of a blender, place the charred onion, peeled garlic and charred tomatoes, along with the tops from the whole cloves (discard the stems), the peppercorns, cinnamon and oregano. Puree until completely smooth.

Heat the oil in a large casserole set over medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Season the chicken with the salt and brown the chicken pieces for 2 to 3 minutes per side. You may need to do this in batches in order to not to crowd the casserole. Once you have removed all the chicken, immediately pour the tomato sauce into the hot oil and cover, as it will splatter. Reduce heat to medium.

Add a cup of chicken broth to the blender and puree for a few seconds to get all the remaining thick sauce out of the blender, pour into the simmering sauce and cover again. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Incorporate the remaining cup of chicken broth, almonds, raisins, olives and capers. Add the browned chicken pieces, cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 20 more minutes.

Remove the lid and add the pickled jalapeño slices. Increase heat to medium and cook for another 10 minutes, allowing all the flavors to blend and the sauce to thicken. Serve with rice.

It’s hard to come up with an English translation that does justice to this incredibly delicious, homey dish, so I’m slotting in the Spanish name. Entomatadas are tortillas rolled around fresh cheese doused with a roasted tomato-green chile sauce, then more cheese and a little thick cream. Most everyone says “enchiladas!” when they see it, but they’re not, really. They get a tomato sauce, not a chile sauce. That’s why they’re entomatadas not enchiladas. And ones with a bean sauce are enfrijoladas. That’s the way things work in Mexican Spanish. The only thing you need to know is that in central Mexico a tomato isn’t a tomate, it’s a jitomate (harkening back to the fruit’s original Aztec name). So there these beauties are called enjitomatadas.

Serves 4

rickbayless.com

YouTube video

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE SAUCE:
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (roughly 2 serranos or 1 small jalapeño), stemmed
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 small white onion, sliced ¼ inch thick
12 ounces ripe tomatoes OR 1 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil or fresh-rendered pork lard
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth or water
A large sprig of epazote or a big handful of cilantro leaves

FOR FINISHING THE DISH:
1 small white onion, cut into ¼-inch pieces
8 ounces (about 2 cups) crumbled Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese like goat cheese, dryish (hand-dipped) ricotta or salted farmers cheese
12 corn tortillas
A tablespoon or so of vegetable oil to brush or spray the tortillas
About 1/2 cup Mexican crema, crème fraiche or sour cream thinned with a little milk
2 ounces (about ½ cup) grated Mexican queso añejo (like Cotija) or other garnishing cheese like Parmesan or Romano (optional, but recommended)
A handful of cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS
Make the sauce. Heat a broiler and position the shelf on its highest setting. On a rimmed baking sheet, spread out the green chiles, unpeeled garlic and onion slices (in a single layer). (You may want to line the sheet with foil for easy clean up.) If using fresh tomatoes, spread them onto the sheet as well; set aside canned tomatoes to add later. Broil until everything is blotchy black and softened, then flip everything else and broil on the other side—tomatoes will take about 6 minutes per side; other vegetables may be ready in less time.

Cool everything until handleable, then pull off the tomatoes’ blackened skin (if you wish) and peel the garlic. Cut the chiles into several pieces, then combine all the roasted vegetables in a blender or food processor and coarsely puree (the mixture should still have a little texture). In a large (4-quart) saucepan, heat the oil or lard over medium-high. When hot enough to make a drop of the puree sizzle sharply, add it all at once. Stir nearly continuously for several minutes until the mixture darkens and thickens nearly to the consistency of tomato paste, about 7 minutes. Add the broth or water and the epazote or cilantro. Simmer for 20 or 30 minutes for the flavors to come together, then taste and season with salt, usually 1/2 teaspoon (depending on the saltiness of your broth).

Finish the dish. Scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water to rid it of unpleasant flavors, shake off excess moisture and scoop into a medium bowl. Add the crumbled cheese and toss to mix (use a light hand so that it stays light and separate). Either quick-fry the tortillas one by one in oil to soften them, blotting them dry with paper towels, or brush or spray both sides of the tortillas with oil, slide into a plastic bag (don’t seal) and microwave for 1 minute at 100% power. Three at a time, lay out tortillas, scoop a couple of heaping tablespoon of cheese onto each one, splash with a little sauce, then fold in half (like a half-moon) and lay ton a deep warm dinner plate, slightly overlapping. When 4 plates are filled (there should be a some of the filling left), bring the sauce to boil, ladle a portion over each set of filled tortillas, dollop with the crema, then scatter on the remaining filling, the añejo cheese (or a substitute) and the cilantro leaves.

Saucy White Beans and Greens on Toast is a combination of canned cannellini and cranberry beans cooked with spinach, jalapeño, cumin, and citrus is a cozy, quick dinner.

Serves 4

foodandwine.com

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium shallots, halved and thinly sliced (about 2/3 cup)
4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 medium jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans (undrained)
1 (14-ounce) can cranberry beans (see Note), drained but not rinsed
2 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh spinach
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus grated lemon zest for serving
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus grated lime zest for serving
4 (1-inch-thick) rustic bread slices
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh chives

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium until butter is melted. Add shallots, garlic, jalapeño, and cumin seeds; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened and cumin is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring often, until nearly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add broth, and bring to a simmer over medium-high.

Stir cannellini beans and their liquid and drained cranberry beans into broth in saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium, and cook, gently stirring occasionally, until hot, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, and cook, stirring often, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and lime juice; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add 2 bread slices; cook, turning once or twice, until nicely toasted on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Place 1 slice in each of 2 bowls. Repeat process with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and remaining 2 bread slices. Spoon saucy beans evenly over bread slices. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan, chives, lemon zest, and lime zest. Serve immediately.

Shrimp Enchiladas in a Rich Tomato Sauce, from Pati’s Mexican Table Season 7, Episode 11 “New York”

Serves 6

patijinich.com

INGREDIENTS
For enchiladas:
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp
5 sprigs fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves peeled
3 to 4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt divided, or to taste
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 to 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles to taste
4 scallions trimmed and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons canola or safflower oil divided
1 cup Mexican cream Latin style crema, or heavy cream, plus a bit more for garnish
12 Corn tortillas
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For garnish:
4 scallions trimmed and light green and white parts thinly sliced
1 ripe avocado halved, pitted, meat scooped out and sliced
2 ounces queso fresco farmer’s cheese or mild feta, crumbled (½ cup)

INSTRUCTIONS
Remove the shells and tails from the shrimp and reserve. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Cut each one into 3 or 4 bite-size pieces.

In a medium saucepan, combine the shrimp shells and tails, parsley, 1 of the garlic cloves, bay leaves and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cover with water, place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes. Strain the broth into a large measuring cup or heat-proof bowl.

Combine the tomatoes, remaining garlic, and chile(s) in a medium saucepan. Cover with water, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered until the tomatoes are thoroughly soft, about 10 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes and garlic clove to a blender. Add the 4 coarsely chopped scallions; if you have simmered 2 chiles, begin by adding only 1 of them to the blender, then once you taste the finished puree you can decide if you want to add the other. Add ½ teaspoon salt, the grated nutmeg, and 1 cup of the strained shrimp shell broth. Purée until completely smooth, taste and add the other chile if you would like more chile presence and heat (the sauce will become milder as it cooks and other ingredients are added).

Rinse and dry the saucepan, add a tablespoon of the oil and heat over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the pureed tomato sauce, being careful to avoid sputters, and cover partially with a lid. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, seasons and deepens in color to a much darker red, about 10 minutes. Uncover, reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the cream. Keep at a steady low simmer for 8 to 10 more minutes, or until the sauce is thick, creamy, and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust salt. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Prepare the tortillas for enchiladas by either heating them in a comal or passing them through hot oil.

To cook the shrimp, work in batches so that they will sear and not steam. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over high heat until hot, but not smoking, and the butter is bubbling. Add half the shrimp and season with salt. Cook for just a couple of minutes, stirring and flipping a few times, until just cooked through and lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and butter to the skillet, and once the butter is foaming, cook the remaining shrimp.

Reheat the sauce if necessary. One by one, sauce and fill the tortillas. Glide each prepared tortilla through the sauce and place on a plate. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the seared shrimp down the middle and fold in a half like a quesadilla. Place on a platter and continue with remaining the tortillas, overlapping the half moon-shaped enchiladas slightly. Once all of the enchiladas are filled, spoon the remaining tomato sauce on top. They should be sauced generously. Garnish with the sliced scallions, slices of avocado and crumbled cheese.

Quick Roasted Tomatillo Salsita includes white onion, cilantro and hot chiles for a spicy green sauce.

Yield 2 cups

patijinich.com

INGREDIENTS
1 pound tomatillos husked and rinsed
1 garlic clove unpeeled
1 thick slice of a large white onion (about 2 ounces)
1 whole jalapeño or serrano chile or more to taste
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and upper stems coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or more to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Pre-heat the broiler.

On a small baking dish or baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, place the tomatillos, garlic, onion slice and chile. Place under the broiler for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping the ingredients once in between, until completely charred and mushy. Watch out for the garlic as you may need to remove it a few minutes before the rest of the ingredients. When cool enough to handle, peel the husk off the garlic cloves and remove stem from the chile.

In the jar of a blender, place the tomatillos and their juices, chile, onion and garlic. Also add cilantro and salt. Puree to your desired texture, you may leave it chunky or puree until smooth.

In this Oxtail and White Sweet Potato Stew, a red wine braise, complete with other mulling ingredients like fresh orange and whole spices, makes the oxtails fall-apart tender and flavorful. The longer the braise, the better.

Serves 4-6

foodandwine.com

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds meaty oxtails
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds white sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 jalapeño, chopped
2 cups dry red wine
4 cups veal or beef stock
2 cups water
3 oranges, quartered
12 parsley sprigs
6 thyme sprigs
3 cinnamon sticks
3 dried bay leaves

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the olive oil. Season the oxtails with salt and pepper, and add half of them to the pot. Cook over moderately high heat until the oxtails are browned all over, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and brown the remaining oxtails.

Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes just begin to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. Add the jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the veal stock, 2 cups water, oranges, herb sprigs, cinnamon, and bay leaves, and bring to a simmer. Return the oxtails to the pot; cover and transfer to the oven. Braise until the meat is very tender, about 3 hours.

Discard the oranges, herb sprigs, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Skim off and discard any fat, and season with salt and pepper before serving.

Beer, chocolate, lard and masa harina are critical ingredients – no beans!

[Stock photo]

From Michael Chiarello:

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds beef chuck
Freshly ground black pepper
Gray salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus 2 teaspoons
2 tablespoons chili powder, plus 2 tablespoons
Masa harina (Mexican corn flour)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lard (Manteca)
4 red onions, peeled and minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 jalapeno peppers, sliced thin with seeds, stems removed [use chipotle in adobo – watch amount]
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 to 3 (12-ounce) bottles beer
1 (12-ounce) can diced tomato in juices
1 quart chicken stock
3 (12-ounce) cans black beans
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into large chunks

INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the chuck into ¾-inch pieces, or, to save time, have your butcher do this for you. Place the chuck in a large bowl. Season liberally with pepper (about 20 turns of the pepper grinder) and grey salt to taste– remember half of this will come off in the pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, and 2 tablespoons of the chili powder. Mix this well and coat the meat with the masa harina (this is a ground hominy flour common to Mexican cuisine and easily found in the Mexican food sections of many grocery stores). The flour will thicken the sauce and give it a specific, Mexican taste.

Preheat a cast iron Dutch oven on the stove over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and then the coated meat, spreading it evenly so it covers the bottom of the Dutch oven in 1 layer. Leave it alone, without turning it, so the meat will brown and caramelize. Meanwhile, add the lard. The meat has a lot of moisture in it, so a good amount of steam will come from the pan before it is caramelized. As it browns, slowly turn each piece with tongs. Once all sides are caramelized, remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a cookie sheet to cool, leaving juices in the Dutch oven to saute vegetables. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat until they start to caramelize and get soft. Add the jalapenos and allow to cook for 2 more minutes until soft. Add the tomato paste. Some of the same spices as were used on the meat will be used in the sauce. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of the cumin, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, the oregano, and 2 heaping tablespoons of the chili powder. Add beer. Stir to incorporate everything. Add diced tomatoes, and stir. Then add the reserved meat. Add chicken stock. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours until meat is wonderfully tender. Strain juice from the black beans, add the beans to the chili pot and bring up to simmer. Then add chunks of bittersweet chocolate. Stir until it melts. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days

Brightened by apple cider vinegar and tomatoes, our bacon jam adds sweet, tart and smoky flavors to countless dishes. We like this condiment spread on toast and served with an egg, layered into a grilled cheese sandwich or spooned on goat-cheese topped crostini.

Yield 1 1/2 cups

foodandwine.com

INGREDIENTS
12 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 1/4 cups)
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, halved, seeded and minced
Kosher salt
Pepper
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 medium beefsteak tomato, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
2 tablespoons tomato paste

INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium enameled cast-iron casserole, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 11 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a medium bowl. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.

Add the onion, garlic and jalapeño to the casserole and season with generous pinches of salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very soft, about 12 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and cook until the onion begins to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Pour in the vinegar and simmer until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the reserved bacon, tomato and tomato paste, cover partially and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until a thick jam forms, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape the bacon jam into a jar and let cool completely before sealing with a lid.