Time: 3 hours.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

Enchiladas in the Mexican state of Oaxaca are baked in a red chili sauce. This recipe features dried ancho and pasilla peppers, along with a few light raisins, which bring out the fruity notes of the peppers and add a touch of sweetness. The filling is pork shoulder, which is simmered in a flavorful sauce until perfectly tender. Before wrapping it in tortillas, fry the tortillas in oil to create a firmer texture and better hold their shape. The enchiladas are baked under a layer of cheese and served topped with pickled red onion.

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1.5 cups distilled white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 boneless pork shoulder weighing 0.5 kg.
• Half a medium onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. l. ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 55g ancho peppers (about 9 pods), seeds and stems removed, optional
• 55g pasilla peppers (about 8 pods), seeds and stems removed, optional
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 8 corn tortillas, 15 cm in diameter.
• 220 g quesillo or whole milk mozzarella, grated
• Lime wedges for squeezing with juice

Substituting ingredients
Measuring containers used

1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Recipes with similar ingredients

pork shoulder, mozzarella cheese, tomato paste, pasilla pepper, ancho pepper, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, lime, raisin

We recommend

Preparation:

Step 1
• Rinse the red onion in cold water, separating the rings and discarding the white pith between the layers. Drain. In a medium bowl, combine the red onion, vinegar, 1.5 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, and sugar until the sugar and salt dissolve. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until ready to serve.
Step 2
• Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or cauldron over medium-high heat. Fry the pork, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Step 3
• Add the yellow onion to the same pan, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until the paste turns brick red and the mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ancho and pasilla peppers, bay leaf, raisins, broth, and 1 tablespoon salt.
Step 4
• Return the pork and any juices to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the pork is very tender, 1.5 to 2 hours.
Step 5
• Remove the bay leaf and discard. Transfer the pork to a bowl. Leave the liquid in the pan.
Step 6
• Let the hot saucepan cool for 5 minutes, then pour it into a blender, filling it no more than halfway. Remove the lid and place it over the blender. Cover the lid with a folded kitchen towel to prevent the sauce from splattering, and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce into a bowl and repeat with the remaining saucepan liquid. Season with salt to taste.
Step 7
• Pour 0.5 cups of chili sauce over the pork. Using a potato masher, mash the pork in the sauce until it falls apart completely. Remove any large pieces of fat and discard. Stir and season with salt if needed.
Step 8
• Position the oven rack on the middle shelf and preheat the oven to 220°C.
Step 9
• In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 cup vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer just as the edge of a tortilla touches the surface. Fry the tortillas, one at a time, until crisp, about 10 seconds per side (they should still be slightly pliable). Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil.
Step 10
• Dip both sides of each tortilla in chili sauce, just to moisten, and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Spread 1/2 cup chili sauce in a 6-inch strip down the center of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Step 11
• Place 1/4 cup of the chopped pork in the center of the tortilla. Fold one side over the filling, then roll the tortilla into a tube. Place in the prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with the sauce and the remaining tortillas (the enchiladas should be pressed together in the dish). Pour any remaining sauce from the bowl or any leftovers from the baking dish over the top.
Step 12
• Cover tightly with foil and bake until the sauce begins to bubble, 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the enchiladas with cheese, and bake until the cheese is melted but not browned, 5-10 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Step 13
• Top the enchiladas with pickled red onion. Serve with lime wedges for a squeeze of juice.
  
  Note
  
  Look for softer, more pliable dried ancho and pasilla peppers. Hard, brittle pods are a sign that the peppers are old and have lost almost all flavor.
  
  Quesillo is a white, semi-soft Mexican cheese, also known as queso Oaxaca or asadero. Mozzarella is a great substitute.

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