Enchiladas de papa con chorizo or soyrizo with a huevo on top, New Mexico Style.

In my dream last night, I was the lead vocalist for a mariachi group that solely showcased at a drive-in theater.  I remember my outfit had to be immaculate, and shining bright because I was going to have Luis Bunuel’s “Los Olvidados” playing as my backdrop. Flickering in my memory all the headlights from the cars were blinding my view, it was like a thick fog that I couldn’t reach through.  I sang “Por Un Amor” over and over again. It was the only song we were hired to play, and even when we took requests, it was the only song people asked for.  By the time I made it home my shoes were torn and my trenzas were ragged, the drive-in must have made a prisoner of me.  But here’s the highlight of the dream…. When I arrived home there was a big platter of enchiladas wrapped in plastic waiting for me at my doorstep, my mouth watered, I sniffed over the plastic wrap trying to detect their scent.  I stumbled over my own feet giving all my concentration to the glorious plate, as I was about to sit down and enjoy my cheesy surprise…. I WOKE UP to my son holding my ear in one hand and touching my cheek with the other.  I couldn’t go into my day without fulfilling my craving.  I HAD to have those ENCHILADAS that I was about to ravenously devour in my sleep!

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

Ingredients for Enchilada Sauce:

1 – large onion peeled

3 – garlic cloves peeled

3 – ounces new mexico dried chile

3 – ounces california dried chile

1 – large dried passilla chile

3 – tablespoons salt

7 – cups water

In a big pot add water, 2 tablespoons of salt, all chiles, onion, and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil.  Boil for 20 minutes. Water will turn dark brown.

Remove chiles and garlic cloves from water. Discard onion. Do not discard water, you will be using it in the next step. Remove stems from chiles, then add to a blender along with 2 cups of water from the pot, garlic cloves, and a tablespoon of salt.  Blend for 2 minutes.

Once blended get a big bowl and add 1/2 cup of water from pot into the bowl, then take the blended chile and put through a strainer. It will be thick. Add a little bit of water from pot to chile strainer and scrape with a spoon. Use up to 3 cups of water for the entire process. It’s time consuming but your enchilada sauce will be clean and super tasty. Set to the side.

Enchilada Ingredients:

1 – cup vegetable oil plus 3 tablespoons

2 – medium sized Idaho potatoes (peeled and cubed)

black pepper for seasoning to your liking

1 – cup onion (diced small)

6 – ounces pork chorizo or soyrizo (remove casing before cooking)

1 – pound grated colby jack cheese ( I use Tillamook)

2.25 – ounces Lindsay sliced black olives

10 to 12 – king size corn tortillas ( I use Guerrero)

6 – Eggs (I use Horizon Organic)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.

In a large frying pan, over medium high flame, add 2 tablespoons oil. Allow to get hot and add cubed potatoes. Season with black pepper to your liking. Fry Idaho potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup of chopped onion and fry for 3 to 5 minutes. Then add chorizo or soyrizo. Remember to remove casing. Break up chorizo/soyrizo with a spatula, and mix into Idaho potato onion mixture. If you are using chorizo, fry for 10 minutes. If you are using soyrizo fry for 5. Then take off flame and set to the side in a bowl.

Take two large frying pans.  Fill one of your frying pans with 1 cup vegetable oil and heat over a med-high flame.  Allow to get hot. In the other frying pan, fill with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over a medium flame and wait till it gets hot, then pour in 3 to 4 cups of your enchilada sauce. Let the oil and chile combine then lower your flame very low, so that your chile will simmer.

Dip your corn tortilla into the (Oil) frying pan, and let it fry on each side for 30 seconds. You don’t want your tortilla to be too hard that it ends up looking like a tostada, but you don’t want it to rip in the rolling process either. What you’re looking for is a tortilla that is slightly hard but still bends.

Then with tongs… take your fried tortilla and immerse it into the enchilada sauce.

Then take it out and place it on a plate to fill with the fillings.

Start with a tablespoon of the Idaho potato chorizo/soyrizo mixture and a small spinkle of onions.

Then add a few Lindsay olives and a small handful of cheese.

Gently roll into a tube shape.

Then place in a 9×13 baking dish. Then start the frying process all over again until you fill your baking dish with as many enchiladas as you can.

Once they are all settled in, take remaining enchilada sauce from hot pan and spoon over top. Then sprinkle cheese and a few Lindsay olives on top as well.

Place in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and slightly crunchy!

🙂 For estilo New Mexico, fry an egg sunny side up and place it on top of two or three enchiladas. In my opinion…. that is absolutely worthy of a dream!

YOLK TIME!

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