Chipotle Shredded Pork Enchiladas

I actually roasted myself some tomatillos and some tomatoes!

And then I made a homemade enchilada sauce.

And it was so good.  So, so Good.

As you know, I have a huge cookbook collection---some of them are good, some fair, and some, like this cookbook are amazing!  (if you want to see a small sample of what I have go here .  Oh go ahead click on it, I'll wait.)

Muy Bueno, Three Generations of Authentic Mexican Flavor.

Recipes AND Stories.  I love the stories.

I was really happy with the 3 generations of viewpoints: traditional, modern and south of the border-home-style  recipes thru-out the cookbook.  The photos are great, so are the stories, but most of all this pork enchilada dish was great!

If you like Mexican cooking at all---I suggest you try this cookbook.

The Handyman and I enjoyed a nice supper outside on the patio. We love to eat there in the summer time.  And in Nevada we are not bothered by bugs much.  A yellow-jacket bee once in a great while comes to see what we are eating, but no mosquitoes at all, no gnats, no bugs.  

I guess it's a pay off right? We have no water, no trees---but a nice gorgeous desert to look at.  And---no bugs.

Fix a nice big margarita to go with this and enjoy!

I love to make from scratch recipes, and I thought the sauce for this dish was very good.   I'd use it on other things.

Chipotle Shredded Pork Enchiladas
from Muy Bueno

pork

• 1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin, shredded *see instructions below
• 1 (8 ounce) beer
• 1 bay leaf

sauce

• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (7 ounce) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 can (8 ounce) tomato sauce (depending on spice tolerance you may need an extra can)
• 2 roma tomatoes, roasted *see instructions below
• 4 tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and roasted *see instructions below
• ½ large white onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt (to taste)

enchiladas

• ½ cup canola oil, for frying
• 12 – 18 corn tortillas, preferably white
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (preferably Enchilado or Muenster)
• 1/2 cup crema Mexicana or sour cream, for topping

directions:

shredded pork

1. Place the pork tenderloin and bay leaf in a slow cooker; pour the beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6-8 hours.
2. Discard the bay leaf. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred the meat. Set aside for assembly.

roast tomatoes and tomatillos

1. Arrange tomatoes and tomatillos on a baking sheet. Place your oven rack as close to the broiler as possible.
2. Broil the tomatoes and tomatillos for about 20 minutes until softened, turning over after 10 minutes. If the skin has blackened remove it. Set aside.

for sauce

1. In a blender place the can of diced tomatoes, chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, tomato sauce, roasted tomatoes and roasted tomatillos, chopped onion, garlic cloves, flour, and water. Puree until smooth.
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Pour mixture into skillet and stir. Taste and season with salt, usually about 2 teaspoons. If sauce is too spicy, add an additional can of tomato sauce and stir. If sauce is too thick, add water until desired constancy is reached, making sure to add more salt if necessary.

assembly

1. In a large skillet, heat canola oil until hot. Fry tortillas until softened. Drain on paper towels.
2. Place lightly fried tortillas, one at a time, in pot of warm red sauce, turning to coat. Place coated tortillas on serving plate.
3. Layer each tortilla with cooked pork, grated cheese, and onions. Repeat layering until stacked three to four tortillas. Serve with a dollop of crema or sour cream and your favorite side dish.