Enchiladas Verdes Recipe

How to make it

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• First, about the cheese. Cheddar does not belong near anything Mexican, ever, period, no. Cheddar is Tex-Mex. As far as Mexican cheeses go, most don't melt into goo. That's Tex-Mex too. Use a queso fresco or queso anejo, and run it through the shredder disk of your food processor. If you can't get either but want to be authentic, use a farmer's cheese. If you want gooey cheese, use Monterrey Jack.
• Next, about salsa verde. If you were just making it, you'd just use the stock, but since we're using the chicken in the recipe, we'll use the chicken to enrich the stock.
• Tomatillos seem to be available everywhere these days, which is good, because they are not tomatoes, and there is no substitute for them. Peel off the papery husk (very easy), then rinse them (but don't worry about the stickiness).
• Enchiladas are easier to make with "old" tortillas (use that package of tortillas that's been in the back of your refrigerator, and not fresh ones, if you can). They're less fragile after they've dried out some. To soften them, you can either be authentic, and dip in 375-degree oil for a couple of seconds, or nuke them in the plastic bag for 1 minute. Tortillas softened in the oven or microwave tend to be more fragile.
• Finally, you can roll or fold enchiladas ("enchilar" means "to fold,"), and as messy as these are, I recommend folding them, moving them to individual plates, then nuking them for about two minutes each, to heat everything through. If you don't care what they look like, put a spoonful or so of salsa verde in the bottom of a pan to coat the bottom, put enchiladas in the pan, and either nuke the pan for 5 minutes or so, or put in a 400-degree oven for about 15 minutes.
• Simmer the chicken in the stock in a pan just large enough to hold the chicken about 30 minutes, until done. Remove the chicken, debone and dice it, and measure the stock. If you have more than 2 c., reduce it.
• If you don't have access to crema or creme fraiche, or can't be bothered, mix 1 part sour cream to 2 parts heavy cream.
• Make the salsa verde: Simmer the tomatillos, chiles, and garlic about five minutes in the stock until the tomatillos are soft (but not until they burst). Remove to the blender. Add about a cup of the stock, then puree. Add the remaining stock. In a skillet, heat the lard or oil until quite hot, then add the puree. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the consistency of light cream. Salt to taste, and when cool, stir in chopped cilantro.
• Put the onions, chicken, cheese, and crema each in its own bowl, then nuke the tortillas for 1 minute, to soften them.
• Dip a tortilla in the salsa verde to coat both sides, then remove to a plate. Put a spoonful of onions, chicken, cheese and crema on the tortilla and fold or roll. Place enchilada on serving plate, individual plate, or pan, then repeat until done. If you have filling left over, sprinkle it on top. Nuke about 1 1/2 minutes to heat through.