Extra salt is just as important to the overall culinary operation as parsley and Spanish onions. So are perfectly ripe tomatoes, which are great for the sauce and make your enchiladas go from a fluffy labor of love to a stunning standout. But if you don’t have the time, supplies, or hands to pull off the authentic dish (typically in a Hispanic region, you will probably find whole steaks of beef in jalapeño bits thrown in, which takes the quintessential dish to another level), a restaurant dish is probably your best bet.
By my count, I’ve had this dish 20 times or more over the years. It has always gone over well. But there’s one simple alteration I would make this year: Instead of the traditional avocado or avocado jam, use well-rinsed olives and drizzle them with Tabasco sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
- 3/4 pound fresh chorizo, sliced crosswise into thin ribbons
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 pounds beef or pork sausage, in 2- to 3-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 pound crumbled cooked Mexican cheese, such as Oaxaca or corn tortilla cheese or cotija cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole corn tortillas, thawed
- 1 lime, quartered and seeded
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
-
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chorizo and cook until the sausage is well browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the tomatoes and onions to a large bowl.
- Thinly slice the sausage and add to the bowl with the onions and tomatoes. Add the sausage, garlic, cheese, tortilla or cotija cheese, salt, and pepper, and stir well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Scrape the corn tortillas into a small bowl and sprinkle them with lime juice and chopped parsley. Set aside.
- Transfer the enchiladas to a 12-by-18-inch baking dish and top each with 1 tortilla. Brush the top with the lime juice and sprinkle with parsley and cilantro. Top with the other tortilla.
- In the microwave-safe dish, brush the enchiladas with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Bake in the oven until the top is dark golden brown and crisp and the insides are moistened, about 25 minutes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Melissa Clark is a Chicago-based chef and author of more than 20 cookbooks. Her most recent, Slow Food Nation: Stories, Recipes, and Ideas for Reimagining Everyday Food (Clarkson Potter, September 2014), takes a humorous look at preparing a meal and recommending eats for those who live for them.