New Mexican Red Chile Chicken Enchiladas
When (I said when and not if because everyone should experience it) you visit New Mexico, you’ll get asked “red or green” and this refers to the type of chile that flavors most of the regional cuisine.
Red chile is a green chile that was allowed to stay on the plant longer. As far as flavor goes, I find red chile is more complex and wins my heart over almost every time.
Most commonly green chile pairs with light meats (chicken). However, my favorite New Mexican spot in Santa Fe is Casa Chimayo and one of their signature dishes is red chile chicken enchiladas. If you have beef with the rule breaking, take it up with the owner’s prior generations because I’m just the innocent product of it.
Back to enchiladas, most New Mexican enchiladas are served stacked. In a restaurant, enchiladas are made individually so are in a round shape - usually 2-3 tortillas high. Enchiladas served in a home or on a buffet are cooked in a large dish and are still stacked (not rolled)
Ingredients
4 quarts dried New Mexican red chile pods (I’m partial to Chimayo red chile)
water
1.5 t salt
5 large cloves garlic
4 lbs chicken breast
1 t salt
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1 package of corn tortillas
18 oz of sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
Wash the chile, break off the stems and quickly run a finger in the inside of the chile to remove loose seeds. Cover the chile with water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow the chile to soften. When soft, add the chile (keep the water!!!!) to a blender with 1.5 t salt, garlic and just enough chile water to puree it until smooth. Run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a pot or bowl. Add the solids back to the blender with a little more chile water and repeat the remaining steps. Freeze the solids for later use. If your sauce is too runny, boil it until you get a desired thickness (if you run a spoon through the top of the sauce, you should just barely see a trail left).
Add the chicken breast and 1 t salt to the chile water and boil the water until the chicken is cooked. Remove and pull it apart to bite sizeish (err on the side of too big). Keep the water!!! Taste it and you’ll see why. It’s a perfect broth for a soup. Stay tuned next week for one way to use it.
Heat 1 T of olive oil in a frying pan. Quickly saute the garlic just until it begins to color. Add the garlic to the chicken.
In a 11x15 Pyrex, put a thin layer of red chile on the bottom of the pan.
Put a little olive oil in the frying pan and put a tortilla in the oil for a few seconds on each side. This prevents the tortilla from cracking. Put a single layer of tortillas on the bottom of the pan. You’ll need to tear a tortilla or two to fill in the gaps. Add half of the chicken, a generous coating of chile and top with cheese. Repeat. Add one more layer of tortillas, chile and cheese. I like to go lighter on the last layer of cheese so the chile is still visible.
If you have extra red chile, freeze it. Use it to make frito pies, breakfast burritos, heuvos rancheros, salad dressings, etc.
Notes
You can increase or decrease the amount of cheese by a little. Keep in mind too much cheese is a thing and this won’t be the last time I say that.
You can make red chile from ground red chile but I think the flavor and texture is compromised.
If you can’t find New Mexican red chile, don’t sweat it. Go to your favorite Mexican or International grocery and buy whatever pods they have. Keep in mind the heat level because you’ll be using plenty of chile here. If pepper spice is an issue for you, get a milder chile and don’t skimp on the sauce!).
