Enchiladas Potosinas con Queso Ranchero

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Cast iron comal or seasoned steel comal
• •Tortilla press lined with thin plastic
• •Blender
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Wide clay cazuela or heavy skillet for frying in manteca

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the chiles

   Heat a dry comal over medium. Toast the chile ancho one at a time, about 20 seconds per side, until the skin darkens slightly and the chile smells sweet and deep, like raisins and warm earth. Do not let them blacken. Burned ancho turns bitter and then you have to start again. Cover the toasted chiles with hot water and let them soften for 20 minutes.

   Chile ancho is dried poblano. It gives these enchiladas color and depth, not punishment. Not all Mexican food is a contest of heat.
2. 2

   Blend the paste

   Drain the chiles, saving the soaking liquid. Blend the softened chiles with the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 cup of the soaking liquid until completely smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. You should have a thick, clean red paste, not a watery sauce. This paste is going into the masa, so it has to be smooth.

3. 3

   Make the filling

   Mix the crumbled queso ranchero with the chopped white onion and 3 tablespoons of the chile ancho paste. Taste before adding salt. Queso ranchero can be gentle or salty depending on who made it. The filling should be damp enough to hold together but never wet. If it drips, it will leak on the comal.

4. 4

   Knead the masa

   Put the fresh nixtamal masa in a large bowl. Add the remaining chile ancho paste and 1 teaspoon salt. Knead for 5 minutes, pressing the chile through the masa until the color is even brick-red. If the masa cracks when you press a small ball flat, add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time. The texture should be soft, pliable, and clean in your hands. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.

5. 5

   Press and fill

   Divide the red masa into 18 balls, about the size of a small lime. Line a tortilla press with two pieces of thin plastic. Press one ball into a 5-inch tortilla, thicker than a taco tortilla. Place 1 tablespoon of the cheese filling on one half. Fold the plastic over to close the tortilla into a half-moon, then press the edges firmly with your fingers. Keep the filled enchiladas covered with a clean towel so the masa does not dry.

6. 6

   Set on comal

   Heat the comal over medium. Cook the filled enchiladas in batches, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the damp red masa turns matte, the edges seal, and small brown freckles appear. This step sets the shape before frying. If you drop raw filled masa straight into fat, it opens and makes a mess. No me vengas con atajos.

7. 7

   Fry in manteca

   Melt the manteca de cerdo in a wide skillet or clay cazuela over medium heat. You want about 1/4 inch of fat. Fry the comal-cooked enchiladas in batches, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until the red surface glistens and the edges crisp. Drain on a wire rack. La manteca es el sabor. Neutral oil will fry them, yes, but it will not give you the San Luis Potosí flavor.

8. 8

   Cook the sides

   If serving potatoes and carrots, simmer them in salted water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes, then drain well. After frying the enchiladas, add the potatoes and carrots to the same manteca and brown them for 3 to 4 minutes, until chile-red flecks cling to the edges. That little bit of fat is not waste. It is seasoning.

9. 9

   Serve the plate

   Serve 3 enchiladas per person with crema fresca, crumbled queso ranchero, shredded lechuga orejona, potatoes, carrots, and salsa verde de tomatillo with chile serrano at the table. These are not drowned in sauce. The chile is already inside the masa. Así se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •Buy chile ancho that bends when you press it and smells like dried fruit. If the chile is brittle, dusty, or smells like a closed cabinet, leave it. Pregúntale a las señoras del mercado. They know which sacks are fresh.
• •Fresh nixtamal masa from a tortillería is the right masa. Ask for masa para tortillas, not masa para tamales. If you only have masa harina, use 3 cups masa harina with about 2 1/4 cups warm water, then knead in the chile paste after it hydrates. It is a compromise, not an upgrade.
• •Queso ranchero should crumble in your fingers and taste milky with a clean salt finish. Queso fresco works if that is what you can find. Cheddar, mozzarella, and yellow cheese have no business here.
• •Do not pour enchilada sauce over these. Enchiladas potosinas carry their chile in the masa. If you cover them like a casserole, you have hidden the whole point of the dish.
• •For a San Luis Potosí breakfast table, serve them with refried beans or a small piece of cecina on the side. The enchilada itself stays queso ranchero. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Advance Preparation

• •The chile ancho paste can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in a covered jar. Stir before using because the solids settle.
• •The queso ranchero filling can be mixed 2 days ahead. Keep it cold and covered, then let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before filling the masa.
• •The enchiladas can be pressed, filled, and cooked on the comal 1 day ahead. Layer them between parchment, refrigerate, and fry in manteca just before serving.
• •Finished enchiladas reheat best on a comal or in a dry skillet. A microwave softens the edges and steals the work you already did.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 350g)