This is the ground beef I use for beef enchiladas, Tex-Mex style. It can also be used to top nachos or to fill tacos. In a lot of homes, this was also a skillet dinner with sautéed, cubed potatoes or pasta to make the meat go further.
Makes about 3 cups
2 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 chiles de arbol, stems removed (no need to remove seeds)
1½ pounds lean (90-10) ground beef, crumbled
2 teaspoons Tex-Mex Holy Trinity
½ cup diced onion
½ cup diced tomato
1 teaspoon salt
In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the chiles and 1¼ cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside off the heat for 10 minutes to cool.
In a blender jar or work bowl of a food processor, process the cooked chiles and all the liquid for 1 minute, or until smooth.
Pass the chile liquid through a fine strainer into a bowl; set aside. Discard the solids.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, until brown. Drain off the fat.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine 1 cup water, the strained chile puree, the Holy Trinity, onion, tomato, and salt. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop the meat from the cooking liquid, allowing each spoonful to drain before filling enchiladas.