Enchiladas de Ropa ViejaEnchiladas de Ropa Vieja

Yields 12 enchiladas / Serves 4

Ropa vieja, which means “old clothes” in Spanish, refers to the ragged and torn appearance of the meat.

INGREDIENTS

For the filling and sauce:

  2 pounds (907 grams) beef brisket or chuck, cut cross-grain into 1-inch (2.5 cm) strips

  4 teaspoons (12 grams) kosher salt, or to taste

  2 teaspoons (6 grams) ancho chile powder

  1 scant teaspoon (3 grams) ground black pepper

  ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cumin

  1 large bay leaf

  1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

  1 cup (200 grams) Roma tomatoes, cored, deseeded, and diced, divided

  1 ¼ cups (175 grams) yellow or white onion, diced, divided

   cup (93 grams) green bell pepper, destemmed, deseeded, and diced, divided

   cup (93 grams) red bell pepper, destemmed, deseeded, and diced, divided

  Beef stock or water as needed

For the assembly:

  12 corn tortillas

  Vegetable oil as needed for softening tortillas

For the garnish:

  Oaxaca cheese

  Avocado slices

Recommended accompaniment:

  Black Bean Rice (see page 68)

DIRECTIONS

Start with the filling and sauce:

  Place meat, seasonings, and garlic, along with half of the diced tomatoes, onion, and green and red bell peppers, in a large pot.

  Cover with beef stock or water and bring to a boil.

  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until meat is fork-tender, 3–4 hours.

  Remove the meat from the pot, add the remaining diced vegetables, and increase heat to a brisk simmer.

  When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred with two forks or by hand, and sprinkle with cooking liquid. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

  Continue simmering the stock until it is reduced by about half.

  Remove the stock from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

  Discard the bay leaf and transfer the stock and vegetables to a blender in multiple batches. (Be careful not to overfill the blender with hot liquids.)

  Purée the stock and vegetables, adding a little more water as needed to attain a medium sauce consistency.

  Transfer the sauce to a container, cover, and refrigerate, preferably overnight, to facilitate removal of fat.

Assemble the enchiladas:

  Remove fat from the surface of the sauce.

  Place in a saucepan and bring almost to a boil. Cover and keep warm.

  In a separate saucepan, mix the shredded meat with a little sauce and gently reheat. Cover and keep warm.

  Pour oil to a depth of ½ inch (12 mm) in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Heat to low frying temperature, about 300°F (150°C).

  Place each tortilla in oil and fry for a few seconds, just long enough to soften. Drain on paper towels.

  Spread 1 tablespoon sauce on a softened tortilla, followed by 2 tablespoons shredded beef. Roll and place on a warm individual plate, 3 per serving, or in a warm casserole large enough to accommodate the enchiladas in a single layer.

  Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

  When the enchiladas have been plated, cover with the sauce and garnish with Oaxaca cheese.

  Place under a broiler just long enough to melt the cheese, garnish with avocado slices, and serve with black bean rice if desired.