Hola mi familia de los gastrónomos! Today we are exploring the world of Mexican cuisine with a flavorful twist on a classic dish. Enchiladas are known around the world as corn tortillas rolled around various ingredients and covered with a savory sauce, making them the perfect staple for experimentation. Instead of the typical Latin American seasonings, these Garlic Beef Enchiladas go a step further and double down with our favorite Gringo flavors and shortcuts so that anyone can not only make them at home themselves, but also season them to their own personal liking! Who says you have always have to play by the rules and make the exact same dish over and over without ever tweaking it to your own personal perfection? Obviously we could go wild here and use just about any meat, veggie, or seasoning, but today we are just taking a tasty dish and adding a bit more umami goodness so sit back and relax as I walk you through my take on enchiladas. There are quite a few steps involved so Let's Get Cooking!
Garlic Beef Enchiladas are a three step process. First we will make the filling, then the sauce, and finally finish up by making the actual enchiladas and baking them to perfection. We are going to keep the filling pretty simple this time around and not venture very far from your typical ground beef taco or burrito meat. Begin by browning the ground beef in a large skillet or sauté pan for 6-8 minutes. Be sure to start seasoning the meat with the Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic, cumin, and some salt and pepper after the first couple minutes when you can break it up into crumbles. While the beef is cooking, dice an onion into small pieces and set aside for now. The beef should be semi-cooked and brown on the outside after 8 minutes, but still pink on the inside.
Add in the AP flour at this point to help soak up some of the fat drippings and create a sort of gravy binder for the beef. Let it cook for a minute or so before adding the diced onion and cooking an additional couple of minutes.
After the onion has cooked a couple of minutes and started to become translucent, drain a can of Rotel and add it to the mixture. Regular diced tomatoes will also work, but I feel that Rotel has a semi-Mexican flavor to it already so it is just another level of seasoning and depth. Cook this mixture for several minutes until the beef is fully cooked through, about 15 minutes total from the beginning.
While the meat is finishing up, take a whole bunch of cilantro, about 2 cups worth, and roughly chop it, stems and all. The stems contain a ton of flavor and there is really no need to waste a bunch of time picking off individual cilantro leaves. After the ground beef is cooked through, remove the pan from the heat and add in the cilantro. Give the mixture a good stir to make sure everything is fully mixed. We are done with the filling at this point so set it aside and allow it to start cooling a few minutes while we move on to making the sauce!
Believe it or not, the sauce for this recipe is critical and packs a ton of flavor essential to take ordinary enchiladas a step up to the game-changer level! Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter is fully melted, add in the minced garlic and sauté for a minute until it becomes fragrant. Now begin sprinkling in some AP flour as you continuously stir the butter and garlic to create a roux. Let the roux cook for a couple minutes until it becomes a light peanut butter color. It should resemble something like the picture below.
After the roux has cooked a couple minutes, slowly begin adding beef stock while stirring the mixture. Bring this mixture up to a boil while continuously stirring to create a smooth, consolidated liquid. It should begin to thicken after a few minutes and start to resemble the sauce we are after.
Once the sauce has thickened, add the tomato sauce and remaining seasonings. Stir until everything is well incorporated and heated through, about 5 minutes. It should darken in color as it cooks and everything comes together.
Now that the sauce is finished, it is finally time to start making these Garlic Beef Enchiladas! Take a few ladles of sauce and cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. It doesn't need to be too deep or take much sauce, just enough to spread over the bottom to prevent anything from sticking.
Now comes the semi-tedious part of the recipe in making and rolling all the individual enchiladas. Take a 6 inch corn tortilla, yes CORN and not flour for Mexican Christ's sake, and add a couple spoonfuls of the meat mixture. Sprinkle some shredded cheese over that then roll them up and place them seam side down in the sauced baking pan. Repeat this process a few million times, well at least 20, and fill two trays. It may take some practice to figure out just how much meat and cheese you can stuff the corn tortillas with, but after a couple you will get the hang of it and be able to rock out a couple dozen in a matter of minutes. Don't worry if they crack or break open a little bit as long as they are basically intact as a whole. You also may or may not have leftover meat at the end depending on your stuffing abilities, so if so just make a burrito or soft shell taco to enjoy while these bake, ya know, for official taste testing purposes!
Once you fill an entire tray, grab the sauce again and pour it over all the enchiladas. You don't have to absolutely soak them, but I'm a big sauce guy myself so I just made sure they were completely covered. Oh, you should probably start preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit at this point as well. I ended up with 2 full trays and a little bit of leftover meat and sauce from my batch. Next time I may try to stuff them a bit fuller, but it all worked out well for this first attempt so I can't complain...too much!
We obviously aren't going to leave these bad boys naked like this. It just wouldn't be right, so take the remaining shredded cheese and spread it over all the enchiladas. I used up some leftover Mexican blend shredded cheese for the filling, so I went a little more legit with the Monterey Jack for the topping. Does it really matter? Probably not, but the all white cheese blend does look a bit prettier, eh?
Almost there....just the final step of baking the enchiladas remains! Cover the tray with aluminum foil and place the cheese and sauce covered enchiladas in the preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Everything is pretty much cooked, but the baking process softens up the tortillas and really fortifies that garlic and beef flavor throughout the entire dish. After half an hour, remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake the enchiladas for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is fully melted, ooey-gooey deliciousness! You don't need to broil it unless you really want some charred cheese flavor, so just let it continue baking as is so the cheese fully melts.
Oh baby look what we have done! I ended up baking both my trays at the same time, but you can bake them separately if you wish. If you do bake them together, I suggest turning and swapping their spots in the oven about half way though the process so everything cooks evenly. Other than that, it is time to eat and enjoy the fruits of our labor! Plate up a couple enchiladas with some jalapeno slices, additional cilantro, pickled red onion, cotija cheese, and/or any other typical toppings you enjoy to create the perfect Garlic Beef Enchilada meal! Pro tip: If you happen to have any Cilantro Lime Crema on hand it pairs quite well with this dish, just sayin!
What do you think, food family? Did we nail this one today or what? These Garlic Beef Enchiladas are fairly inexpensive and sure to satisfy your entire family so you just can't go wrong, eh? Feel free to experiment on your own with different fillings, veggies, or other flavors for the sauce besides garlic and beef and let me know how yours turned out on Instagram by tagging @grubbongrub. You can make up the trays of enchiladas beforehand and freeze them before cooking if you want, but be sure to add a little baking time if cooking from frozen. Yes this recipe takes a little more effort than most things I post, but that goes a long way towards overall flavor and satisfaction so get in the kitchen and try something different......Just Keep Cooking!
GARLIC BEEF ENCHILADAS
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