Spring Hill Ranchs Enfrijoladas Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350°. lightly grease a 9"x13"x2" baking dish.
• 2. For the enfrijolada sauce: In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the lard. Add the onion, tomatoes, green chile, serrano and garlic. Sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. With your thumb, rub the oregano in the palm of your hands and sprinkle the powder over the mixture. Stir in the salt and pepper. Add the beans and about 1 cup of the broth to the pan and simmer it for 10 minutes. Cool the mixture for about 5 minutes.
• 3. In batches in a blender or with an immersion blender, puree the mixture until it is nearly smooth. Add additional broth if needed, as this is to be a sauce, not frijoles refritos. Return the pureed mixture to the pan and gently reheat it over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Remembering that this should be the consistency of a normal enchilada sauce, adjust the thickness by either adding more broth or reducing the sauce if needed.
• 4. For the enfrijoladas: Place a few tablespoons of the sauce in your prepared baking dish, spreading it around very thinly. Using tongs, pass the tortillas 1-by-1 through the hot enfrijolada sauce for just a second or two per side. (Too much time and the tortillas will fall apart; too little time and they will crack when folded. Find a happy medium) Setting each of them in your prepared baking dish, fill each with a little of the meat (if using) and a sprinkle of the grated cheese. Roll or fold the filled tortillas in half and arrange them. Top with an additional 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the enfrijolada sauce, just enough to cover the tortillas but allow the edges of the folded tortillas to show. Bake them for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
• 5. To serve, drizzle a 2-inch wide strip of crema down the center of the dish. Sprinkle with the mexican fresh cheese and a few of your red onion rings. If desired, garnish with a sprig of cilantro, sliced avocado and chopped green onions if desired. For a wonderful, hearty breakfast, slide a couple fried eggs on top.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are golden, about 8 minutes. Add beans, 1 1/2 cups milk, and 1 1/2 cups water; simmer until onions are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mash beans coarsely in skillet. Mix in chile and all spices; season with salt and pepper. Add more milk or water by 1/4 cupfuls to thin bean mixture to slightly soupy consistency.
• Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in another large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tortilla at a time; cook until tortilla softens, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer tortilla to work surface. Place 1 heaping tablespoon cheese in center of each tortilla; fold in half. Place in prepared dish, overlapping tortillas slightly. Top with bean sauce.
• Bake until enfrijoladas are heated through and sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining queso ranchero and cilantro. Serve with sour cream.

Steps:

• In a large soup pot or Dutch oven combine the black beans with their soaking water (they should be submerged by at least 1 1/2 inches of water; add if necessary), one half of the onion, and half the garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. Add the remaining garlic, epazote or cilantro if using, cumin, chili powder, and salt to taste and simmer for another hour, until the beans are very soft and the broth thick, soupy and aromatic. Remove from the heat. Remove and discard the onion.
• Using an immersion blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade coarsely puree the beans. The mixture should retain some texture and the consistency should be thick and creamy. Heat through, stirring the bottom of the pot so the beans don't stick. Taste and adjust salt. Keep warm.
• Slice the remaining onion half crosswise into thin half-moons and cover with cold water while you assemble the enfrijoladas. Heat the corn tortillas: either wrap them in a damp dish towel and heat them, 4 at a time, in the microwave for about 30 seconds at 100 percent power, or wrap in a dish towel and steam for 1 minute, then let rest for 5 minutes.
• Assemble the enfrijoladas just before serving them. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the hot, thick beans over the bottom of a large lightly oiled baking dish or serving platter. Using tongs, dip a softened tortilla into the beans and flip over to coat both sides with black beans. Remove from the beans and place on the baking dish or platter (this is messy; have the serving dish right next to the pot.) Fold into quarters. Use the tongs to do this, and if you find that the tortilla tears too much, then just coat one side with the black beans, transfer to the baking dish and spoon some of the black beans over the other side, then fold into quarters. Continue with the remaining tortillas, arranging the quartered bean-coated tortillas in overlapping rows. When all of the tortillas are in the dish, spoon the remaining black bean sauce over the top. Drain and rinse the onions, dry briefly on paper towels and sprinkle over the bean sauce. Garnish with cilantro and chopped walnuts if desired and serve at once.