Enchiladas Norteñas Montadas
(en-chee-LAH-dahs nor-TEN-yahs mon-TAH-dahs)
Comida Casera on a Tuesday: Weeknight Suppers from the Homeland
Real enchiladas do not come out of a can, and they certainly do not have to be rolled. Born on the arid ranches of Chihuahua, the stacked montada is the ultimate, uncompromising weeknight hack. We bypass the flour-thickened gravies of modern Tex-Mex and return to the ancestral technique: a pure, velvety puree of toasted dried chiles, briefly seared in hot oil to wake up the flavor. Crowned with a sunny-side-up egg whose yolk bleeds down into the red sauce, this is a fast, soulful plate of food that smells and tastes exactly like a grandmother's kitchen in the borderlands.
Before you start
Clean and seed the dried chiles.
Tear off the stems, shake out the loose seeds, and pull out any prominent dried veins before toasting. A few stray seeds won't hurt, as the sauce will eventually be strained.
Ingredients
- dried Guajillo chiles10
- dried Ancho chiles2
- garlic2 small clove
- white onion1/4 med
- Mexican oregano1 tsp
- ground cumin1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- chicken broth1 1/2 cup
- lard or neutral oil1 tbsp
- neutral cooking oil1/2 cup
- white or yellow corn tortillas12
- Queso Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese3 cup
- white onion1/2 med
- large eggs4 large
Method
- 01
Toast the chiles to wake them up.
Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Press the stemmed and seeded Guajillo and Ancho chiles flat against the hot metal with a spatula for 10 to 15 seconds per side until they become highly fragrant and slightly pliable. Do not let them burn, or the sauce will turn bitter.
- 02
Hydrate the toasted chiles.
Transfer the chiles to a medium pot, cover them with water, and bring to a gentle boil. Remove the pot from the heat and let them steep for 15 minutes until fully softened.
- 03
Blend and strain the sauce.
Transfer the hydrated chiles to a blender along with the garlic, roughly chopped onion, oregano, cumin, salt, and chicken broth. Blend on high until completely smooth. Push the puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl using the back of a spoon, discarding the tough, fibrous skins.
- 04
Sear the chili puree.
Heat one tablespoon of lard or oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Carefully pour in the strained chili sauce—it will sputter aggressively. Simmering the sauce in hot oil cooks the raw chili flavor and deepens the color. Reduce heat to low and keep it warm.
- 05
Fry the tortillas to build structure.
In a skillet, heat the half cup of neutral oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Using tongs, fry each corn tortilla for only 10 to 15 seconds per side. You want them pliable and slightly sealed against the sauce, not crispy like a tostada. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- 06
Dip and stack the enchiladas.
Working one serving at a time, dip a fried tortilla completely into the warm red chile sauce. Lay it flat on a warm plate, sprinkle generously with cheese and a pinch of diced raw onions. Repeat to create a three-tortilla stack, finishing with a final heavy layer of cheese.
- 07
Crown with a fried egg.
In a clean skillet, quickly fry four eggs sunny-side up. Gently place one egg squarely on top of each enchilada stack so the liquid yolk can mix with the red sauce on the plate. Serve immediately.
Notes
Never skip the strainer.
Pushing the blended sauce through a fine-mesh sieve is the grandmother's trick that separates a gritty, amateur puree from a velvety, professional-grade salsa colorada. Take the extra two minutes to do it.
The brief tortilla fry is non-negotiable.
Dipping raw corn tortillas directly into hot enchilada sauce will result in a mushy, disintegrated mess. Frying them for a few seconds creates a vital lipid barrier that maintains the structure of the stack.
From Cook Tex-Mex.