Beef Enchiladas Recipe

Dry toast the dried chili peppers in a heated pan over medium heat. Toast them a couple minutes per side, until they start to puff up slightly.

Cool, then set them into a heavy bowl with enough hot water to cover them.

Let them soak for 20 minutes, or until they become very soft. Remove them and place them in a blender or food processor.

Reserve 1 cup of the dark soaking water.

In the same heated pan, add the olive oil. Cook the onion about 3 minutes, or until they become translucent.

Add the garlic and cook another minute, until they become fragrant.

Add them to the food processor along with the sea salt.

Pour in the reserved soaking liquid and process to form a sauce. It will be very thick at this point.

Add in more water, a half cup at a time, until you achieve your desired consistency. Reserve the sauce until ready to use.

Heat a separate pan to medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the onion and jalapeno about 5 minutes to soften.

Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Brown it for about 5 minutes.

Stir in ¼ cup of the reserved enchilada sauce, seasonings (cayenne, paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper) and ½ cup of water. Simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors develop.

Next, heat a separate pan to medium heat and add a bit of the remaining olive oil. Cook the tortillas a few seconds in the oil until they become pliable. You may need to keep adding a bit more oil as you go along.

Strain the sauce into a pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Heat until it just starts to boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Dip each tortilla into the warmed enchilada sauce, then set it onto a work surface. Fill each with ground beef and shredded cheese. Roll the tortillas up and serve them onto plates.

Garnish with crumbly cheese, fresh herbs and spicy red chili flakes.