hello, my name is juan. i hail from durango mexico. i would just like
to know if and where else in mexico do people prepare enchiladas the
same way they do in my hometown. here it goes:
you have the traditional mole poblano sauce(red chiles,
chocolate...)whatever. so then we fry tortillas then dip them into the
sauce.obviously, right? well here comes the crazy part we only put
white chesse and onions inside. this is facscinating to me because,
despite the fact that we dont put any meat in them. like all our
surrounding neighboring states( i think). they are one of the best
tasting dishes i normally prepare. i could be bias, nonetheless i
really would like to know if we are the only ones who have a limited
number of ingridients to accompany our enchiladas.

Hola Juan,

I live in Lerdo, Durango, and the folks here make enchiladas the way
you do. We call them Durango style. I think it is the best way; a
lot better than what I used to eat in the USA.

Here is a webpage I made with my friend Doña Martha making enchiladas
Durango: http://rollybrook.com/enchiladas.htm

Rolly

solovino wrote:
> hello, my name is juan. i hail from durango mexico. i would just like
> to know if and where else in mexico do people prepare enchiladas the
> same way they do in my hometown. here it goes:
> you have the traditional mole poblano sauce(red chiles,
> chocolate...)whatever. so then we fry tortillas then dip them into the
> sauce.obviously, right? well here comes the crazy part we only put
> white chesse and onions inside. this is facscinating to me because,
> despite the fact that we dont put any meat in them. like all our
> surrounding neighboring states( i think). they are one of the best
> tasting dishes i normally prepare. i could be bias, nonetheless i
> really would like to know if we are the only ones who have a limited
> number of ingridients to accompany our enchiladas.

Actually, thats the way my next door neighbor makes them too. She is
from Albuqurque, New Mexico.

George (in Salinas, CA)

On 26 Dec 2003 17:12:08 -0800, (solovino) wrote:

>hello, my name is juan. i hail from durango mexico. i would just like
>to know if and where else in mexico do people prepare enchiladas the
>same way they do in my hometown. here it goes:
>you have the traditional mole poblano sauce(red chiles,
>chocolate...)whatever. so then we fry tortillas then dip them into the
>sauce.obviously, right? well here comes the crazy part we only put
>white chesse and onions inside. this is facscinating to me because,
>despite the fact that we dont put any meat in them. like all our
>surrounding neighboring states( i think). they are one of the best
>tasting dishes i normally prepare. i could be bias, nonetheless i
>really would like to know if we are the only ones who have a limited
>number of ingridients to accompany our enchiladas.

Sidebar: I've always wondered why enchilada recipes call for briefly
frying the tortillas in oil to sort of limp-ize 'em, and then dipping
into sauce. (I limp-ize in the m'wave before saucing and rolling.)
Seems over-messy to me. Does this procedure make the final product
different in some way?

simple ingredients -- I had some enchiladas in a Virginia
restaurant (so entirely untouched by authentic influence :-) that were
filled with spinach and cheese -- Jack, ricotta -- I don't remember.
But I make something similar from time to time. Homemade red sauce,
but not mole.

Frogleg wrote:

> Sidebar: I've always wondered why enchilada recipes call for briefly
> frying the tortillas in oil to sort of limp-ize 'em, and then dipping
> into sauce. (I limp-ize in the m'wave before saucing and rolling.)
> Seems over-messy to me. Does this procedure make the final product
> different in some way?

For me, it's a matter of taste and texture. Even a brief dip in
hot oil improves both. It's kinda hard to describe...more "corny"
and less "mealy" is about the best I can do.

Rich

Frogleg > wondered in message
...
> Sidebar: I've always wondered why enchilada recipes
> call for briefly frying the tortillas in oil to sort of
> limp-ize 'em, and then dipping into sauce.

It's similar to the "Everything tastes better with butter" Axiom. The oil
gives the tortilla a more full taste, softening the graininess while also
softening it for use. The sauce also has something "fat-based" to grab onto
and "enhance" it's flavors.

'Course, all bets are off if you're using canal oil. <G>

The Ranger wrote:

> ... The sauce also has something "fat-based" to grab onto
> and "enhance" it's flavors.

Not related to the "enchilada" subject but related to enhancing
the flavor of sauces. When hurrying to get everything ready for
the Christmas day eating orgy this year, I made my red chile hot
sauce from memory without checking the recipe I usually give
a glance at before starting. When finished, I felt there was
something missing, but decided to put it in the fridge hoping
the flavors would get a chance to blend overnight and improve.
Took it out the next morning, tasted it, and again wondered what
it was I had left out. Checked the recipe and realized I didn't
do the final step, "fry" the sauce in a little lard....easily
done, and it definitely gave the sauce a richer, fuller flavor.

Rich

"solovino" > wrote in message
om...
> hello, my name is juan. i hail from durango mexico. i would just like
> to know if and where else in mexico do people prepare enchiladas the
> same way they do in my hometown. here it goes:
---snip---

Hello y bienvenido al grupo Juan: I've had that kind of enchilada at the
central market in Patzcuaro, Leon, Puebla, Orizaba, Mtz de la Torre Veracruz
and even in Mexico city. You don't see them on restaurant menus, but they
are apparently everywhere good street vendor food is available. I love them!

Wayne en Chula Vista, CA

"Rolly" > wrote in message
m...
> Hola Juan,
>
> I live in Lerdo, Durango, and the folks here make enchiladas the way
> you do. We call them Durango style. I think it is the best way; a
> lot better than what I used to eat in the USA.
>
> Here is a webpage I made with my friend Doña Martha making enchiladas
> Durango: http://rollybrook.com/enchiladas.htm
>
> Rolly

Excellent website with great pictures !

The frying helps to 'toughen' the tortilla so that it does not break up into
smaller pieces when baked with the sauce.

"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message >...
> "solovino" > wrote in message
> om...
> > hello, my name is juan. i hail from durango mexico. i would just like
> > to know if and where else in mexico do people prepare enchiladas the
> > same way they do in my hometown. here it goes:
> ---snip---
>
> Hello y bienvenido al grupo Juan: I've had that kind of enchilada at the
> central market in Patzcuaro, Leon, Puebla, Orizaba, Mtz de la Torre Veracruz
> and even in Mexico city. You don't see them on restaurant menus, but they
> are apparently everywhere good street vendor food is available. I love them!
>
> Wayne en Chula Vista, CA

you mean with only cheese and onions inside?
if so then i thank you i thought we were the only ones.

(Rolly) wrote in message om>...
> Hola Juan,
>
> I live in Lerdo, Durango, and the folks here make enchiladas the way
> you do. We call them Durango style. I think it is the best way; a
> lot better than what I used to eat in the USA.
>
> Here is a webpage I made with my friend Doña Martha making enchiladas
> Durango: http://rollybrook.com/enchiladas.htm
>
> Rolly

im curious, what kind of chiles do you use?
i was brought to LA very young and i dont know what kind my mom used.
here i've been taaught to use pasilla or california. its allright, i mean but
if you use a different one tell me i want to try it as well.

The chiles are anchos. An ancho is a poblano that was ripen on the
vine and then dried. A pasilla chile is very similar to an ancho in
taste, but a bit hotter and very different in appearance. Doña Martha
sometimes uses pasillas along with anchos.

The problem with pasillas is the name – it is not consistently used
everywhere, so what we call pasilla here in Lerdo, may not be the same
chile that is called pasilla in Los Angeles. There is a picture of a
pasilla on this page: http://rollybrook.com/chile_colorado.htm

I eat 'em all the time when I go South of the Border to Tijuana.. Love 'em.

Linda
"Rolly" > wrote in message
m...
> Hola Juan,
>
> I live in Lerdo, Durango, and the folks here make enchiladas the way
> you do. We call them Durango style. I think it is the best way; a
> lot better than what I used to eat in the USA.
>
> Here is a webpage I made with my friend Doña Martha making enchiladas
> Durango: http://rollybrook.com/enchiladas.htm
>
> Rolly

On Sat, 27 Dec 2003 17:22:57 GMT, Frogleg > wrote:

>Sidebar: I've always wondered why enchilada recipes call for briefly
>frying the tortillas in oil to sort of limp-ize 'em, and then dipping
>into sauce. (I limp-ize in the m'wave before saucing and rolling.)
>Seems over-messy to me. Does this procedure make the final product
>different in some way?

Thanks to all who replied to my diversion. I agree that full-fat is
tastier than low- or no-. Unfortunately. And perhaps the oil
treatment *does* keep tortillas from reverting to masa, which I have
noticed from time to time. *Why* can't steamed broccoli and lemon
juice be bad for you, and Enchiladas a la Cholesterol* a health food?

*Enchiladas a la Cholesterol (my own invention)

6" Flour tortillas

Chopped or shredded cooked chicken
Chopped green onions -- white & green parts
Heavy cream
Shredded mild cheese (Jack or whatever)

Red sauce of choice (preferably homemade)

Mix equal quantities of chicken and cheese, and about 1/4 that amount
of green onions. Add enough heavy (whipping/double) cream to make
things sort of stick together -- like mayonnaise in chicken salad --
not soupy. Fill softened (m'waved or steamed) tortillas with chicken
mixture and roll up. Place enough (oh, say, 1/4" deep) red sauce in
the bottom of a baking dish large enough to contain but not crowd the
enchiladas. This is the only source of 'hot' in the recipe. Put the
enchiladas in the dish on top of the sauce. Sprinkle generously with
more cheese. Now slowly dribble cream over the tops of the enchiladas
until it floats over most of the exposed red sauce. Bake, uncovered,
in a 325F oven for 15 minutes, or until the tortillas begin to brown
at the edges and cheese is completely melted. Garnish with chopped
green onions and/or cilantro.

those are my favorite! they are durango enchiladas. we make them here
but they always taste better in tijuana. i think its because they use
chihuahua cheese.

chingaso! now im getting hungry again!

i think different parts of mexico cook foods very different. my brother
went to san ignacio and asked for a burrito. they cracked a raw egg into
a flour tortilla, rolled it up and handed it to him! he said he was to
embarrassed to refuse it and give it back so he ate it!!! eeeee!!

>i think its because they use chihuahua cheese.

I agree. Chihuahua is the best cheese I have found for enchiladas.
Jack cheese, which many use, is not strong enough to come through the
sauce. I have experimented with several other Mexican cheeses, but I
still go back to Chihuahua. That cheese is probably hard to find
outside of Mexico. Too bad.