Pork & Green Chile Enchiladas

After returning from our recent trip to New Mexico I was determined to make my own version of the enchiladas we had in Taos. I loved the idea of pork and salsa verde in an enchilada, similar in flavor to my Calabasitas con Carne de Puerco, but a unique dish all its own.

There are two components to this dish, the enchilada sauce and the filling. Feel free to mix and match these with other filings and sauces to make your own combination. Try chicken, beef, or cheese filling.

Pork & Green Chile Enchiladas
(printable recipe)

Salsa Verde para Enchiladas
15 tomatillos (about 3” diameter)
6 poblanos
1 small white onion
1 jalapeño
1 tsp. salt
squeeze of lime juice (optional)

Roast the poblanos until they are blackened on all sides, peel and remove stems and seeds. Add to the food processor.
Boil the tomatillos until they begin to soften and turn color. Remove and add to food processor.
Remove the stem and seeds from the jalapeño. Roughly chop along with the onion. Add to food processor with remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth, you may need to work in batches.
Then run the sauce through a mesh sieve, save the pulp. (This should yield about 1 1/2c pulp, use a cup for the pork and save the rest to tuck into a quesadilla or add to tacos)



Pork Filling
3 lbs. country style pork ribs
2 bay leaves
1 c water
salt & pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c leftover pulp from straining salsa verde

Season the pork with salt & pepper and sear on all sides. Add to a crockpot with remaining ingredients. Cook on low 8 hours or on high for 5 hours until tender.
Carefully remove the pork and shred or chop, add a bit of the leftover juice to keep it moist.


For the Enchiladas
corn tortillas
oil for frying
shredded cheese, I like habanero cheddar or monterrey jack (use any melting cheese you like)
crema fresca

Fry the corn tortillas one at a time in about 1/2” of hot oil. You want to pass them through the oil briefly, until they are just soft and you begin to see bubbles form, about 15 seconds per side. Stack these on a plate and allow them to cool before you handle them. Meanwhile set up your assembly station. I like to use a pie plate to dip the tortillas in the sauce. A good size baking dish is great for rolling and holding the finished enchiladas.

Here’s the procedure:
Dip each tortilla in the green sauce, coating both sides. Place the filling (about 3 tablespoons) a bit off center (closer to you than perfectly centered), form into a log. Bring up the edge closest to you and roll like a cigar, keep the finish end at the bottom to prevent it from coming undone. Repeat until you have a pan full, or roll as many as you need. (these taste great reheated, but they can start to fall apart the next day)

Cover the enchiladas with additional sauce and shredded cheese. Bake for a few minutes to warm them through and melt the cheese. Alternately you can plate them up individually, cover with sauce and cheese, then microwave or put them under the broiler for a minute, this makes for a nicer presentation if you care for that sort of thing. (also the reason “the plate is hot!” at Mexican restaurants)

Top with a good amount of crema fresca. Trust.