January 30, 20232 yr 44 minutes ago, Bateshorn said: You are essentially making a sauce Mornay every time you make queso (bechemel+cheese). You could try some sort of colby jack maybe? It won't have American or Velveeta's unctuousness, but it should be a close-ish approximitation. Or a combination of mild cheddar, colby jack.
February 9, 20232 yr Not to be overlooked but solid effort on the rice and frijoles refritos purée. I recalled recently that back when you also got a stack of hot corn tortillas and pats of butter, the old man and mom would add a pat of butter to their scorching hot beans, which they would likewise add to mine. I remember why now: the super hot plate was placed under the salamander and the beans tightened up with a crust on top. That’s a texture/ flavor bomb I miss.
February 21, 20232 yr Popular Post Under the weather a bit. Not my best effort but better than anything else Indiana has to offer. No sides, because I know how surly goes. I was just happy to make this and drag my ass, and full stomach, back to the couch for some NyQuil and lights out.
February 28, 20232 yr Solid effort especially being sick as a dog and being in Indiana. The egg delivers extra credit. And a real plate is critical with enchiladas of course.
February 28, 20232 yr NEISD recipe is delicious but not the prettiest final product has anyone frozen the chili gravy?
March 1, 20232 yr 14 hours ago, Celery Man said: NEISD recipe is delicious but not the prettiest final product has anyone frozen the chili gravy? Looks like your backup singer seems to like them alright.
March 1, 20232 yr Looks like your backup singer seems to like them alright. She’s being raised right. I like the sectioned plate she got. It’s like a TexMex bento box.If schools aren’t serving these kinds of enchiladas to our children anymore, how do we fight this injustice? It seems this would be an issue that unites all of us. Any folks opposed should be moved to re-education camps.
March 1, 20232 yr 21 hours ago, utee94 said: I'm a big fan of the metal plate... “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him…”
March 1, 20232 yr I was inspired by this thread last night. Realized right before plating that we were out of pickled jalapenos. Thank goodness I had a fresh one in the crisper.
March 1, 20232 yr 21 hours ago, Celery Man said: has anyone frozen the chili gravy? Don't see why you could not. I've built trays as care packages for people and just put them in the freezer all dresssed out and ready to defrost and cook. Not ideal compared to a fresh batch, but didn't hear any complaints. If you are talking about just making a big batch of the chili and freezing it for later enchi build, seems like that would work really well with no impact to quality of final product.
March 1, 20232 yr I've frozen and reheated a crap ton of Texas chili along with various other meaty goodness (pulled pork, brisket, green chile stew, etc.). No complains. As @Anastasis says, it's probably not as good as fresh or day-after, but it's plenty good and suffers no ill effects.
March 1, 20232 yr Just now, jimmyjazz said: I've frozen and reheated a crap ton of Texas chili along with various other meaty goodness (pulled pork, brisket, green chile stew, etc.). No complains. As @Anastasis says, it's probably not as good as fresh or day-after, but it's plenty good and suffers no ill effects. Same. We have a bunch of the quart size plastic containers like you get when you order Lupe Tortilla's or Pappasitos. Perfect for chili gravy, leftover carne guisada, etc. I'll occasionally have to add a bit of beef broth, but other than that, it freezes really well.
March 1, 20232 yr Same here on the freeze for later stuff. Vacuum sealing takes it up a notch too. Make a big batch. Enough for maybe 4 runs. Have some that night, then let the rest sit overnight in the fridge. Next day, make up 3 bags and there ya go. Definitely saves some time when those are ready and just need heated.
March 1, 20232 yr I have some delicious braised pork shoulder in the freezer right now that is going to make an awesome chili, combined with some ground chuck or sirloin. Seems like this would be a good weekend to break that out. Dammit, I'm doing it now.
March 1, 20232 yr thanks y'all - I've got leftover enchiladas for days of lunches but enough chili that it'll go to waste if I don't freeze a portion.
March 1, 20232 yr if i am making some over the weekend, the NEISD is the right one to make, right? or is there another recipe worth my time that is both easy + good + i can freeze some of
March 1, 20232 yr 19 minutes ago, NoName said: if i am making some over the weekend, the NEISD is the right one to make, right? or is there another recipe worth my time that is both easy + good + i can freeze some of Absolutely great place to start. You’ll wander from the original after a few times around, but it’s pretty spot on. I like to heat tortillas in bacon grease vice steam, for example. ymmv, of course.
March 1, 20232 yr Man when I was in grade school at TA Brown in Austin back in the 60's we had great cheese enchiladas. I vividly remember walking down the hall for music class at around 10AM and passing the cafeteria and smelling the enchiladas and the big homeade rolls we always had. Could not wait for lunch. Great school food back in those days.
March 2, 20232 yr I hope that's your wife's plate on the left. Double rice people can go straight to hell.
March 2, 20232 yr I'm not much on the tortilla steaming either. I assume that is because of really big batches. That is why G-d created large griddles -- to heat up corn tortillas for enchiladas. No problem on freezing the chili gravy. I have maybe 4 quarts ready in my freezer. NEISD is definitely the way to go, but I miss Dart Bowl! I've been looking at restaurant supply stores for those metal plates and the insulated bases. Around $12 per. I may need to make an investment.
March 2, 20232 yr 6 hours ago, Spaulding Smails said: Same. We have a bunch of the quart size plastic containers like you get when you order Lupe Tortilla's or Pappasitos. Perfect for chili gravy, leftover carne guisada, etc. I'll occasionally have to add a bit of beef broth, but other than that, it freezes really well. get a set or two of these and a set or two of the pint sized containers from the same supplier, toss out all your shitty semi-disposable ziploc containers, and enjoy life where everything stacks and all the lids fit https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F7JNWR3
March 2, 20232 yr 5 minutes ago, elfenix said: get a set or two of these and a set or two of the pint sized containers from the same supplier, toss out all your shitty semi-disposable ziploc containers, and enjoy life where everything stacks and all the lids fit https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F7JNWR3 We have a lifetime supply of these from when we got take-out pho twice a week during the pandemic frenzy. So perfect for freezing chili gravy and stock.
March 2, 20232 yr 7 minutes ago, elfenix said: get a set or two of these and a set or two of the pint sized containers from the same supplier, toss out all your shitty semi-disposable ziploc containers, and enjoy life where everything stacks and all the lids fit https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F7JNWR3 Yep, I have a bunch of these filled with stock, gumbo, chili, etc. in the freezer. You can get a few uses out of them as long as the lid still seals.
March 2, 20232 yr So, my go to is silicone freezer cubes: https://www.amazon.com/Souper-Cubes-2-Cup-Freezing-Color/dp/B0916RJ8DP?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1 Freeze it overnight, pop the cubes out the next day and vacuum seal.
June 16, 20232 yr Popular Post I was inspired by the salsa thread and ended up making some damned-good beefy-cheese enchiladas.
June 16, 20232 yr 9 hours ago, dcbc said: I was inspired by the salsa thread and ended up making some damned-good beefy-cheese enchiladas. What salsa is that? Looks great...just browned the meat, seasoned, added to filling and cooked like normal?
June 16, 20232 yr That’s what I do. Seasoned beef, well drained. Mix it in. Variations on filling: Brisket, ribs, fajita chicken or steak. The list goes on. Brisket is probably my favorite though.
June 16, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, NoName said: What salsa is that? Looks great...just browned the meat, seasoned, added to filling and cooked like normal? Tex-Mex gravy (I can provide the recipe I've landed on if anyone is interested). Seasoned beef, a little bit of onion and green chilies. Add the gravy to the mixture. Heat the corn tortillas up in the oven for a couple of minutes. Fill with gravy mixture and cheese. Top with remaining gravy mixture and cheese. Bake at 350 covered for 25 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes. The salsa is my first attempt at homemade based on the recipe in the YT video at the top of the salsa thread. Edited June 16, 20232 yr by dcbc
June 16, 20232 yr 6 minutes ago, dcbc said: The salsa is my first attempt at homemade based on the recipe in the YT video at the top of the salsa thread. I’m going to have to get on that. Mine ends up too thin most of the time.
June 16, 20232 yr Of all the great food threads on Surly, this Cheese enchilada topic is my favorite. Old school Tex-Mex done right is hard to find in restaurants and the recipes here (NEISD, Robb Walsh, and others) are all you need to achieve fantastic home cooked real deal cheese enchiladas. Giant batch of Robb Walsh recipe beef enchiladas prepped for oven for last December bowl game party. Didn’t get a finished pic as guests ate them all so quickly.
June 16, 20232 yr Tex-Mex gravy (I can provide the recipe I've landed on if anyone is interested). Seasoned beef, a little bit of onion and green chilies. Add the gravy to the mixture. Heat the corn tortillas up in the oven for a couple of minutes. Fill with gravy mixture and cheese. Top with remaining gravy mixture and cheese. Bake at 350 covered for 25 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes. The salsa is my first attempt at homemade based on the recipe in the YT video at the top of the salsa thread.I’m always looking for new chili gravy for my enchiladas. There’s a certain nuance from my childhood TexMex that I am constantly looking for. It’s probably an ingredient from then that is no longer used in the gravy or prep that has been replaced by a better or cheaper or fancier ingredient. Maybe it’s lard, or the bulk chili powder of the day, but I’m always searching for it.
June 16, 20232 yr On 6/16/2023 at 11:30 AM, Texzilla58 said: I’m always looking for new chili gravy for my enchiladas. There’s a certain nuance from my childhood TexMex that I am constantly looking for. It’s probably an ingredient from then that is no longer used in the gravy or prep that has been replaced by a better or cheaper or fancier ingredient. Maybe it’s lard, or the bulk chili powder of the day, but I’m always searching for it. I stumbled onto this somewhere. The cinnamon really does well, but use it sparingly. INGREDIENTS 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons flour (whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and gluten-free flour blends all work!) 1 tablespoon ground chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste Pinch of cinnamon 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 cups Chicken Stock 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar Freshly ground black pepper, to taste INSTRUCTIONS This sauce comes together quickly once you get started, so measure the dry ingredients (the flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt and optional cinnamon) into a small bowl and place it near the stove. Place the tomato paste and broth near the stove as well. In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil until it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. This might take a couple of minutes, so be patient and don’t step away from the stove! Once it’s ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps. Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will thicken some more as it cools.) Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to taste with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add more salt, if necessary (I usually add another pinch or two). Edited July 2, 20232 yr by dcbc
June 16, 20232 yr I use cinnamon too. Got it from the old thread, but no idea who posted it. A pinch does it real nice though. Really adds even more depth to the gravy.
July 2, 20232 yr I always love places that used those tin plates and stuck em under the salamander to put a little crust on the refritos and adds some texture to the enchiladas. Not many do that anymore. Those places usually brought a bowl of jalapeños, carrots, and onions escabeche with the chips and hot sauce. Also a stack of hot corn tortillas and pats of butter.
July 2, 20232 yr On 2/28/2023 at 4:35 PM, Celery Man said: NEISD recipe is delicious but not the prettiest final product has anyone frozen the chili gravy? That's exactly what it looked like back in the day. Good job.
July 11, 20232 yr Popular Post I’m on paternity leave so I have a little time on my hands while my oldest is at daycare and wife/MIL are taking care of the baby. Also have a need to stock my freezer with easy meals once MIL leaves and my leave is up. I can’t validate authenticity since I’ve never been inside an elementary school in SA, but these got high marks from everyone. Newborn was going nuts around dinner time so I forgot to top with extra cheese and onions, but that’s a quick fix for next time.
July 13, 20232 yr Popular Post Favorite cheese enchiladas right now. https://houston.vivalopez.com Solid
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