spicy adobo beef enchiladas

truly flavourful and wickedly spicy

Last night our friends Kim and Steve came over for dinner and we decided on a Mexican themed menu.  For the main I decided to make enchiladas with homemade flour tortilla wraps and a spicy adobo sauce.  They can handle their spice and I've been on a mission to meet their spice tolerance and I think this adobo sauce almost hits the mark (although, while I used it sparingly on my enchilada, Kim proceeded to spoon extra sauce on hers!).   The sauce is very spicy so take caution - you can half or even quarter the adobo chilli amount.  Be sure to serve it up with some sour cream and guacamole to help cool the heat!  And add some homemade salsa for a fresh bite.

what you need:

*serves 4

• 8 tortilla wraps (I used my homemade flour wraps)
• ~450 g of lean ground beef
• 1 small can of corn kernels
• 1 small red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp oregano (Mexican if possible)
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup shredded old cheddar cheese (or even better, use queso fresco) 

spicy adobo sauce

• 1 - 7 oz can prepared adobo chipotle chillies (use 1/2 or 1/4 this amount if you prefer medium heat)
• 1 - 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
• 1/2 small red onion - diced
• 2 cloves garlic - roughly chopped
• small pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 tsp canola oil

what to do:

1. For the sauce - preheat oven to 425 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully place whole tomatoes on it, bake for about 15 minutes, until tomatoes are charred on the outside (for a smokey flavour).
2. In a large sauce pan on medium heat, sauté onions with oil.  After a minute or two, add garlic.  Continue stirring to avoid burning the garlic, about 1 minute. Season lightly with salt and pepper.            
3. Add the adobo chillies and continue stirring, then add the charred tomatoes (be careful when transferring them, the juices inside are very hot!) - and the rest of the tomato liquid from the can.
4. Put a lid on and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  Allow to cool, then puree until smooth.  Optional - Strain for a silky smooth sauce.

1. For the enchiladas - Dice up onion, finely chop garlic, and get your spices and ingredients ready.  
2. In a pan or pot on medium heat, sauté onions and ground beef in a little bit of cooking oil, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon.  Season with cayenne, pinch of salt and pepper, oregano, and cumin.  Once the beef is cooked, add the corn.  Stir, them reduce heat to medium-low. 
3. Mix cornstarch with about 1/4 cup of cold water.  Add slowly to beef mixture as you stir, to thicken.  Turn off heat once it is thickened.
4. While beef is cooling, make your flour wraps (or get tortilla wraps ready).
5. Spoon some of the adobo sauce to coat the bottom of a baking dish.
6. Spoon beef mixture onto wrap and then roll it up tightly and place it down on the baking dish.  Continue until all 8 are made and nestled. 

 7.  Top with more sauce, then shredded cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes in a 375 F oven,    
      and finish with a 1 minute broil to brown the top.  Garnish with chopped green onion 
      and cilantro.  Serve hot with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and extra adobo sauce 
      for those who dare.  Enjoy!

ready to bake!

the perfect bite includes all the fixings!