Fresno-Style Restaurant Red Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 6 dried California (Anaheim) chiles (Red Enchilada Sauce)
• 3 dried guajillo chiles (Red Enchilada Sauce)
• 2 cloves garlic (Red Enchilada Sauce)
• 1/4 medium white onion (Red Enchilada Sauce)
• 2 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed (Red Enchilada Sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (Red Enchilada Sauce)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (Red Enchilada Sauce)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, then adjust to taste (Red Enchilada Sauce)
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (Red Enchilada Sauce)
• 1-2 teaspoons tomato paste if you want a slightly rounder, restaurant-style red sauce (optional) (Red Enchilada Sauce)
• 8 corn tortillas (Enchiladas)
• Neutral oil for shallow frying (Enchiladas)
• 2 1/2 cups hot red enchilada sauce (Enchiladas)
• 12 oz shredded cheese (Enchiladas)
• cooked shredded beef, shredded chicken, or seasoned ground beef (optional) (Enchiladas)
• Finely diced white onion, optional (Enchiladas)
• 1 lb cooked shredded beef (Shredded Beef Enchilada Filling)
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced (Shredded Beef Enchilada Filling)
• 1 small Roma tomato, finely diced (Shredded Beef Enchilada Filling)
• 1/4 green bell pepper, finely diced (Shredded Beef Enchilada Filling)
• Salt to taste (Shredded Beef Enchilada Filling)

Steps

1. Red Enchilada Sauce: Remove the stems and most of the seeds from the dried chiles.
2. Red Enchilada Sauce: Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the chiles very briefly, about 10-15 seconds per side, until fragrant. Do not let them burn or turn black, which makes the sauce bitter.
3. Red Enchilada Sauce: Put the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Let them soften for about 20 minutes.
4. Red Enchilada Sauce: Drain the chiles and put them in a blender with the garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, and about 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth.
5. Red Enchilada Sauce: Blend thoroughly until extremely smooth.
6. Red Enchilada Sauce: Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing it through with a spoon or ladle. Discard the skins and solids left behind.
7. Red Enchilada Sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Carefully pour the strained chile mixture into the hot oil. It should immediately sizzle.
8. Red Enchilada Sauce: Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, then add enough remaining chicken broth to produce a smooth, pourable sauce.
9. Red Enchilada Sauce: Add the salt. If using tomato paste, add it now.
10. Red Enchilada Sauce: Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. The finished sauce should coat a spoon but remain considerably thinner than gravy. Keep it hot while assembling the enchiladas.
11. Preheat the Broiler: Set the oven to HIGH BROIL. Position a rack approximately 5-6 inches below the heating element. Have individual oven-safe plates, small metal sizzle platters, or small cast-iron skillets ready.
12. Soften the Tortillas in Oil: Put approximately 1/4 inch of neutral oil in a small skillet and heat over medium to medium-high heat. Using tongs, place one corn tortilla in the oil. Fry for approximately 5-8 seconds, flip, and fry another 5-8 seconds. The tortilla should become: Soft; Flexible; Slightly oily; Completely intact. It should not become crispy. Transfer briefly to paper towels and repeat with the remaining tortillas. This step is important. Do not substitute microwaved or steamed tortillas if you're trying to reproduce the restaurant texture.
13. Sauce the Tortilla: Quickly drag each softened tortilla through the warm red sauce so that both sides receive a light coating. Don't leave it sitting in the sauce.
14. Fill and Roll: Put approximately 1/4 cup cheese down the center. For meat enchiladas, use a smaller amount of cheese plus approximately 1/4 cup of cooked filling. Add a little finely diced onion inside if desired. Roll the tortilla and place it seam-side down on the individual oven-safe serving plate. Put 2 or 3 enchiladas on each plate.
15. Sauce the Assembled Enchiladas: Spoon hot enchilada sauce generously over the rolled tortillas. Cover them completely, but don't fill the plate with a deep pool of sauce.
16. Add Cheese: Sprinkle a generous layer of the Jack/cheddar mixture over the enchiladas. Don't worry about keeping the cheese perfectly on the tortillas. Some cheese melting into the sauce around the edges is desirable.
17. Finish Like the Restaurant: Put the entire individual serving under the high broiler. Watch continuously. Broil approximately 1-3 minutes, until: The sauce is bubbling vigorously around the edges; The cheese is completely melted; Small areas of cheese are beginning to brown; The entire plate is extremely hot. Remove immediately. The enchiladas are not being baked for 20-30 minutes. Everything is already cooked. The broiler is the final restaurant-style finishing step.
18. Serve Immediately: Serve on the same hot plate with: Mexican/Spanish rice; Refried beans. Optional garnishes: Finely diced white onion; Sour cream; Shredded lettuce; Tomato. For the classic saucy Fresno combination-plate experience, keep the garnishes relatively restrained.
19. Shredded Beef Enchilada Filling: Sauté the onion and bell pepper until softened.
20. Shredded Beef Enchilada Filling: Add the tomato.
21. Shredded Beef Enchilada Filling: Mix in the shredded beef and cook until everything is well combined.
22. Shredded Beef Enchilada Filling: Keep the filling warm before assembling the enchiladas.