We got our first real summer storm yesterday! I was so looking forward to the type of thunder storm that rolls in out of nowhere and pummels us with rain. It was such a different experience for us, since in California, the thunderstorms we get (like once a year) are usually really cold. Taylor and I went and walked around the neighborhood while it was raining and we weren’t even slightly chilled. I hurried back to the house, though when I saw the lightning. I love to hear thunder…from the comfort and safety inside my house. I was glad that I had the leftovers from these enchiladas to heat up for dinner so I could enjoy the weather!
I bet you can guess what cut of pork I used for the filling. That’s right…Pork Butt! I bought 12 lbs of it at Costco, and 3/4 of that is still in my freezer so be prepared for more!
I’ve made this recipe before with a shredded chicken filling, and it was good, but this spicy pork filling was so much better. The pork is sweet and just spicy enough to be considered “medium” rather than “mild” in spiciness. I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to chili peppers, so this was about the top for me. If you really can’t stand much spice, you could leave the chipotle chilis out or just use a few.
I’ll admit, if you want to make this whole recipe in a day, it will be a long process from start to finish, but you could spend 5-7 hours of that time staring out the window at lightning, since it just has to sit in the crock pot. I think next time I’ll make a giant batch of the filling and freeze it so I can have enchiladas on demand, because I will definitely be making this recipe again!
Assembling the enchiladas takes a little bit of focus because you have to fill and assemble them quickly, while the tortillas are still soft (you spray them with oil and heat them up in the oven for a couple of minutes to make them pliable).
But don’t do it so quickly that you grab hot oily tortillas that just came out of the oven and burn yourself like I did. Wait about 2 minutes after they come out and then assemble quickly.
This is homemade enchilada sauce! That’s right. And it’s one of the easiest parts of the recipe. It’s a bit thicker than what you buy in the can, but it’s so much more flavorful! I promise these enchiladas aren’t even a little dry.
Pepper jack was the perfect cheese to amp up the spiciness even more! Stuff it inside. Sprinkle it on top.
Pop it in the oven (I promise that part is really fast!) and let it broil on Hi for 5 minutes. It will yield a beautiful golden/brown cheesey top.
Sprinkle it with cilantro and Enjoy! Because they are the best enchiladas you’ve ever tried.
- FILLING:
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 tbl chili powder
- 2 tbl vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 can chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
- 1½ tsp ground coriander
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 tbl maple syrup
- 1 1½ lb boneless pork butt roast, trimmed and halved.
- salt and pepper
- SAUCE:
- 1 tbl vegetable oil
- 1 onion, minced
- 3 tbl chili powder
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- ½ cup water
- salt and pepper
- ENCHILADAS:
- 2 cups shredded pork filling
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese (you can use chedder or plain jack as well)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 12 6-inch corn tortillas
- FILLING:
- Pour oil in a 12 inch skillet and heat until shimmering. Saute onions, chili powder, garlic, chipotles, coriander, and cumin until onions are softened and lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add mixture to slow cooker.
- Stir tomato sauce and maple syrup into slow cooker.
- Season pork with salt and pepper, add to slow cooker, and coat evenly with sauce mixture.
- Cook 5-7 hours on high. Transfer pork to a medium bowl and shred with two forks. Add 1 cup of the braising liquid from the crock pot and stir to combine.
- SAUCE:
- Add oil to a medium sauce pan and heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minute. Stir in chili powder, garlic cumin, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce and water. Thicken for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- ASSEMBLY:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine filling, 1 cup cheese,cilantro, ½ cup enchilada sauce, and salt and pepper.
- Spray both sides of each tortilla with oil, layer onto baking sheet, and bake for 2 or 3 minutes.
- Once the tortillas have cooled enough to handle, spread a scant ⅓ cup filling onto the middle of each tortilla, fold both sides toward the middle and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish, seam side down.
- It's easiest to bake six tortillas, assemble them, and then bake the next six.
- Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.
- Spread enchiladas with remaining sauce and sprinkle with the last cup of cheese.
- Cover with non-stick aluminum foil (or regular foil sprayed with cooking spray.) and bake for 10 minutes.
- Turn broiler on high and place the enchiladas on the topmost rack. Let brown 4-5 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with sour cream and avacado slices.
taylor says
The wonderful pictures hardly convey how tasty this meal was. I could eat this every day for a month.
peter @feedyoursoultoo says
My family loves enchiladas. this looks like a great recipe.
Lindsey Boubel says
Thanks Peter! and thank you for the invite to the group board as well!