Venison Enchiladas
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
1 hr
-
Cook Time
30 mins
-
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
-
Servings
6 servings
-
Calories
642 kcal
-
Course
Main Course, Appetizer, Lunch
Venison Enchiladas
Description
Venison Enchiladas feature a handmade sauce combining ancho and New Mexican peppers, charred onion, garlic, chipotles in adobo, ground cumin, Mexican oregano, tomato paste, salt, and chicken broth. The peppers are boiled to soften, then blended with charred aromatics and spices into a smooth and smoky sauce, strained for texture. This sauce provides depth and a mild heat to the enchiladas.
The filling is made by cooking ground venison with chopped onion, minced garlic, and Mexican oregano, creating a savory and robust meat mixture. Optional crumbled queso fresco adds a mild creamy note inside the filling. Corn tortillas are filled with this mixture and rolled, then layered in a baking dish, topped with the chile sauce and shredded cheese before baking.
The dish balances the lean, gamey flavor of venison accented by the complex chile sauce and creamy cheese. The corn tortillas provide structure and slight sweetness, complementing the sauce and filling. Baking melts the cheese and melds the flavors for a hearty meal.
Using canned enchilada sauce is an option for convenience, though the homemade sauce offers more control over flavor. Cheese choices can include queso asadero or Chihuahua or pre-shredded Mexican-style blends, adapting to availability and taste.
Ingredients
SAUCE
- 3 ounces ancho pepper destemmed and seeded
- 4 ounces New Mexican pepper destemmed and seeded, or colorado pepper or guajillo pepper
- 1/2 onion quartered, white
- 3 cloves garlic unpeeled
- 2 chipotles in adobo
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- salt smoked salt if you have it
- 3 cups chicken broth
FILLING
- 2 tablespoons lard or olive oil
- 1 onion chopped, white
- 2 pounds venison ground
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/2 pound queso fresco crumbled (optional
TO FINISH
- 1/2 pound cheese see above for options, shredded
- 18 to 20 corn tortillas
Instructions
SAUCE
- To make the sauce, boil the seeded and destemmed ancho and guajillo chiles for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and let them soak. Heat a cast iron pan or comal on medium-high heat and lay down the pieces of onion and garlic. You want to blacken the onion on both cut sides, and get some char on the garlic peel. This process takes about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the onion and garlic to a cutting board. Peel the garlic.
- Put the garlic and soaked chiles into a blender. Roughly chop the onion and add that, too. Add all the remaining sauce ingredients, including about 1 teaspoon of the salt. Puree, adding chicken broth as needed, to make a pourable sauce. In some cases, you'll need to add some water, too. Taste and add salt if needed.
- OPTIONAL STEP: I always do this, because it results in a smoother sauce that removes bits of seed and skin, which are undigestible. Push the sauce through a fine strainer with a rubber spatula into a bowl. Set aside.
FILLING
- To make the filling, heat the lard or oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the chopped onion and the venison and brown well. This takes about 8 minutes or so, and stir the meat occasionally. When it's mostly browned, add the garlic and oregano and cook a minute or two more. Turn off the heat.
- Mix in a ladle or two of the sauce, using it and a wooden spoon to scrape off any browned bits stuck to the pan. Once this cools, add the queso fresco and mix well.
TO FINISH
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour some oil in a frying pan, enough to float tortillas, and heat the pan over medium-high heat. Get paper towels or a kitchen towel ready. When the oil is shimmering, fry one tortilla at a time in the oil, flipping once or twice, for only a few seconds - you want to see them puff up. They should be very flexible. Do this for all the tortillas, setting them on the towel.
- Spread a little sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish.
- Set up a station where you can dip a tortilla into the sauce (or paint sauce on both sides of each tortilla with with your fingers or a brush), then grab a bit of the filling (maybe 2 to 3 tablespoons) and roll up the enchiladas. Set each one, seam side down, into the casserole. Fill the dish snugly.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes.
Notes
- Canned enchilada sauce can be used as a substitute for the homemade chile sauce for ease and speed.
- Cheese options include queso asadero or queso Chihuahua, or Mexican blend pre-shredded cheese available in stores.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 642 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 642kcal | 32% |
| Carbohydrates | 32g | 11% |
| Protein | 53g | 106% |
| Fat | 35g | 54% |
| Saturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 177mg | 59% |
| Sodium | 751mg | 31% |
| Potassium | 1368mg | 29% |
| Fiber | 11g | 44% |
| Sugar | 18g | 36% |
| Vitamin A | 9500IU | 190% |
| Vitamin C | 16mg | 18% |
| Calcium | 465mg | 47% |
| Iron | 8mg | 44% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
