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Feb 18, 2013
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Salsa-Simmered Tortillas (Chilaquiles)

Canned chipotle chiles and chorizo are two of the ingredients that distinguish this central Mexican version of chilaquiles from other regional styles of the dish.
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Salsa-Simmered Tortillas (Chilaquiles) Credit: Penny De Los Santos
SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

6 plum tomatoes, cored
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 jalapeño, stemmed, halved lengthwise, and seeded
1 small white onion, quartered
2 tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for frying
4 canned chipotle chiles en adobo
4 tbsp. roughly chopped cilantro
1 1⁄2 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
1⁄4 tsp. dried oregano
10 6" corn tortillas stacked and cut into 1 1⁄2" squares
Kosher salt, to taste
6 oz. fresh chorizo, removed from casing and chopped into chunks
1⁄4 cup sour cream, to garnish
2 oz. cotija or feta cheese, crumbled, for garnish
4 radishes, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to broil and place rack 6" from heating element. In a medium bowl, toss tomatoes, garlic, jalapeño, and onions with 2 tbsp. vegetable oil. Transfer ingredients to a foil-lined 9" x 13" baking pan and broil, turning occasionally as tomato skins start to blister and blacken, about 10 minutes. Transfer roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add chipotle chiles, 2 tbsp. cilantro, sesame seeds, oregano, and 1⁄4 cup water to the food processor and purée until smooth, about 1 minute. Set sauce aside.

2. Pour vegetable oil into a deep 12" cast-iron skillet until it reaches a depth of 1"; heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°. Working in 2 batches, add tortillas and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer tortilla chips to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Lightly season them with salt. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Set aside.

3. Heat a deep 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and cook, stirring frequently and breaking meat up into small pieces with a wooden spoon until browned and cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Add tomato-chipotle sauce to skillet, stir to combine, and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, add tortilla chips, and stir to combine. Let ingredients simmer until the tortilla chips just soften, about 2 minutes.

4. Transfer chilaquiles to a platter and garnish with remaining cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and radishes.
Salsa-Simmered Tortillas (Chilaquiles)

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #114

Ratings & Reviews (4)

noAvatar
This is an excellent regional variation on a common Mexican breakfast dish. The roasted salsa, fresh herbs and fresh garnish add to its visual appeal. One warning, however. Using the listed amount of chipotles in the recipe, will give more heat to this dish than most people like, early in the morning. For use in my restaurant, I cut the chipotle quantity by 75 %. We add more chile at customer request. We also sub whole milk yogurt for the sour cream garnish.
noAvatar
I love this recipe! I agree with the commenter above that the heat is pretty intense in this recipe, so just cut down on the amount of chipotle.
noAvatar
I agree with bigrey, the chipotles are going to be way too spicy, otherwise, I am going to be making this!
noAvatar
I have been eating chilaquiles since I was a small
child growing up in Mexico and I have tried hundreds
of recipies and this is the closest one to perfection
Martita
Salsa-Simmered Tortillas (Chilaquiles) 5 5 2 4

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