Instructions
Braise the beef
1
Combine chuck, onion, garlic, bay, cumin, oregano, broth, and salt in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a low simmer, and cook 75-90 minutes until the meat shreds with a fork.
2
Remove the beef, shred with two forks, and reserve 2 cups of the broth for the sauce.
Toast the chiles
3
Heat a dry cast-iron skillet over medium. Toast each dried chile 15-20 seconds per side — just until fragrant and slightly puffed.
Rehydrate the chiles
4
Move the toasted chiles to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and weigh them down with a plate for 20 minutes until fully soft and pliable.
Blend the sauce
5
Drain the chiles (discard soaking water — it's bitter). Add chiles, garlic, onion, tomato, cumin, oregano, and 2 cups reserved beef broth to a blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes until completely smooth, then strain through a mesh sieve to remove skins.
Fry the sauce
6
Heat lard in a wide skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Pour in the strained sauce — it will hiss violently. Cook 5-8 minutes, stirring, until it deepens in color and coats the back of a spoon.
Prep the tortillas
7
Heat ½ cup neutral oil in a small skillet to 340 °F (170 °C). Dip each tortilla in the hot oil for 5-8 seconds — just to soften and seal the surface. Blot on paper towel.
Dip, fill, roll
8
Dunk each fried tortilla briefly in the warm red sauce to coat both sides. Lay it in a baking dish, add 3 tablespoons shredded beef down the center, roll snugly, and place seam-down. Continue until the dish is full.
Sauce, bake, top
9
Ladle remaining sauce over the rolled enchiladas — cover them completely. Bake at 375 °F (190 °C) for 10 minutes, just to warm through. Pull from the oven and immediately top with crumbled queso fresco, drizzle of crema, pickled red onions, and cilantro. Serve at once.