STACKED BEEF ENCHILADAS WITH ANCHO CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Trim any fat and gristle from meat; cut in 1-inch pieces. Heal oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Brown meat and then add garlic, bay leaf,oregano,salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Remove pot from heat and cool meat until lukewarm in the broth. Once warm enough to handle, remove meat from broth and shredd using hands to break up meat. Reserve the broth for Ancho Chile Sauce and other uses. NOTE: no need to wash pan yet.
• Prepare the Ancho Chile Sauce (instructions below). To make this dish easier, I made this sauce the day before. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days and in the freezer for 3 months.
• Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet beef was cooked in and cook onion over a meduim high heat, stirring, unti onion starts to brown (about 5 to 6 minutes). Add diced green chiles, cumin, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, an additional 3 minutes; add meat and remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 11 X 16-inch pan. Make sure your pan is large enough that the enchiladas don't overlap. Heat oil to depth of 1/2-inch in a medium skillet and soften the tortillas 1 at a time by passing through hot oil, holding edge with tongs until limp, about 3 seconds. Drain on paper towels. Stack and cover to keep soft and warm. NOTE: I made fresh tortillas so I did not fry mine as they were still soft.
• Ladle a thin film of the Ancho Chile Sauce in pan. Place 4 tortillas side by side in pan, do not overlap. Top each with 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture. Top each with another tortilla and meat mixuter. Repeat for a third layer. Top each with cheese, olives and green onions. Cover each with the Ancho Chile Sauce.
• Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until cheese melts and sauce bubbles. Remove from oven and cut into wedges. Serve with crema or sour cream, some diced tomatoes and sprinkle with cilantro.
• INSTRUCTIONS FOR ANCHO CHILE SAUCE FOR ENCHILADAS Wipe the chiles with a damp paper towel. Cut open and remove stems and seeds. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the chiles, turning until they are aromatic, just a few seconds should do it. Do not burn or they will be bitter. Place chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water for about 20 minutes; drain and discard water.
• Put chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, marjoram and broth in a blender. Blend to a smooth puree. This should be the consistency of a heavy cream. If too thick, add 1 tablespoon water at a time unitl desired consistency.
• Heat oil over medium heat; add chile puree. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, simmer (stirring frequently to blend flavors)for about 15 minutes. Stir in cream and heat completely, about 3 minutes. Sauce is now ready to use or you can refrigerate for 3 days or will keep in freezer for 3 months.
• HOMEMADE BASIC CORN TORTILLAS You will need a tortilla press (unless you know how press them another way) and plastic wrap. Also, you could use already made corn tortillas.
• In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together using your hands. Knead dough well until moist and smooth, not crumbly and not sticky, about 5 minutes. If dough is crumbly, moisten hands and continue to knead. If it's sticky, add 1 tablespoon of the masa flour at time until desired consistency (a smooth moist dough).
• Cover bowl with plastic and allow dough to rest 20 minutes before using. NOTE: You can refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
• Form dough into 12 equal balls about the the size of a golf ball. Keep dough covered while working to keep it from drying out. Heat a Mexican cornal of mediou skillet over medium-high heat.
• Open tortilla press and line with a piece of plastic, place dough ball in middle and cover with another piece of plastic, press firmly to form a round tortilla. Remove from press, place in palm of your hand and carefully remove plastic wrap, flip over in your hand and remove other piece of plastic.
• Lay tortilla on hot pan; cook 20 to 30 seconds, or until edges look dry. With spatula, flip and cook about 1 minute. Turn again and cook 15 seconds. Remove and stack between layers of paper towels to keep warm. Repeat to make 12 tortillas.