Enchiladas Verdes (Green Salsa Enchiladas)

I'm going to start this by saying that I have grown to truly love San Antonio. However, when I first moved here someone put in front of me a rolled tortilla with glorified Cheez Whiz oozing out of it and called it an enchilada...um, no. I wanted the REAL thing. I missed the real deal that I could order anywhere in Mexico. While I'm sure Cheez Whiz enchiladas have their place, I decided that place wasn't in front of me. :) So through the years, I've learned several different types. I'll write about this one first because it's the simplest one I do and still really delicious. You can make the salsa a day ahead and even buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it ahead as well. That makes dinner time assembly a lot easier. Enjoy!

Enchiladas Verdes (Green Salsa Enchiladas)
Adapted from Pati's Mexican Table

Enchilada Ingredients:

• Cooked green salsa (recipe below)
• 12 corn tortillas
• 3T vegetable oil
• 2 cups shredded pork shoulder or cooked/rotisserie chicken
• 1 c simmered black beans or canned, drained
• 1/2 c sour cream or Mexican crema
• 3/4 c feta cheese or queso fresco
• 1/3 c onion, chopped

Green Salsa Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, paper removed
• 2-4 serrano chiles, to taste
• 2/3 c onion, chopped
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• 3 T vegetable oil

Directions:

For the salsa-

1. Cover tomatillos, garlic, and serranos with water in a large saucepan. Simmer until tomatillos turn from their bright green color to a pale yellow/green and have softened, about 8-10 min.
2. Remove tomatillos, garlic, and chiles with a slotted spoon. Add tomatillos, garlic, and one chile at a time to the food processor. Add onion and salt. Pulse 3-4 times then puree until smooth. Add more chile until it reaches the heat you want. 
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Pour salsa (carefully!) into the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes, or until thickened. The salsa will bubble and spit, so take care!

For the enchiladas-

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Keep salsa warm in its saucepan, or reheat it gently in a saucepan if you made it ahead. 
3. On a foil lined baking sheet, spread out 6 tortillas. Brush both sides of tortillas lightly with oil. Place tortillas in oven for 3 minutes (this will make them more pliable and prevent cracking). Place tortillas on a dish and wrap in a clean towel to keep warm. Repeat the process with the other 6 tortillas. Place them in the towel lined dish to keep warm also. 
4. Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees.
5. One tortilla at a time, using your fingers or tongs, dip tortillas in the salsa. Place on a plate, add about 3 T of pork/chicken in a line down the center of the tortilla, then add 1-2 T of beans. Roll up and place the tortilla, seam side down, in a 13x9 in. baking dish. Repeat this process with all 12 tortillas. 
6. Pour the rest of the salsa over the enchiladas and cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 15 minutes.
7. Drizzle with sour cream or crema and scatter cheese and onions over the top. Serve hot.