Pork Enchiladas

Last week I shared an easy way to get a whole lotta juicy, flavored pork on your table with very little effort. I mentioned that you can make multiple meals off one huge pork shoulder, so here's a great alternative to the barbecued pork sandwiches from the last post:  Pork Enchiladas.

I always feel like a culinary genius when I figure out how to morph one meal into two, especially when the two meals are so different that it's hard to believe that they came from the same cut of meat.  As an added bonus, both the Barbecued Pork Sandwiches and these Pork Enchiladas heat up very well if you have leftovers, so you can pack them for lunch the next day at work.

These enchiladas feature my new BFF, Ro-Tel.  I didn't know anything about these canned tomatoes with green chiles, but once I "discovered" them, my world was changed!  I used them to make some salsa for Potluck and I've since decided that it's the only salsa recipe I need in my life.  This time I stirred some Ro-Tel into these enchiladas and I got a whole lot of Tex-Mex flavor with very little effort and few added calories - perfect for a weeknight.

I like to use corn tortillas for my enchiladas, but they are a bit more difficult to work with than flour, plus E prefers flour tortillas.  I ended up making half corn, half flour.  Do what you've gotta do to please your family.

Obviously this recipe isn't authentic Tex-Mex cuisine.  I am from Delaware, after all.  The ingredients are easy to find at any grocery store, even if you live in a small town.  I think you'll be pleased with the results.

Pork Enchiladas
a Keeley original
makes 4 servings

3 cups cooked pulled pork from this recipe
1 can Ro-Tel (I use Original flavor)
1 small onion, diced
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 teaspoons ground cumin
salt, to taste
28 ounces enchilada sauce (canned or homemade)
8 tortillas (corn or flour)
2 cups shredded cheese (I use a blend of cheddar and mozzarella)
chopped green onions or cilantro for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat oil to medium heat in a pan.  Saute onions until soft, about 4 minutes.  Add pork, Ro-Tel, cumin, and salt to the pan.  Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.  Check for seasonings and adjust salt if necessary.

Microwave tortillas until they are soft and pliable (about 30-60 seconds in the microwave).  (Corn tortillas are notoriously difficult to roll.  I recommend microwaving them in small batches of 2-3 between damp paper towels for 30-60 seconds.)

Pour 1 cup of the enchilada sauce into a shallow pie plate or similar dish.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

For each enchilada, dip the tortilla in the shallow plate of enchilada sauce, covering the entire tortilla with sauce.  Roll 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the filling into each tortilla, then place the enchilada snugly into the baking dish.  Repeat until you use all of the filling (or until you run out of tortillas).

Pour remaining enchilada sauce over prepared enchiladas.  Top evenly with cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and the enchiladas are lightly browned.  Garnish with green onions and/or cilantro, if desired.  Serve hot.