{Enfrijoladas} Black Bean-Smothered Enchiladas Recipe
This is an easier and healthier version of the traditional Oaxacan recipe for Black Bean-Smothered Enchiladas known as the {Enfrijoladas} Black Bean-Smothered Enchiladas recipe.
4garlic cloves1 for cooking the beans, the other 3 thinly sliced
3dried pasilla chileor dried Ancho chiles, or 2 chipotles en adobo (use 3 if you want it spicy)
1tablespoondried Mexican oreganoor other dried oregano
1pinchfennel seedsor 1 sprig fresh epazote
For The Enfrijoladas:
1/4cupcanola, grapeseed, or coconut oil
16(6-inch)corn tortillas
For Garnish:
Crumbledqueso frescoor feta, for garnish
DrizzleCrema or sour creamfor garnish
1handfulfresh Italian parsley or cilantro leaves
1mediumfirm-ripe avocadofor garnish
Instructions
Cook The Dried Black Beans: Place the dried beans in a fine mesh strainer then sort and rinse and remove any debris or broken bits. Place the beans in a bowl and cover by 2 inches of water then set aside in a cool, dry location to soak at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours. Once the beans have soaked, discard the water and rinse them off then transfer to a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring the beans to a boil over high heat then skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to low, add one half onion, one garlic clove, and two bay leaves then and simmer. Periodically skim off any additional foam that rises to the surface. Simmer the beans, partially covered, until they're tender (adding more water as needed to just keep the beans covered), about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The beans are just tender when you blow on the surface of a bean and the skin peels back easily. Also, they should be easy to bite into but not so soft they're mushy. If you're going to use the beans to make the bean sauce (below), discard the onion, garlic clove, bay leaves before proceeding.
Make The Bean Sauce: When the beans are just tender, prepare the bean sauce. If using the dried chiles, place them in a dry cast iron pan or comal over medium heat and toast until they're fragrant. Place the chiles in hot water and soak for 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain and discard the soaking liquid then use kitchen shears to cut the soaked chile into strips (discard the stem).Place a small frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Dice the remaining half onion and slice the remaining three garlic cloves then add both to the pan with a big pinch of salt. Stir to combine then cook until the onions are soft, at least 5 minutes. If using the avocado leaf, epazote sprig, dried Mexican oregano, add them now. Otherwise, add in the (non-Mexican) dried oregano and the pinch of fennel seeds. Add the onion mixture to the beans and continue cooking until the beans are very tender and the broth has slightly thickened, about another 10 minutes.Remove the beans from the heat then strain the beans from the cooking liquid and reserve both. Transfer 2 cups of the beans and 2 cups of the bean cooking liquid (reserve the remaining beans and liquid for another use - you can freeze them!) along with the soaked and sliced pasilla chiles or the chipotle peppers, if using, to a food processor or blender. Blend for a long time (1 to 3 minutes) until you have a smooth sauce that resembles hot caramel.
Make The Enfrijoladas: Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Meanwhile, transfer the bean salsa to a medium frying pan, stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil, and just bring to a simmer over low heat. Stir and let cook until the salsa is warmed through and just thickens so slightly that it coats the edges of the pan. Taste and add more salt, as desired then turn off the heat. Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil on one side of each tortilla and arrange the tortillas in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (it's okay if they overlap slightly). Transfer the tortillas to the oven and bake just until the oil is heated, the tortillas puff slightly, they're warmed through, and they're still pliable -- don't let them get crispy --about 3 to 5 minutes - then remove them from the oven (keep them on the baking sheet while you finish the recipe).Before you begin to coat the tortillas, gather a serving platter, a set of tongs, and make sure all your garnishes are ready to go becuase you'll want to serve and eat these immediately!To assemble the Enfrijoladas, use tongs to dip one of the warmed tortilla into the bean mixture and coat it on all sides. Allow any extra bean salsa to drip back into the saucepan, then with the help of a fork or using clean hands, fold the tortilla into quarters and place on a plate. Repeat with all the remaining tortillas.
Serve The Enfrijoladas: Serve them topped as they would in Mexico with raw onion slices and crumbled cheese and a drizzle of crema. Or, if you want to up the ante (like we like to do!), add some fresh cilantro or parsley leaves and some avocado.